William Henry Strayer (January 10, 1866 – October 18, 1946) was an American attorney and politician from the state of Oregon.

When he died in office, Strayer had served longer in the Oregon legislature than any other citizen in the state's history.

As a young man, he worked as a farm hand and later taught school in South Dakota and Illinois before being accepted into Northern Indiana University.

After arriving in Baker, Strayer joined a number of civic and fraternal groups including Moose, Masons, and Shriners lodges.

[10] Because Oregon senate terms are for four-years, Strayer did not have to run for re-election prior to the 1917 legislative session.

During the session, Strayer was appointed to the ways and means, alcoholic traffic, insurance, mining, and revisions of laws committees.

During this session, he served on the alcoholic traffic, industries, irrigation, public lands, and revisions of laws committees.

While Strayer was the only Democrat in the Oregon State Senate that session, he introduced six bills, four of which were passed and became law.

In addition, no Republicans filed for the District 23 seat, so he was unopposed in both the Democratic primary and the general election.

[20][21][22] In 1924, Strayer was in the middle of his four-year term, so he could run for another office without losing his state senate seat.

In the state senate, he often voted against popular programs that he thought cost taxpayers too much money.

During his years in the legislature, he also voted against numerous bills that he believed unnecessarily extended the power and influence of state agencies.

[17] In the four-way race for the Democratic nomination, Strayer ran a close second behind Milton A. Miller of Portland.

In the primary to nominate the Democratic party's United States senate candidate, Miller got 10,932 votes versus Strayer's 10,566.

During the session he was appointed to the ways and means, livestock, mining, municipal affairs, enrolled bills, and revision of laws committees.

[27][28] In 1926, another United States Senate seat was open, and Strayer was discussed in the media as a possible Democratic candidate.

He served on the ways and means, forestry, irrigation, enrolled bills, and revision of laws committees.

He was also a member of the ways and means, country and state affairs, irrigation, mining, and revision of laws committees.

He was also appointed to the ways and means, irrigation and drainage, mining, resolutions, and revision of laws committees.

[40][41] Later that year, Strayer served in a second special session which opened on November 20 and lasted two weeks, ending on December 9.

He also served on the ways and means, rules, country and state officers, resolutions, and revision of laws committees during the session.

He was also a member of the ways and means, rules, resolutions, unemployment relief, and revision of laws committees.

[47] A few days after the legislative session ended, Governor Charles H. Martin appointed Strayer to the oversight board for the newly formed Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries.

No Democratic candidates filed to run for the seat nor did any Republicans, so he was unopposed in both the primary and the general election.

[55] A month after the legislative session ended, Strayer was re-appointed to the governing board of the state's department of geology and mineral industries.

Because he was unopposed for re-election, Strayer actively campaigned for Democratic Congressman (and former governor) Walter M. Pierce, who represented Oregon's 2nd congressional district.

The 1945 legislative session began on January 8 with Strayer once again serving in the senate's small Democratic minority.

While Strayer was not specifically identified in the legal proceedings, as the chairman of the state's oversight board for the department of geology and mineral industries, the outcome of the case could have affected his ability to serve in the legislature.

[62] After nine months of litigation, the court ruled that members of the legislature could not hold concurrent state administrative positions.

It was expected that Strayer and the other two state senators affected by the decision would appeal to the Oregon Supreme Court.