The Oregon Republican Party is the

state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * '' Our ...

affiliate of the

United States Republican Party The Republican Party, also referred to as the GOP ("Grand Old Party"), is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States. The GOP was founded in 1854 by anti-slavery activists who opposed the Kansas–Nebraska Act, ...

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idah ...

, headquartered in Salem. The party was established in the

Oregon Territory The Territory of Oregon was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from August 14, 1848, until February 14, 1859, when the southwestern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Oregon. ...

in February 1857 as the "Free State Republican Party of Oregon" and held its first state convention on April 1, 1859, after Oregon achieved statehood. The Republican Party was the dominant political organization in the state of Oregon from the time of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by state ...

through the 1960s, before moving to a position of approximate parity with the rival

Democratic Party of Oregon The Democratic Party of Oregon is the Oregon affiliate of the Democratic Party. The State Central Committee, made up of two delegates elected from each of Oregon's 36 counties and one additional delegate for every 15,000 registered Democrats, is ...

for the next four decades. Since 2000, the Oregon Republican Party has become a minority party in state government, which has generally been controlled by Democrats. In recent years, the Oregon Republican Party has been the subject of significant controversy regarding the increasing influence of

far-right Far-right politics, also referred to as the extreme right or right-wing extremism, are political beliefs and actions further to the right of the left–right political spectrum than the standard political right, particularly in terms of bein ...

organizations and militias within the party, especially during the

presidency of Donald Trump Donald Trump's tenure as the List of presidents of the United States, 45th president of the United States began with Inauguration of Donald Trump, his inauguration on January 20, 2017, and ended on January 20, 2021. Trump, a Republican Party ...

. The party received national attention and widespread criticism for its efforts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election, and its resolution claiming the

2021 United States Capitol attack On January 6, 2021, following the defeat of then-United States President, U.S. President Donald Trump in the 2020 United States presidential election, 2020 presidential election, a mob of his supporters attacked the United States Capitol, U ...

was a false flag operation.

History

Antislavery origins

The politics of the

were largely dominated by the generally

states' rights In American political discourse, states' rights are political powers held for the state governments rather than the federal government according to the United States Constitution, reflecting especially the enumerated powers of Congress and ...

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

with a vocal pro-slavery component. Only weak opposition came from the Whigs and their nativist

Know Nothing The Know Nothing party was a nativist political party and movement in the United States in the mid-1850s. The party was officially known as the "Native American Party" prior to 1855 and thereafter, it was simply known as the "American Party". ...

cousins.Hubert Howe Bancroft, ''History of Oregon: Volume 2: 1848-1883.'' San Francisco, CA: The History Company, 1888. A serious opposition first began to emerge in the aftermath of the bitter and costly

Rogue River Wars The Rogue River Wars were an armed conflict in 1855–1856 between the U.S. Army, local militias and volunteers, and the Native American tribes commonly grouped under the designation of Rogue River Indians, in the Rogue River Valley are ...

of 1855 to 1856, centered around the growing anti-slavery sentiment nationally and increasing threat that the Democratic Party would hasten the expansion of slavery in Oregon. Opposition to the Democrats gradually coalesced around the fledgling

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) *Republican Party ...

that was intent upon slavery's limitation. A first convention of Republicans in Oregon was held in May 1856 at the Lindley schoolhouse in Jackson County, with the gathering called for the nomination of candidates to appear on the June 1856 territorial ballot. The convention also adopted a resolution declaring that while

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

had no power over the existence of slavery in states in which it already existed, outside of such state jurisdictions federal power should be exerted to prevent its introduction. Throughout 1856, antislavery sentiment continued to grow in Oregon, with Republican clubs springing up around the state. Republican county conventions were held in Clackamas,

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

Marion Marion may refer to: People *Marion (given name) * Marion (surname) *Marion Silva Fernandes, Brazilian footballer known simply as "Marion" *Marion (singer), Filipino singer-songwriter and pianist Marion Aunor (born 1992) Places Antarctica * Mari ...

