Oregon House of Representatives

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Wikipedia

Oregon House of Representatives
Oregon Legislative Assembly
Coat of arms or logo
Type
Type
Term limits
None
History
New session started
January 21, 2025
Leadership
Julie Fahey (D)
since March 7, 2024
Speaker pro tempore
David Gomberg (D)
since January 13, 2025
Majority Leader
Ben Bowman (D)
since March 21, 2024
Minority Leader
Lucetta Elmer (R)
since October 1, 2025
Structure
Seats60
Political groups
Majority
  •   Democratic (37)

Minority

Length of term
2 years
AuthorityArticle IV, Oregon Constitution
Salary$21,612/year + per diem
Elections
Last election
November 5, 2024
(60 seats)
Next election
November 3, 2026
(60 seats)
RedistrictingLegislative Control
Meeting place
House of Representatives Chamber
Oregon State Capitol
Salem, Oregon
Website
Oregon House of Representatives

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.[1]

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

82nd Oregon House Leadership[2][3]
Position Representative District Party Residence
Speaker of the House Julie Fahey 14 Democratic Eugene
Speaker pro Tempore David Gomberg[4] 10 Democratic Otis
Majority Leader Ben Bowman 25 Democratic Tigard
Majority Whip Andrea Valderrama 47 Democratic Portland
Assistant Majority Leaders Pam Marsh 5 Democratic Ashland
Hai Pham 36 Democratic Hillsboro
Annessa Hartman 40 Democratic Gladstone
Minority Leader Lucetta Elmer 24 Republican McMinnville
Deputy Minority Leader Alex Skarlatos 4 Republican Winston
Minority Whip Virgle Osborne 2 Republican Roseburg
Assistant Minority Leaders Shelly Boshart Davis 15 Republican Albany
Mark Owens 60 Republican Crane
Emily McIntire 56 Republican Eagle Point
DistrictRepresentativePartyResidenceAssumed office
1Court BoiceRepublicanGold Beach2023[a]
2Virgle OsborneRepublicanRoseburg2023
3Dwayne YunkerRepublicanGrants Pass2023[a]
4Alek SkarlatosRepublicanCanyonville2025
5Pam MarshDemocraticAshland2017
6Kim WallanRepublicanMedford2019
7John LivelyDemocraticSpringfield2013
8Lisa FragalaDemocraticEugene2025
9Boomer WrightRepublicanReedsport2021
10David GombergDemocraticOtis2013
11Jami CateRepublicanLebanon2021
12Darin HarbickRepublicanMcKenzie Bridge[5]2025
13Nancy NathansonDemocraticEugene2007
14Julie FaheyDemocratic2017
15Shelly Boshart DavisRepublicanAlbany2019
16Sarah Finger McDonald DemocraticCorvallis2025
17Ed DiehlRepublicanStayton2023
18Rick LewisRepublicanSilverton2017
19Tom AndersenDemocraticSalem2023
20Paul EvansDemocraticMonmouth2015
21Kevin MannixRepublicanSalem2023[b]
22Lesly Muñoz DemocraticWoodburn2025
23Anna ScharfRepublicanAmity2021[a]
24Lucetta ElmerRepublicanMcMinnville2023
25Ben BowmanDemocraticTigard2023
26Sue Rieke SmithDemocraticKing City2025[a]
27Ken HelmDemocraticBeaverton2015
28Dacia GrayberDemocraticPortland2021
29Susan McLainDemocraticForest Grove2015
30Nathan SosaDemocraticHillsboro2022
31Darcey EdwardsRepublicanBanks2025
32Cyrus JavadiDemocratic[c]Tillamook2023
33Shannon Jones IsadoreDemocraticPortland2024[a]
34Mari WatanabeDemocraticBeaverton 2025[a]
35Farrah ChaichiDemocraticAloha2023
36Hai PhamDemocraticHillsboro2023
37Jules WaltersDemocraticWest Linn2023
38Daniel NguyenDemocraticLake Oswego2023
39April DobsonDemocraticHappy Valley2025
40Annessa HartmanDemocraticGladstone2023
41Mark GambaDemocraticMilwaukie2023
42Rob NosseDemocraticPortland2014[a]
43Tawna SanchezDemocratic2017
44Travis NelsonDemocratic2022[a]
45Thuy TranDemocratic2023
46Willy ChotzenDemocratic2025
47Andrea ValderramaDemocratic2021[a]
48Lamar WiseDemocratic2025[a]
49Zach HudsonDemocraticTroutdale2021
50Ricki RuizDemocraticGresham2021
51Matt BunchRepublicanBeavercreek2025[a]
52Jeff HelfrichRepublicanHood River2023[d]
53Emerson LevyDemocraticBend2023
54Jason KropfDemocraticBend2021
55E. Werner ReschkeRepublicanMalin2017
56Emily McIntireRepublicanEagle Point2023
57Greg SmithRepublicanHeppner2001
58Bobby LevyRepublicanEcho2021
59Vikki Breese-IversonRepublicanPrineville2019[a]
60Mark OwensRepublicanCrane2020[a]

