Brad Avakian

Brad Avakian
Commissioner of the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries
Incumbent
Assumed office April 8, 2008
Governor	Ted Kulongoski John Kitzhaber Kate Brown
Preceded by	Dan Gardner
Member of the Oregon Senate from the 17th district
In office January 2, 2007 – April 8, 2008
Preceded by	Charlie Ringo
Succeeded by	Suzanne Bonamici
Member of the Oregon House of Representatives from the 34th district
In office January 2, 2003 – January 2, 2007
Preceded by	Charlie Ringo
Succeeded by	Suzanne Bonamici
Personal details
Born	(1961-02-04) February 4, 1961 (age 56) Fresno, California, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Deborah Lynn Avakian
Alma mater	Oregon State University Lewis and Clark College
Website	Official website

Bradley Paul "Brad" Avakian (born February 4, 1961) is the Commissioner of the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries. He was appointed by Governor Ted Kulongoski on April 8, 2008 and subsequently elected statewide on November 4, 2008. He was re-elected in 2012 and 2014. While the Commissioner of Labor and Industries has been a nonpartisan position since 1995, Avakian is known to be a Democrat; he served in both houses of the Oregon Legislative Assembly as a member of that party, and ran in a Democratic primary election for the United States House of Representatives.

He was the Democratic candidate for Oregon Secretary of State in the 2016 election. He was defeated by Dennis Richardson.

Born in Fresno, California, he is the son of Larry and Catherine Avakian, who now reside in Thousand Oaks, California. He is of Armenian descent. His grandfather was Avak Avakian, who came to America from Muş in 1898. His grandmother, Sirpoohi Antoyan, came from Bitlis in 1900.

Avakian was raised in Washington County, Oregon. He was educated in Oregon’s public schools and graduated as a Juris doctor from Lewis & Clark Law School in 1990. He helped create the YMCA's Juvenile Restitution Program while in law school.

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