, Linn, and possibly one or two other locales around the state. Representatives of these county gatherings were then assembled at a territorial organizing convention held in Albany on February 11, 1857, which adopted the official name "Free State Republican Party of Oregon" for the organization.Bancroft, ''History of Oregon: Vol. 2,'' pg. 418. A platform for the new political party was announced, emphasizing the indissoluble nature of the United States, opposition of the expansion of slavery to free territory, prohibition of

polygamy Crimes Polygamy (from Late Greek (') "state of marriage to many spouses") is the practice of marrying multiple spouses. When a man is married to more than one wife at the same time, sociologists call this polygyny. When a woman is marri ...

, construction of a Pacific railroad to link Oregon with

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...

, government effort to improve the navigability of rivers and harbors, and admission of Oregon to the United States only as a free state. The year 1857 was marked by preparations for future Oregon statehood, including the holding of a constitutional convention, and the ruling Democratic Party found itself divided over the question of slavery, attempting to sidestep the issue by passing in state convention a resolution binding Democratic delegates to such a gathering to the position that the matter of slavery in Oregon be settled later by a vote of the people. The Republicans did not nominate a candidate for Representative to Congress in the June 1857 election, instead pooling their support for G.W. Lawson, a Free Soil Democrat running as an independent. While ''pro-slavery'' Democrat

Joseph Lane Joseph "Joe" Lane (December 14, 1801 – April 19, 1881) was an American politician and soldier. He was a state legislator representing Evansville, Indiana, and then served in the Mexican–American War, becoming a general. President James K. P ...

was ultimately sent as the Territorial delegate to Congress, voting further down the ticket showed a Republican advance, with Republicans joining with so-called "soft" (free state) Democrats to elect about a third of the delegates to the constitutional convention and 10 of the 30 members to the

Oregon Territorial Legislature Oregon's Territorial Legislature was a bicameral legislative body created by the United States Congress in 1848 as the legislative branch of the government of the Oregon Territory. The upper chamber Council and lower chamber House of Representat ...

The constitutional convention held in the summer of 1857 ultimately steamrolled Republican sentiment and again sidestepped the slavery question by deciding to leave the slavery question to a vote of the people, while declaring that "no negro, Chinaman, or

mulatto (, ) is a racial classification to refer to people of mixed African and European ancestry. Its use is considered outdated and offensive in several languages, including English and Dutch, whereas in languages such as Spanish and Portuguese ...

should have the right to vote." The bill of rights adopted by the Democratic-dominated constitutional convention gave the future state legislature the right to exclude

African-Americans African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

from immigrating to the state altogether, thereby setting the stage for restrictive racial laws in spite of Oregon's free state status. Three propositions were ultimately put to territorial voters, with the Democratic-authored

Oregon Constitution The Oregon Constitution is the governing document of the U.S. state of Oregon, originally enacted in 1857. As amended the current state constitution contains eighteen sections, beginning with a bill of rights.

gaining approval by a vote of about 7,200 to 3,100, a measure allowing slavery falling to defeat by a majority of nearly 5,100 votes, and a proposal allowing "Free Negroes" to settle in Oregon overwhelmingly defeated by a vote of 8,640 to 1,081. Oregon would not be a slave state but rather one closed to black immigration — a law remaining on the books (albeit not in actual effect) into the 20th century.

19th century

On April 1, 1859, just two weeks after Oregon was admitted to the Union, the Republican Party held a convention in Salem at which it nominated David Logan as the party's choice for the state's first fully fledged Congressional representative.''Republican League Register,'' pg. 27. Logan would narrowly fall to defeat both in 1859 and again when nominated again for a full term in the election of 1860, but national political events would soon change the tide for the new political party. The Democratic Party found itself divided with the coming of the

between pro- and anti-Union elements.''Republican League Register,'' pg. 28. With the nation embroiled in war, pro-Union Democrats and Republicans put aside their differences at a fusion convention in April 1862, establishing themselves as the Union Party. This joint political organization would continue in Oregon through four elections under the Union Party banner, terminating only in 1868. As the united political organization for a preserved United States of America in contradistinction to

defeatists Defeatism is the acceptance of defeat without struggle, often with negative connotations. It can be linked to pessimism in psychology, and may sometimes be used synonymously with fatalism or determinism. History The term ''defeatism'' is commonl ...

