Ronald Lee Wyden, commonly known as Ron Wyden, is an American politician serving as the senior United States Senator from Oregon since 1996 and a member of the Democratic Party. He is the long-time Chair of the Senate Finance Committee, overseeing tax policy and investigations into non-profit funding mechanisms. Previously, he represented Oregon's 3rd congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1981 to 1996. Born on May 3, 1949, in Wichita, Kansas, he moved to Los Angeles, California, at a young age and was raised there. Wyden earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 1971, and a Juris Doctor from the University of Oregon School of Law in 1974. Before entering politics, he directed the Oregon chapter of the Gray Panthers and worked as an attorney, focusing on issues affecting seniors and health care. His early political career included service on the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners from 1978 to 1980.

As a senator, Wyden is known for his libertarian-leaning positions within the Democratic Party, particularly as an advocate for privacy rights, internet freedom, and limiting government surveillance. He has been a defender of civil liberties, co-authoring legislation like the USA Freedom Act to reform surveillance practices. Wyden has focused on tax policy, campaign finance reform, and health care, often opposing measures he views as excessive government overreach. He became the dean of Oregon's congressional delegation and, following the death of Representative Don Young in 2022, the dean of the West Coast's congressional delegation. Wyden has also been involved in environmental issues and trade policy, representing Oregon's interests in timber, technology, and agriculture sectors.

His political stance includes opposition to certain conservative funding networks, such as Donors Trust, and he has been a vocal critic of corporate tax avoidance and wealth inequality. His work emphasizes bipartisan efforts on issues like prescription drug pricing and retirement security.