Oregon House of Representatives

Oregon House of Representatives
Oregon Legislative Assembly
Coat of arms or logo
Type
Type
Term limits
None
History
New session started
January 9, 2023
Leadership
Julie Fahey (D)
since March 7, 2024
Speaker pro tempore
Paul Holvey (D)
since January 9, 2017
Majority Leader
Ben Bowman (D)
since March 21, 2024
Minority Leader
Jeff Helfrich (R)
since September 27, 2023
Structure
Seats60
Political groups
Majority
  •   Democratic (35)

Minority

Length of term
2 years
AuthorityArticle IV, Oregon Constitution
Salary$21,612/year + per diem
Elections
Last election
November 8, 2022
(60 seats)
Next election
November 5, 2024
(60 seats)
RedistrictingLegislative Control
Meeting place
House of Representatives Chamber
Oregon State Capitol
Salem, Oregon
Website
Oregon House of Representatives
Map of the Oregon State House during the 81st Oregon Legislative Assembly

The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of 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.[1]

Current session[edit]

82nd Oregon House Leadership
Position Representative District Party Residence
Speaker of the House Julie Fahey 14 Democratic Eugene
Speaker pro Tempore Paul Holvey 8 Democratic Eugene
Majority Leader Ben Bowman 25 Democratic Tigard
Majority Whip Andrea Valderrama 47 Democratic Portland
Deputy Majority Whip Rob Nosse 42 Democratic Portland
Assistant Majority Leaders Pam Marsh 5 Democratic Ashland
Jason Kropf 54 Democratic Bend
Dacia Grayber 28 Democratic Tigard
Minority Leader Jeff Helfrich 52 Republican Hood River
Deputy Minority Leader Mark Owens 60 Republican Crane
Minority Whip Kim Wallan 6 Republican Medford
District Representative Party Residence Assumed office
1 Court Boice Republican Gold Beach 2023[a]
2 Virgle Osborne Republican Roseburg 2023
3 Dwayne Yunker Republican Grants Pass 2023[a]
4 Christine Goodwin Republican Canyonville 2021[a]
5 Pam Marsh Democratic Ashland 2017
6 Kim Wallan Republican Medford 2019
7 John Lively Democratic Springfield 2013
8 Paul Holvey Democratic Eugene 2004[a]
9 Boomer Wright Republican Coos Bay 2021
10 David Gomberg Democratic Otis 2013
11 Jami Cate Republican Lebanon 2021
12 Charlie Conrad Republican Cottage Grove 2023
13 Nancy Nathanson Democratic Eugene 2007
14 Julie Fahey Democratic 2017
15 Shelly Boshart Davis Republican Albany 2019
16 Dan Rayfield Democratic Corvallis 2015
17 Ed Diehl Republican Stayton 2023
18 Rick Lewis Republican Silverton 2017
19 Tom Andersen Democratic Salem 2023
20 Paul Evans Democratic Monmouth 2015
21 Kevin Mannix Republican Keizer 2023[b]
22 Tracy Cramer Republican Salem 2023
23 Anna Scharf Republican Amity 2021[a]
24 Lucetta Elmer Republican McMinnville 2023
25 Ben Bowman Democratic Tigard 2023
26 Courtney Neron Democratic Wilsonville 2019
27 Ken Helm Democratic Beaverton 2015
28 Dacia Grayber Democratic Tigard 2021
29 Susan McLain Democratic Forest Grove 2015
30 Nathan Sosa Democratic Hillsboro 2022
31 Brian Stout Republican Columbia City 2023
32 Cyrus Javadi Republican Tillamook 2023
33 Maxine Dexter Democratic Portland 2020[a]
34 Lisa Reynolds Democratic 2021
35 Farrah Chaichi Democratic Aloha 2023
36 Hai Pham Democratic Hillsboro 2023
37 Jules Walters Democratic West Linn 2023
38 Daniel Nguyen Democratic Lake Oswego 2023
39 Janelle Bynum Democratic Happy Valley 2017
40 Annessa Hartman Democratic Gladstone 2023
41 Mark Gamba Democratic Milwaukie 2023
42 Rob Nosse Democratic Portland 2014[a]
43 Tawna Sanchez Democratic 2017
44 Travis Nelson Democratic 2022[a]
45 Thuy Tran Democratic 2023
46 Khanh Pham Democratic 2021
47 Andrea Valderrama Democratic 2021[a]
48 Hoa Nguyen Democratic 2023
49 Zach Hudson Democratic Troutdale 2021
50 Ricki Ruiz Democratic Gresham 2021
51 James Hieb Republican Canby 2022
52 Jeff Helfrich Republican Hood River 2023[c]
53 Emerson Levy Democratic Redmond 2023
54 Jason Kropf Democratic Bend 2021
55 E. Werner Reschke Republican Klamath Falls 2017
56 Emily McIntire Republican Eagle Point 2023
57 Greg Smith Republican Heppner 2001
58 Bobby Levy Republican Echo 2021
59 Vikki Breese-Iverson Republican Prineville 2019[a]
60 Mark Owens Republican Crane 2020[a]

Composition[edit]

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.[2][3] This was the first time a member of the legislature has been expelled in the state's history.[4] The lone no vote was by Nearman himself.

Affiliation Party
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
Total
Democratic Republican Vacant
73rd (2005–2006) 27 33 60 0
74th (2007–2008) 31 29 60 0
75th (2009–2010) 36 24 60 0
76th (2011–2012) 30 30 60 0
77th (2013–2014) 34 26 60 0
78th (2015–2016) 35 25 60 0
79th (2017–2018) 35 25 60 0
80th (2019–2020) 38 22 60 0
81st (2021–2022) 37 23 60 0
82nd (2023–2024) 35 25 60 0
Latest voting share 58% 42%

Milestones[edit]

  • 1914: Marian B. Towne became the first woman elected to the Oregon House
  • 1972: Bill McCoy became the first African American to serve in the House
  • 1985: Margaret Carter became the first black woman elected to the House
  • 1991: Gail Shibley became the first openly gay person to serve in the House
  • 2013: Tina Kotek became the first openly gay person to serve as Speaker of the House.
  • 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.[5]

Officers[edit]

Speaker[edit]

Majority Leader[edit]

Minority Leader[edit]

Chief Clerk[edit]

"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." "Chief Clerk". OregonLegislature.gov.

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

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Representative was originally appointed.
  2. ^ Previously served in House from 1989 to 2001.
  3. ^ Previously served in House from 2017 to 2019.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Green, Ashbel S.; Lisa Grace Lednicer (January 17, 2006). "State high court strikes term limits". Oregonian. Portland, Oregon: Oregonian Publishing. pp. A1.
  2. ^ Peterson, Danny; Balick, Lisa (January 7, 2021). "Kotek: GOP's Nearman let right-wing protesters into Capitol". KOIN. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  3. ^ Borrud, Hillary (January 7, 2021). "Oregon Rep. Mike Nearman let right-wing protesters into the Oregon Capitol last month". The Oregonian. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  4. ^ VanderHart, Dirk (June 10, 2021). "Oregon House expels state Rep. Mike Nearman, plotter of Capitol incursion". www.opb.org. Oregon Public Broadcasting. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  5. ^ Radnovich, Connor (February 2, 2022). "First day of session: Call for empathy, then a public protest". Register-Guard.

External links[edit]