and Confederate sympathizers, the Union Party and, after 1868, the rechristened Republican Party experienced dramatic political gains in Oregon, buoyed by the defection and disenfranchisement of the Democratic South. The party, as one historian noted, began to "grow like the plant that sprang up from the

mustard Mustard may refer to: Food and plants * Mustard (condiment), a paste or sauce made from mustard seeds used as a condiment * Mustard plant, one of several plants, having seeds that are used for the condiment ** Mustard seed, seeds of the mustard p ...

seed." An alliance of Republicans and pro-Union Democrats in the

Oregon State Legislature The Oregon Legislative Assembly is the state legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. The Legislative Assembly is bicameral, consisting of an upper and lower house: the Senate, whose 30 members are elected to serve four-year terms; and the Ho ...

came together in 1860 to elect

Edward Dickinson Baker Edward Dickinson Baker (February 24, 1811October 21, 1861) was an American politician, lawyer, and US army officer. In his political career, Baker served in the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois and later as a U.S. Senator from Orego ...

as the first Republican

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

from Oregon. An era of Republican dominance in Oregon was begun. When the Civil War began in 1861, Baker raised his own militia, in which he served as commanding officer. On October 21, 1861, with Congress out of session, Colonel Baker and his men met Confederate forces on a hill called

Ball's Bluff The Battle of Ball's Bluff was an early battle of the American Civil War fought in Loudoun County, Virginia, on October 21, 1861, in which Union Army forces under Major General George B. McClellan suffered a humiliating defeat. The operation wa ...

just outside Washington, D.C. Shortly after the battle started Baker was killed along with nearly 1,000 others. Despite the untimely death of Oregon's first Senator, E.D. Baker would hardly be the last. Over the next 30 years a steady stream of Republicans were sent to the U.S. Senate by the Oregon legislature, including

Benjamin F. Harding Benjamin Franklin Harding (January 4, 1823June 16, 1899) was an American attorney and politician born in Pennsylvania. He held political offices in the Oregon Territory and later served as a United States senator from the state of Oregon. Early ...

(1862), George H. Williams (1864),

Henry W. Corbett Henry Winslow Corbett (February 18, 1827March 31, 1903) was an American businessman, politician, civic benefactor, and philanthropist in the state of Oregon. A native of Massachusetts, he spent his early life in the East and New York (state), ...

(1866),

John H. Mitchell John Hipple Mitchell, also known as John Mitchell Hipple, John H. Mitchell, or J. H. Mitchell (June 22, 1835December 8, 1905) was an American lawyer, politician, and convicted criminal. He served as a Republican United States Senator from Orego ...

(1872, reappointed 1885, re-elected 1887 and 1891),

Joseph N. Dolph Joseph Norton Dolph (October 19, 1835March 10, 1897) was an American politician and attorney in the state of Oregon. A native of the state of New York, he immigrated to Oregon over the Oregon Trail and settled in Portland where he became the s ...

(1882, re-elected 1889), and

George W. McBride George Wycliffe McBride (March 13, 1854June 18, 1911) was an American politician and businessman from the U.S. state of Oregon. An Oregon native, he served in the Oregon Legislative Assembly as Speaker of the House and as Oregon Secretary of St ...

(1895). By the 1890s, the ideology of the two major parties had begun to switch, with the Republican Party emerging as the party of

sound money In macroeconomics, hard currency, safe-haven currency, or strong currency is any Foreign exchange market, globally traded currency that serves as a reliable and stable store of value. Factors contributing to a currency's ''hard'' status might inc ...

