In 1999, Hoyle and her family moved to Lane County, Oregon, where she joined the education advocacy group Stand for Children. Before serving in the Oregon legislature, she worked in sales and marketing for bicycle manufacturers Burley Design and Cane Creek, and served as legislative aide and policy analyst for State Senator Floyd Prozanski. She was also a director of the United Way of Lane County.[6]
Oregon House of Representatives
Hoyle was appointed to the Oregon House of Representatives in August 2009 to replace Chris Edwards, who was appointed to the Oregon State Senate.[7] In 2010, she was reelected to a full term, defeating Republican Dwight Coon and Independent Kevin Prociw.[8] On November 6, 2012, Hoyle again defeated Coon to win a second full term.[9]
Before the 2011 legislative session, Hoyle was elected assistant caucus leader of the Oregon House Democrats. During the 2011 legislative session, she was co-vice chair of the House Subcommittee on Higher Education, and served on the House Committees on Health Care and Business & Labor.[10] She also served on the Governor's Health Care Transformation Team.
On November 15, 2012, after House Democrats selected Tina Kotek as speaker of the Oregon House, Hoyle was elected to lead the Oregon House Democrats as House majority leader for the 2013 Legislative Session.[11] During the 2013 legislative session, she co-chaired the House Task Force on O&C Counties and was vice chair of the House Committee on Rules.
Shortly before the 2014 legislative session, former State Representative Chris Garrett received an executive appointment to the Oregon Court of Appeals[12] and Hoyle was named chair of the House Committee on Rules. Hoyle also served as a legislative co-chair of the Oregon Elder Abuse Prevention Workgroup.
After Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber resigned in February 2015, elevating Kate Brown to the governorship, The Oregonian named Hoyle as a possible successor to Brown as Oregon Secretary of State.[13] Hoyle stepped down as majority leader in 2015 to run for Oregon secretary of state. In the 2016 Democratic primary, she came in second place, receiving 33.81% of the vote to Democratic nominee Brad Avakian's 39.06%.[14]
Labor commissioner
In 2018, Hoyle ran to become Oregon's 10th labor commissioner, a nonpartisan elected position.[15] She won the race outright in May, receiving 52% of the vote and winning 17 of 36 counties.[15][16] Former Tualatin Mayor Lou Ogden received 36% and Jack Howard, a La Grande attorney and former Union County Commissioner, received 12%.[16] The Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries serves a four-year term, has offices in Portland, Eugene, and Salem, oversees enforcement of wage and hour laws, including prevailing wage and civil rights enforcement, certifies apprenticeship programs, and provides employment law technical assistance for employers.[17]
In the House, Hoyle generally voted with the majority of other Democratic members, but there were exceptions. On January 31, 2023, Hoyle was among seven Democrats to vote for H.R.497:Freedom for Health Care Workers Act, a bill which would lift COVID-19 vaccine mandates for healthcare workers.[20][21]
In 2023, Hoyle was among 56 Democrats to vote in favor of H.Con.Res. 21 which directed President Joe Biden to remove U.S. troops from Syria within 180 days.[22][23]
