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Oregon House of Representatives

Lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly


Lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly

FieldValue
background_color
nameOregon House of Representatives
legislatureOregon Legislative Assembly
coa_picSeal of the Oregon House of Representatives.jpg
term_limitsNone
new_sessionJanuary 21, 2025
session_roomOregonHouseCenter.jpg
house_typeLower house
leader1_typeSpeaker
leader1Julie Fahey (D)
election1March 7, 2024
leader2_typeSpeaker pro tempore
leader2David Gomberg (D)
election2January 13, 2025
leader3_typeMajority Leader
leader3Ben Bowman (D)
election3March 21, 2024
leader4_typeMinority Leader
leader4Lucetta Elmer (R)
election4October 1, 2025
term_length2 years
authorityArticle IV, Oregon Constitution
salary$21,612/year + per diem
members60
structure1
political_groups1Majority
*{{Color box#0000FFborderdarkgray}} Democratic (37)
*{{Color box#FF0000borderdarkgray}} Republican (23)
last_election1November 5, 2024
(60 seats)
next_election1November 3, 2026
(60 seats)
redistrictingLegislative Control
meeting_placeHouse of Representatives Chamber
Oregon State Capitol
Salem, Oregon
websiteOregon House of Representatives
  • Democratic (37) Minority
  • Republican (23) (60 seats) (60 seats) Oregon State Capitol Salem, Oregon

The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly, the upper house being the Oregon State Senate. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of approximately 65,000. The House meets in the west wing of the Oregon State Capitol in Salem.

Members of the House serve two-year terms without term limits. In 2002, the Oregon Supreme Court struck down Oregon Ballot Measure 3 (1992), that had restricted State Representatives to three terms (six years) on procedural grounds.

In the current legislative session, Democrats have 37 seats, a slim 2 seat supermajority, while the Republicans have a minority of 23 seats.

Current session

Main article: 83rd Oregon Legislative Assembly#House

PositionRepresentativeDistrictPartyResidence
Speaker of the HouseJulie Fahey14DemocraticEugene
Speaker pro TemporeDavid Gomberg10DemocraticOtis
Majority LeaderBen Bowman25DemocraticTigard
Majority WhipAndrea Valderrama47DemocraticPortland
Assistant Majority LeadersPam Marsh5DemocraticAshland
Hai Pham36DemocraticHillsboro
Annessa Hartman40DemocraticGladstone
Minority LeaderLucetta Elmer24RepublicanMcMinnville
Deputy Minority LeaderAlex Skarlatos4RepublicanWinston
Minority WhipVirgle Osborne2RepublicanRoseburg
Assistant Minority LeadersShelly Boshart Davis15RepublicanAlbany
Mark Owens60RepublicanCrane
Emily McIntire56RepublicanEagle Point
DistrictRepresentativePartyResidenceAssumed office
1Court BoiceRepublicanGold Beach2023
2Virgle OsborneRepublicanRoseburg2023
3Dwayne YunkerRepublicanGrants Pass2023
4Alek SkarlatosRepublicanCanyonville2025
5Pam MarshDemocraticAshland2017
6Kim WallanRepublicanMedford2019
7John LivelyDemocraticSpringfield2013
8Lisa FragalaDemocraticEugene2025
9Boomer WrightRepublicanReedsport2021
10David GombergDemocraticOtis2013
11Jami CateRepublicanLebanon2021
12Darin HarbickRepublicanMcKenzie Bridge2025
13Nancy NathansonDemocraticEugene2007
14Julie FaheyDemocratic2017
15Shelly Boshart DavisRepublicanAlbany2019
16Sarah Finger McDonaldDemocraticCorvallis2025
17Ed DiehlRepublicanStayton2023
18Rick LewisRepublicanSilverton2017
19Tom AndersenDemocraticSalem2023
20Paul EvansDemocraticMonmouth2015
21Kevin MannixRepublicanSalem2023
22Lesly MuñozDemocraticWoodburn2025
23Anna ScharfRepublicanAmity2021
24Lucetta ElmerRepublicanMcMinnville2023
25Ben BowmanDemocraticTigard2023
26Sue Rieke SmithDemocraticKing City2025
27Ken HelmDemocraticBeaverton2015
28Dacia GrayberDemocraticPortland2021
29Susan McLainDemocraticForest Grove2015
30Nathan SosaDemocraticHillsboro2022
31Darcey EdwardsRepublicanBanks2025
32Cyrus JavadiDemocraticTillamook2023
33Shannon Jones IsadoreDemocraticPortland2024
34Mari WatanabeDemocraticBeaverton2025
35Farrah ChaichiDemocraticAloha2023
36Hai PhamDemocraticHillsboro2023
37Jules WaltersDemocraticWest Linn2023
38Daniel NguyenDemocraticLake Oswego2023
39April DobsonDemocraticHappy Valley2025
40Annessa HartmanDemocraticGladstone2023
41Mark GambaDemocraticMilwaukie2023
42Rob NosseDemocraticPortland2014
43Tawna SanchezDemocratic2017
44Travis NelsonDemocratic2022
45Thuy TranDemocratic2023
46Willy ChotzenDemocratic2025
47Andrea ValderramaDemocratic2021
48Lamar WiseDemocratic2025
49Zach HudsonDemocraticTroutdale2021
50Ricki RuizDemocraticGresham2021
51Matt BunchRepublicanBeavercreek2025
52Jeff HelfrichRepublicanHood River2023
53Emerson LevyDemocraticBend2023
54Jason KropfDemocraticBend2021
55E. Werner ReschkeRepublicanMalin2017
56Emily McIntireRepublicanEagle Point2023
57Greg SmithRepublicanHeppner2001
58Bobby LevyRepublicanEcho2021
59Vikki Breese-IversonRepublicanPrineville2019
60Mark OwensRepublicanCrane2020