, industry and commerce, protective

tariff A tariff is a tax imposed by the government of a country or by a supranational union on imports or exports of goods. Besides being a source of revenue for the government, import duties can also be a form of regulation of foreign trade and p ...

s, and expansionist foreign policy.

Trump era

The Oregon Republican Party gained national attention in June 2019 when all 11 Republican state senators staged a "walkout" designed to prevent a vote on

Oregon House Bill 2020 House Bill 2020 is a proposed Oregon bill that would introduce a statewide cap and trade system to reduce carbon emissions to address climate change. It was introduced in the Legislative Assembly in January 2019 and underwent major changes before ...

. The walkout deepened the alignment of the party with right-wing militias, including Oregon

3 Percenters The Three Percenters, also styled 3 Percenters, 3%ers and III%ers, are an American and Canadian far-right anti-government militia. The group advocates gun ownership rights and resistance to the U.S. federal government. The group's name deri ...

and

Oath Keepers Oath Keepers is an American far-right anti-government militia whose leaders have been convicted of violently opposing the government of the United States, including the transfer of Presidential power as prescribed by the US Constitution. ...

as well as pro-Trump social media. State Senator

Brian Boquist Brian James Boquist (born October 20, 1958) is an Independent Party of Oregon, Independent, formerly Oregon Republican Party, Republican, politician from Oregon; he currently serves in the Oregon State Senate, Oregon Senate representing District ...

threatened, in response to the state government's efforts to return him to the state capitol in Salem, "send bachelors and come heavily armed." According to the

Pew Charitable Trusts The Pew Charitable Trusts is an independent non-profit, non-governmental organization (NGO), founded in 1948. With over 6 billion in assets, its stated mission is to serve the public interest by "improving public policy, informing the public, a ...

, "rare walkouts are ones like that in Oregon, where lawmakers flee the state for several weeks or months. These large events use a lot of political capital and show voters that those lawmakers might be sore losers and unwilling to negotiate." Oregon Republicans continued such "walkouts" in 2021 to protest coronavirus restrictions and disable normal political processes, as well as organized groups to harass state inspectors doing their lawful work.

Efforts to overturn the 2020 election

Following the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol, Oregon Republicans again received national attention. On 21 December 2020, an armed group had forcibly entered the ''Oregon'' Capitol, caused damage, and sprayed “some kind of chemical agent” at the officers guarding the capitol. Police identified the chemical agent as "

bear spray Bear spray is a specific aerosol spray bear deterrent, whose active ingredients are highly irritant capsaicin and related capsaicinoids, that is used to deter aggressive or charging bears. History Capsaicin bear spray was developed in the m ...

." The capitol break-in was promoted by the far-right

Patriot Prayer Patriot Prayer is a far-right group founded by Joey Gibson in 2016 and based in Vancouver, Washington, a suburban city in the Portland metropolitan area. Since 2016, the group has organized several dozen pro-gun, pro-Trump rallies held in libe ...

. In January 2021, evidence came to light that Representative

Mike Nearman Michael J. Nearman (born 1963 or 1964) is an American politician who served as a member of the Oregon House of Representatives from the 23rd district from 2015 until 2021, when he was expelled from the house for his role in allowing people to tr ...

had opened doors to the Oregon Capitol "allowing violent demonstrators who were protesting immediately outside the door to illegally enter the building" and cause damage. The militia-inflamed "chaos in Oregon over the past year asa prologue to the insurrection at the U.S Capitol," in one account. At least three "men who participated in an effort to storm the Oregon Capitol on December 21st also appear to have been part of the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol" in January. Also among the Oregonians arrested for the US Capitol attack was the vice chair of the Young Republicans of Oregon. "The Trump era seems only to have exacerbated the Oregon GOP’s embrace of its most extreme constituencies," writes the conservative

National Review ''National Review'' is an American conservative editorial magazine, focusing on news and commentary pieces on political, social, and cultural affairs. The magazine was founded by the author William F. Buckley Jr. in 1955. Its editor-in-chief ...

