Talking about a politician's money is always a bit like trying to solve a puzzle with half the pieces missing. When you look up Lori Chavez-DeRemer net worth, you aren't just looking at a government salary or a bank balance. You're looking at a decades-long career that spans from local city council seats in Oregon to the high-stakes world of the U.S. Department of Labor.
She's not your typical career politician who spent forty years in a marble building. Honestly, she's a business owner first. That’s where the real meat of her financial story lives.
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The Business Roots of the DeRemer Fortune
Before she was Secretary Chavez-DeRemer, or even Congresswoman Chavez-DeRemer, she was building a medical management empire with her husband, Dr. Shawn DeRemer. They aren't just "investors." They actually founded Anesthesia Associates Northwest.
Think about that for a second.
Starting a business from scratch is a grind, but they scaled it. They didn't stop at one clinic; they opened several across the Pacific Northwest. This wasn't some side hustle. It was the primary engine of their wealth long before any public office came into the picture. Most estimates, based on her 2023 and 2024 House financial disclosures, put the value of these business interests in the millions.
We’re talking about a range. In the world of congressional filings, you don't list an exact dollar amount. You list brackets. For Lori, those brackets suggested a net worth somewhere between $4 million and $17 million when you include spousal assets. That's a huge gap, right? But that’s how the government makes them report it.
The biggest chunk comes from "Rip City Properties" and "SJJD Consulting LLC," where her 10% interest is valued between $1 million and $5 million alone. Then you've got her husband’s 50% interest in the anesthesia practice, also valued in that $1 million to $5 million range.
Moving from the House to the Cabinet
Politics is a weird career move if you're looking to get rich quick. As a member of the House representing Oregon's 5th District, Lori was making the standard $174,000 a year.
It’s good money, sure. But compared to running a multi-clinic medical group? It's a pay cut.
Then 2024 happened. She lost a tight reelection bid to Janelle Bynum. Most people thought she might just head back to Happy Valley and run her businesses. Instead, she got the call for the big leagues. In early 2025, she was confirmed as the 30th U.S. Secretary of Labor.
Now, her salary has bumped up. Cabinet secretaries (Level I of the Executive Schedule) typically earn around $246,400 as of 2026. Again, it's a solid paycheck, but the "wealth" isn't coming from the salary. It's coming from the assets she already owns.
What’s actually in the portfolio?
If you dig into her 2024 OGE Form 278e (that’s the fancy name for the executive branch disclosure), you see a lot of "boring" but smart money.
- Mutual Funds: Lots of them. PIMCO, Diamond Hill, and Vanguard.
- Real Estate: Rip City Properties is a major player here.
- Retirement Accounts: She has a 401(k) through the anesthesia business filled with target-date funds and emerging market ETFs.
She isn't day-trading tech stocks. It’s a diversified, business-owner portfolio.
The "Teamster's Daughter" Narrative
You’ll hear her mention being the daughter of a Teamster a lot. It’s part of her brand. She uses it to bridge the gap between her Republican identity and her support for things like the PRO Act.
But there’s a tension there.
She’s a millionaire business owner who advocates for workers. Critics point to her wealth as a sign she's "out of touch," while supporters say her experience meeting a payroll every month is exactly why she understands the economy.
Basically, she’s a wealthy woman who knows how to talk to people who aren't. That’s a powerful tool in politics.
Why the Numbers Change in 2026
By 2026, her financial picture has shifted because of her role at the Department of Labor. Being the Labor Secretary means she’s under a microscope. She’s had to navigate strict ethics agreements, which sometimes involve divesting from certain assets to avoid conflicts of interest.
If she’s overseeing rules about 401(k)s and alternative assets—which she’s been doing aggressively under the current administration—she can’t have personal holdings that look like a "pay to play" situation.
Most of her wealth remains tied up in the Pacific Northwest medical ventures and real estate. These are "passive" in the sense that she isn't running the day-to-day anymore, but they continue to appreciate.
The Reality of lori chavez-deremer net worth
So, what is the bottom line?
If you’re looking for a single number, you’re not going to find it. But based on the most recent 2025 and 2026 filings, a realistic estimate of her family’s total net worth sits comfortably between $8 million and $12 million.
This puts her in the upper tier of government officials, though she's far from the wealthiest person in the Cabinet.
It’s important to remember that much of this is "on paper." It’s the value of her ownership in companies, not necessarily cash sitting in a safe.
Actionable Takeaways for Following Political Wealth
If you want to keep tabs on this yourself, don't rely on those "celebrity net worth" sites. They usually just guess. Instead:
- Check the OGE: The Office of Government Ethics posts the Form 278e for all Cabinet members. It's public.
- Look for Divestitures: See if she was forced to sell any specific stocks upon taking the Secretary role. These "Certificates of Divestiture" are also public records.
- Monitor Property Records: Since much of her wealth is in Clackamas County real estate, local tax assessments can give you a clearer picture of her "Rip City Properties" holdings than a vague congressional bracket.
Keeping an eye on these filings is the only way to see how public service actually affects the bottom line of the people running the country.
Stay informed by checking the U.S. House Clerk's office for her past filings and the OGE's Open Government portal for her current ones as Secretary of Labor. This gives you the raw data without the political spin.