Composition

Main article: Political party strength in Oregon

The Republican Party held the majority in the House for many years until the Democratic Party gained a majority following the 2006 elections. After losing several seats in the 2010 elections, resulting in a split control between both parties for one legislative term, Democrats regained their majority in the 2012 elections. The Oregon State Senate has been under continuous Democratic control since 2005. On June 10, 2021, Republican Mike Nearman was expelled from the house by a 59–1 vote for intentionally letting armed protesters into the Oregon State Capitol to protest against health restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic in Oregon. This was the first time a member of the legislature has been expelled in the state's history. The lone no vote was by Nearman himself.

AffiliationParty
(Shading indicates majority caucus)TotalDemocraticRepublicanVacant73rd (2005–2006)6074th (2007–2008)6075th (2009–2010)6076th (2011–2012)6077th (2013–2014)6078th (2015–2016)6079th (2017–2018)6080th (2019–2020)6081st (2021–2022)6082nd (2023–2024)6083rd (2025–2026)60Latest voting share
Democratic Party (United States)}}"Republican Party (United States)}}"
27330
31290
36240
30300
34260
35250
35250
38220
37230
35250
37230

Milestones

  • 1914: Marian B. Towne became the first woman elected to the Oregon House
  • 1972: Bill McCoy became the first Black person to serve in the House
  • 1985: Margaret Carter became the first Black woman elected to the House
  • 1986: Rocky Barilla became the first Latino elected to the House
  • 1991: Gail Shibley became the first openly gay person to serve in the House
  • 2013: Jessica Vega Pederson became the first Latina woman to serve in the House
  • 2013: Tina Kotek became the first openly gay person to serve as Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives
  • 2021: Mike Nearman became the first person to be expelled from the Legislature
  • 2022: Janelle Bynum became the first Black person to receive votes for Speaker of the House
  • 2022: Travis Nelson became the first openly gay person of color to serve in the House

Officers

Speaker

Chief Clerk

"The Chief Clerk of the House is the administrative officer elected for a two-year term by the membership of the House of Representatives to be responsible for ensuring that the chamber's business and proceedings run smoothly. The Chief Clerk's Office is therefore responsible for a multiplicity of duties including the processing of the official business of the House, providing the proper setting for consideration and enactment of Oregon laws, maintaining the Rules of the House of Representatives, and advising presiding officers and other members on the proper interpretation of chamber rules and protocols."

The Office of the Chief Clerk also comprises a Deputy Chief Clerk, Journal Clerk, Measure History Clerk, Reading Clerk, and a Sergeant-at-Arms.

Party leaders

Ben Bowman (D-Tigard) Lucetta Elmer (R-McMinnville)

SessionDemocratic leaderMajority partyRepublican leaderGovernor
1999Kitty PiercyRepublican majoritySteve HarperJohn Kitzhaber
1999 Sp.
2001Dan GardnerRepublican majorityKaren Minnis
2001 Sp.
2003Deborah KafouryRepublican majorityTim KnoppTed Kulongoski
2005Jeff MerkleyWayne Scott
2007Dave HuntDemocratic majority
Bruce Hanna
2009Mary NolanDemocratic majority
2011Dave HuntSplit houseKevin CameronJohn Kitzhaber
Tina KotekSplit house
2013Val HoyleDemocratic majorityMike McLane
2015Jennifer WilliamsonKate Brown
2017
2019Barbara Smith WarnerCarl Wilson
Christine Drazan
2021Vikki Breese-Iverson
2022 Sp.Julie FaheyDemocratic majorityJeff HelfrichTina Kotek
2023
2025Ben BowmanDemocratic majorityChristine Drazan
2026Lucetta Elmer

Notes

References

References

  1. Green, Ashbel S.. (January 17, 2006). "State high court strikes term limits". Portland, Oregon: Oregonian Publishing.
  2. "House Democratic Caucus members".
  3. "House Republican Caucus leaders".
  4. (January 13, 2025). "Oregon lawmakers sworn into office on Monday". Oregon Capital Chronicle.
  5. Wilk, Nathan. (2024-11-06). "Darin Harbick wins eastern Lane County's seat in the Oregon House".
  6. VanderHart, Dirk. (September 5, 2025). "Oregon state Rep. Cyrus Javadi switches political teams, registers as a Democrat".
  7. (January 7, 2021). "Kotek: GOP's Nearman let right-wing protesters into Capitol". [[KOIN]].
  8. Borrud, Hillary. (January 7, 2021). "Oregon Rep. Mike Nearman let right-wing protesters into the Oregon Capitol last month". [[The Oregonian]].
  9. VanderHart, Dirk. (June 10, 2021). "Oregon House expels state Rep. Mike Nearman, plotter of Capitol incursion". [[Oregon Public Broadcasting]].
  10. (February 2, 2022). "First day of session: Call for empathy, then a public protest". [[Register-Guard]].
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