. On January 19, 2021, the Oregon Republican Party issued a resolution declaring that the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol by supporters of Donald Trump was a "

false flag A false flag operation is an act committed with the intent of disguising the actual source of responsibility and pinning blame on another party. The term "false flag" originated in the 16th century as an expression meaning an intentional misr ...

" event meant to "discredit President Trump, his supporters, and all conservative Republicans." Others had previously claimed antifa had staged the attack, though the FBI stated there was no evidence of antifa involvement. The party resolution provoked substantial controversy. Oregon's House Republicans pointedly disavowed the party resolution, and State Senator

Tim Knopp Tim Knopp is an American Republican politician from Oregon. He is a member of the Oregon State Senate and has been the senate minority leader since 2021. He previously served as a member of the Oregon House of Representatives from 1999 to 2005. ...

stated publicly that he did "not support the Oregon Republican Party’s resolution."

Knute Buehler Knute Carl Buehler (born August 1, 1964) is an American physician and politician who served as the Oregon State Representative for the 54th district from 2015 until January 2019. He was the Republican nominee for Governor of Oregon in the 2018 ...

, a former Oregon House member and recent Republican gubernatorial nominee, "filed to change his registration from Republican to independent." State Senator

also left the party and joined the

Independent Party of Oregon The Independent Party of Oregon (IPO) is a centrist political party in the U.S. state of Oregon with more than 135,000 registrants since its inception in January 2007. The IPO is Oregon's third-largest political party and the first political par ...

. More than 6,000 Republicans left the party in January 2021.John Tierney
"More than 6,000 Oregonians left the Republican Party in January,"
KGW.com (February 2, 2021) In early February, state voter registration indicate a total of 11,000 registered Republicans in Oregon have left the party since Election Day. The 2021-2023 leadership term saw significant officer turnover.

Dallas Heard Dallas Heard (born 1985) is an American politician. He currently serves as a Republican member of the Oregon Senate. Heard had previously served as a member of the Oregon House of Representatives from District 2 from 2015 until 2018. Heard served ...

, an Oregon State Senator serving as the chairman of the party, resigned in 2022 after severe internal disagreements with party members. Senator Heard was succeeded as Chair first by

Josephine County Josephine County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 88,090. The county seat is Grants Pass. The county is probably named after a stream in the area called Josephine Creek, which in ...

Commissioner Herman Baertschiger, Jr., then restaurateur

Justin Hwang Justin Hwang is an American restaurateur and politician from Oregon serving as the chair of the Oregon Republican Party since 2022. He is the first Asian American and Korean American to serve in the position. He previously served briefly as the v ...

. Following resignations, National Committeewoman Chris Barreto was replaced by former ORP Vice Chair Tracy Honl, while Treasurer

Dennis Linthicum Dennis Linthicum is an American Republican politician currently serving in the Oregon Senate. Early Life Linthicum, originally from California, attended Biola University, a private, evangelical Christian university in La Mirada, California. Ca ...

, State Senator from Klamath Falls, was replaced by Sodaville

city manager A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city, in a " Mayor–council government" council–manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are sometimes referred to as the chief ex ...

Alex McHaddad. Dr. Angela Plowhead was elected Vice Chair in September 2022.

Platform

The party's formal platform, adopted in 2015, expresses

opposition to abortion Anti-abortion movements, also self-styled as pro-life or abolitionist movements, are involved in the abortion debate advocating against the practice of abortion and its legality. Many anti-abortion movements began as countermovements in respons ...

and

assisted suicide Assisted suicide is suicide undertaken with the aid of another person. The term usually refers to physician-assisted suicide (PAS), which is suicide that is assisted by a physician or other healthcare provider. Once it is determined that the p ...