Composition

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.[7][8] This was the first time a member of the legislature has been expelled in the state's history.[9] 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
83rd (2025–2026) 37 23 60 0
Latest voting share 62% 38%

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[10]
  • 2022: Travis Nelson became the first openly gay person of color to serve in the House

Officers

Julie Fahey (D-Eugene) is the current Speaker of the House

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." "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 Sergeant-at-Arms.

Party leaders

Current House party leaders
Majority Leader
Ben Bowman (D-Tigard)
Minority Leader
Lucetta Elmer (R-McMinnville)
Session Democratic leader Majority party

Speaker

 Republican leader Governor
1999 Kitty Piercy Republican majority

Lynn Snodgrass

 Steve Harper John Kitzhaber
1999 Sp.
2001 Dan Gardner Republican majority

Mark Simmons

 Karen Minnis
2001 Sp.
2003 Deborah Kafoury Republican majority

Karen Minnis

 Tim Knopp Ted Kulongoski
2005 Jeff Merkley Wayne Scott
2007 Dave Hunt Democratic majority

Jeff Merkley

Bruce Hanna
2009 Mary Nolan Democratic majority

Dave Hunt

2011 Dave Hunt Split house

Arnie Roblan

 Kevin Cameron John Kitzhaber
Tina Kotek Split house

Bruce Hanna

2013 Val Hoyle Democratic majority

Tina Kotek

 Mike McLane
2015 Jennifer Williamson Kate Brown
2017
2019 Barbara Smith Warner Carl Wilson
Christine Drazan
2021 Vikki Breese-Iverson
2022 Sp. Julie Fahey Democratic majority

Dan Rayfield

 Jeff Helfrich Tina Kotek
2023
2025 Ben Bowman Democratic majority

Julie Fahey

 Christine Drazan
2026 Lucetta Elmer

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Representative was originally appointed.
  2. ↑ Previously served in House from 1989 to 2001.
  3. ↑ Changed party registration to the Democratic Party on September 5, 2025.[6]
  4. ↑ Previously served in House from 2017 to 2019.

References

  1. ↑ Green, Ashbel S.; Lisa Grace Lednicer (January 17, 2006). "State high court strikes term limits". Oregonian. Portland, Oregon: Oregonian Publishing. pp. A1.
  2. ↑ "House Democratic Caucus members". www.oregonlegislature.gov. Retrieved January 29, 2025.
  3. ↑ "House Republican Caucus leaders". www.oregonlegislature.gov. Retrieved January 29, 2025.
  4. ↑ Botkin, Ben; Shumway, Julia (January 13, 2025). "Oregon lawmakers sworn into office on Monday". Oregon Capital Chronicle. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
  5. ↑ Wilk, Nathan (November 6, 2024). "Darin Harbick wins eastern Lane County's seat in the Oregon House". KLCC | NPR for Oregonians. Retrieved November 14, 2025.
  6. ↑ VanderHart, Dirk (September 5, 2025). "Oregon state Rep. Cyrus Javadi switches political teams, registers as a Democrat". OPB. Retrieved September 5, 2025.
  7. ↑ Peterson, Danny; Balick, Lisa (January 7, 2021). "Kotek: GOP's Nearman let right-wing protesters into Capitol". KOIN. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  8. ↑ 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.
  9. ↑ 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.
  10. ↑ Radnovich, Connor (February 2, 2022). "First day of session: Call for empathy, then a public protest". Register-Guard.