Rayner, Isidor, 1850-1912

Isidor Rayner (April 11, 1850 – November 25, 1912) was an American lawyer and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in the U.S. House of Representatives from Maryland's 4th congressional district from 1887 to 1889 and 1891 to 1895 and as a U.S. Senator from Maryland from 1905 until his death.

Born into a German-Jewish family in Baltimore, Maryland, he attended local private schools, the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and the University of Virginia. Raynor began to study law and was admitted to the Maryland bar in 1871. He was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates and served from 1878 to 1884. In 1885, he was elected to the Maryland State Senate, serving one year until 1886.

Rayner was elected the same year to the 50th United States Congress. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1888 to the 51st Congress, but was victorious in the next two elections to the 52nd and 53rd Congresses. He declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1894. Five years later in 1899, Rayner was chosen to be the Attorney General of Maryland, serving until 1903. He was elected as a Democrat in 1905 to the U.S. Senate, and was reelected again in 1911. While senator, he served as chairman of the Committee on Indian Depredations (Sixty-second Congress).

In 1912, Rayner died in Washington, D.C., while serving in the Senate. He is buried at Rock Creek Cemetery.