; support for

mandatory minimum sentencing Mandatory sentencing requires that offenders serve a predefined term for certain crimes, commonly serious and violent offenses. Judges are bound by law; these sentences are produced through the legislature, not the judicial system. They are in ...

for violent offenders,

truth-in-sentencing Truth in sentencing (TIS) is a collection of different but related public policy stances on sentencing of those convicted of crimes in the justice system. In most contexts, it refers to policies and legislation that aim to abolish or curb parole s ...

laws, and the death penalty; lower taxes; deregulation and minimal government intervention in the economy; opposition to

same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being Mexico, constituting ...

; repeal of the

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act The Affordable Care Act (ACA), formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and colloquially known as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by Pres ...

; opposition for "amnesty" for undocumented immigrants; an individual

right to keep and bear arms The right to keep and bear arms (often referred to as the right to bear arms) is a right for people to possess weapons (arms) for the preservation of life, liberty, and property. The purpose of gun rights is for self-defense, including securi ...

; and

voter ID laws A voter identification law is a law that requires a person to show some form of identification in order to vote. In some jurisdictions requiring photo IDs, voters who do not have photo ID often must have their identity verified by someone els ...

. The party's platform, amended in 2019, includes opposition to

National Popular Vote Interstate Compact MD, NJ, IL, HI, WA, MA, DC, VT, CA, RI, NY, CT, CO, DE, NM, OR MI, PA, TX The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC) is a proposed interstate compact among a group of U.S. states and the District of Columbia to award a ...

, advocacy of the arming of educational staff "to protect themselves and their students from violence" while opposing gun-free zones; asserting that "marriage is between one man and one woman" and that "there are only two sexes, male and female, based on a person’s biological sex at birth"; favoring that "all government business shall be conducted in English"; continuing repeal of

Obamacare The Affordable Care Act (ACA), formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and colloquially known as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress The 111th Unit ...

; asserting that "violent, radical, Islamic Jihadists and other groups have . . . declared war on America"; and "need for personal responsibility and self-reliance in the event of a disaster." At the beginning of the 2022 legislative short session, the house republican caucus announced that they would use the session to "fix failures from Democratic leadership by restoring education standards, holding state government accountable and enabling our law enforcement to do its job. We will push to remove roadblocks to health care access and preserve Oregon’s natural environment while protecting the way of life of communities relying on these resources. We will give Oregonians the freedom to recover financially from government-mandated shutdowns by fighting the state’s regulatory burdens and mandates." The caucus intends to terminate the state of emergency related to COVID-19, and amend the Oregon Constitution to limit the declaration of an emergency to 30 days.

Past elections

Presidents

Republican nominees won 25 of Oregon's 32 Presidential popular votes from 1860 to 1984.Oregon Republican Party
"Short History of the Oregon Republican Party,"
www.oregon.gop/ Since 1988 the Democratic presidential nominee has won 8 straight popular votes.

Governance

The party is run by an elected state Leadership Team.

County parties

Each of Oregon's 36 counties have semi-autonomous county leadership teams. They are elected by precinct committee members who in turn are elected by all Republicans in a specific precinct.

Party Chairs

Current elected officials

Members of Congress

U.S. Senate

* None Both of Oregon's

U.S. Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

seats have been held by Democrats since

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing ...

Gordon H. Smith Gordon Harold Smith (born May 25, 1952) is an American politician, businessman, and academic administrator who served as a United States Senator from the state of Oregon. A Republican, he served two terms in the Senate from 1997 to 2009. On Sept ...

was the last Republican to represent Oregon in the U.S. Senate. Elected in

1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 800, causing the plane to crash and killing everyone on b ...

, Gordon lost his second re-election attempt in

Jeff Merkley Jeffrey Alan Merkley (born October 24, 1956) is an American politician serving as the junior United States senator from Oregon since 2009. A member of the Democratic Party, Merkley served as the 64th speaker of the Oregon House of Representative ...

. The Oregon Republican Party holds one of the state's five U.S. House seats and neither of the two U.S. Senate seats.

U.S. House of Representatives

Out of the five seats Oregon is apportioned in the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together the ...

