When Rep. Dan Rayfield takes office as Oregon attorney general, Dustin Buehler will move from the Department of Justice’s Appellate Division to the front office as Rayfield’s special counsel. Buehler, who was general counsel for Gov. Kate Brown, will head DOJ’s federal oversight and accountability work. Fay Stetz-Waters will continue as DOJ’s director of civil rights and social justice. She and Buehler will co-lead the Federal Oversight and Accountability Cabinet chaired by Rayfield. He announced the cabinet Thursday afternoon:

— Joe Baessler, executive director, Oregon AFSCME

— Sandy Chung, executive director, ACLU of Oregon

— Prof. Greg Dotson, University of Oregon School of Law

— Julie Hanna, associate vice president of government affairs, OHSU

— Dr. Sara Kennedy, CEO, Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette

— Kyndall Mason, executive director, Basic Rights Oregon

— Isa Peña, director of strategy, Innovation Law Lab

— Jeremiah Rigsby, chief of staff, CareOregon

— Lindsey Scholten, executive director, Oregon League of Conservation Voters

— Graham Trainor, president, Oregon AFL-CIO

— Melissa Unger, executive director, SEIU 503

— Prof. Norman Williams, Willamette University College of Law

Samuel Herscovitz, who managed Will Lathrop’s campaign for attorney general, is back at the Legislature. He currently is interim communications director for the House Republican Office and will serve as deputy communications director for House Republican Leader Christine Drazan, Canby. Nicholas Poche, who had handled HRO communications, left that role last week.

Ryan Tuthill returned to the HRO as legislative director. Earlier this year, he had joined the staff of Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R-5th District, as a field representative.

Drazan announced that her assistant caucus leaders will be Reps. Shelly Boshart-Davis, Albany; Mark Owens, Crane; and Emily McIntire, Eagle Point. They join Deputy Leader Rep. Lucetta Elmer, McMinnville, and whip Rep. Virgle Osborne, Roseburg.

Jori Messner joined the House Majority Office as outreach director. She previously worked for the Oregon Department of Transportation, Washington County, Rep. Daniel Nguyen, D-Lake Oswego, and U.S. Rep. Kurt Schrader, D-5th District.

Andrew Matto is the new legislative aide for new Sen. Lisa Reynolds, D-Portland.

As several news media have reported, key staffers departing the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office now include Deputy Secretary of State Cheryl Myers, Elections Director Molly Woon and Audits Director Kip Memmott. State Treasurer Tobias Read will be sworn in next month as secretary of state.

Jonah Liden, who was community and government relations coordinator at Rogue Community College, is now corporate and government affairs manager at adidas in Portland.

Natasha Jackson is now director of state affairs at Northwest Gas Association, a bi-national trade organization based in West Linn.

Edward Feser, Oregon State University’s provost and executive vice president, will become president of Saint Louis University on July 1, 2025.