, one is held by a Republican:

Statewide offices

* None Oregon has not had a Republican in statewide office since 2021 after the retirement of Secretary of State

Bev Clarno Beverly A. Clarno (born March 29, 1936) is an American politician who served as the 27th Oregon Secretary of State from 2019 to 2021. She was the only Republican statewide official in Oregon at the time. Clarno previously served as a member of th ...

and the election of Democrat

Shemia Fagan Shemia Patricia Fagan (born September 20, 1981) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the Oregon secretary of state. She previously served as a Democratic member of the Oregon Senate, representing Senate District 24 from in 2019 to 202 ...

to replace her.

State Legislators

The Oregon Republican Party holds a minority 25 of 60 seats in the

Oregon House of Representatives 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 t ...

and a minority 11 of the 30

Oregon Senate The Oregon State Senate is the upper house of the statewide legislature for the US state of Oregon. Along with the lower chamber Oregon House of Representatives it makes up the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 30 members of the state Sena ...

seats.

State Senate

Senate Minority Leader:

Fred Girod Fred Frank Girod (born 1951) is an American politician and dentist from Oregon. He is a member of the Oregon State Senate representing the 9th district, which covers the mid- Willamette Valley, and previously served as the Senate minority lead ...

, 9th District *

, 1st District *

Art Robinson Arthur Brouhard Robinson (born March 24, 1942) is an American biochemist, conservative activist, and politician, serving as Oregon State Senator from the 2nd District since 2021. He was the five-time Republican nominee for the United States H ...

, 2nd District *

Dick Anderson Richard Paul Anderson (born February 10, 1946) is an American former professional football player who was a safety for the Miami Dolphins of the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons during the 19 ...

, 5th District *

, 9th District *

Kim Thatcher Kim Thatcher (born 1964) is an American politician serving as member of the Oregon State Senate from the 13th district, which is currently assembled for the 81st legislative session. She previously served as a member of the Oregon House of Repr ...

, 13th District *

Bill Kennemer Bill Kennemer (born 1946) is a clinical psychologist and Republican politician in the U.S. state of Oregon. He was currently serves in the Oregon State Senate representing Oregon's 20th Senate district in southeastern Clackamas County, includ ...

, 20th District *

Chuck Thomsen Charles William Thomsen (born January 20, 1957) is an American Republican politician from the US state of Oregon. He currently serves in the Oregon Senate, representing District 26, which includes all of Hood River County and parts of eastern M ...

, 26th District *

, 27th District *

, 28th District *

Bill Hansell Bill Hansell is an American Republican politician who is a current member of the Oregon Senate, representing the 29th District. When Oregon State Senator David Nelson, Senator Hansell's predecessor retired, he invited Hansell to run for his se ...

, 29th District *

Lynn Findley Lynn P. Findley (born 1952) is an American politician serving as a member of the Oregon State Senate. He represents the 30th district, which covers much of Eastern Oregon. Biography Findley was born in Vale, graduating from Vale High School i ...

, 30th District

State House

House Minority Leader:

Vikki Breese-Iverson Vikki Breese-Iverson (born 1973/1974) is an American politician and businesswoman serving as the minority leader of the Oregon House of Representatives. A Republican, she represents the 55th district, which includes Prineville in Central Oregon ...

, 55th District *

David Brock Smith David Brock Smith is an American Republican politician currently serving in the Oregon State Senate. He represents the 1st district, which covers all of Curry County and parts of Coos and Douglas counties. Career Smith served on the Port Orf ...

, 1st District *

Gary Leif Gary Leif (November 27, 1956 – July 22, 2021) was an American politician and businessman serving as a Republican member of the Oregon House of Representatives. He represented the 2nd district. Early life and education Leif was raised in Do ...

, 2nd District *

Lily Morgan Lily Morgan is an American politician serving as a Republican member of the Oregon House of Representatives. Political career In October 2021, Morgan signed a letter along with other Republican politicians from around the nation calling for an ...

, 3rd District *

Duane Stark Duane Stark is an American politician. A member of the Republican Party from southern Oregon, he was elected to succeed his party's 2014 gubernatorial nominee, Dennis Richardson, in the Oregon House of Representatives from District 4. He took ...

, 4th District *

Kim Wallan Kim Wallan (born 1961) is an American politician from Oregon. A Republican, she serves in the Oregon House of Representatives, representing House District 6 in Medford, Oregon. Wallan was first elected in 2018. She is the Minority Whip. Early ...

, 6th District *

Cedric Ross Hayden Cedric Ross Hayden is an American politician from Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake ...

, 7th District *

Boomer Wright Gerald "Boomer" Wright is an American politician serving as a Republican member of the Oregon House of Representatives. Biography Wright grew up in Lorane, Oregon after moving there from California at 10. He went to Crow High School and Western ...

, 9th District *

Shelly Boshart Davis Shelly Boshart Davis (born January 8, 1980) is an Oregon Republican politician and small business-owner. She serves in the Oregon House of Representatives for District 15, representing parts of Linn and Benton counties, including the cities of A ...

, 15th District *

Jami Cate Jami Cate (born 1986/87) is an American Republican politician and farmer serving as a member of the Oregon House of Representatives. She currently represents the 11th district, which covers parts of Linn County and Marion County, including the c ...

, 17th District * Rick Lewis, 18th District *

Raquel Moore-Green Raquel Moore-Green is an American politician from the state of Oregon. A Republican, she was a member of the Oregon House of Representatives, appointed on July 23, 2019 by the Marion County Commission to replace Denyc Boles, after she was appoint ...

, 19th District *

Anna Scharf Anna Scharf is an American lobbyist, farmer, political advisor, and politician who was appointed to the Oregon House of Representatives for the 23rd district on July 6, 2021. Education Scharf graduated from Philomath High School in 1987. Sh ...

, 23rd District *

Ron Noble Ron Noble (born January 25, 1960) is an American politician serving as a member of the Oregon House of Representatives from the 24th district, which covers parts of northern Yamhill County and southern Washington County, including the city of ...

, 24th District *

Jessica George Jessica George (née Johnson) is an American farmer and politician who was appointed to the Oregon House of Representatives for the 25th district on December 10, 2021. Career She is not seeking re-election in 2022. Personal life She is th ...

, 25th District *

Suzanne Weber Suzanne Weber is an American politician serving as the senator from Oregon's 16th Senate district. Weber won in the general election on November 8, 2022. She assumed office on January 9, 2023. She is a Republican. Oregon senators serve four yea ...

, 32nd District *

James Hieb James Hieb is an American politician who is a member of the Oregon House of Representatives for the 51st district. On August 17, 2022 Hieb was arrested while intoxicated and carrying a concealed loaded handgun at the Clackamas County Fair and Ro ...

, 39th District *Jack Zika, 53rd District *

, 55th District *E. Werner Reschke, 56th District *Greg Smith (Oregon politician), Greg Smith, 57th District *Bobby Levy, 58th District *Daniel Bonham, 59th District *Mark Owens (Oregon politician), Mark Owens, 60th District

Mayors

Of the state's ten largest cities, three have Republican mayors as of 2021: * Hillsboro, Oregon, Hillsboro (5): Steve Callaway * Medford, Oregon, Medford (8): Randy Sparacino * Springfield, Oregon, Springfield (9): Sean VanGordon (Interim Mayor)

Election results

Presidential

Gubernatorial

Footnotes

External links

Oregon Republican Party WebsiteOregon Federation of College Republicans
{{State Republican Parties in the US 1857 establishments in Oregon Territory Political parties established in 1857 Republican Party (United States) by state Political parties in Oregon, Republican Party

History

Antislavery origins

19th century

Trump era

Efforts to overturn the 2020 election

Platform

Past elections

Presidents

Governance

County parties

Party Chairs

Current elected officials

Members of Congress

U.S. Senate

U.S. House of Representatives

Statewide offices

State Legislators

State Senate

State House

Mayors

Election results

Presidential

Gubernatorial

See also

Footnotes

Further reading

External links