Fred Frank Girod (born 1951) is an American politician and dentist 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 River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...
. He is a member of the
Oregon State Senate representing the
9th district, which covers the mid-
Willamette Valley
The Willamette Valley ( ) is a long valley in Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The Willamette River flows the entire length of the valley and is surrounded by mountains on three sides: the Cascade Range to the eas ...
, and previously served as the Senate
minority leader. He was later succeeded by incumbent minority leader
Tim Knopp.
Early life and education
Girod was born in
Salem, Oregon. He graduated from
Stayton High School in
Stayton, Oregon
Stayton is a city in Marion County, Oregon, United States, located southeast of the state capital, Salem, on Oregon Route 22. It is south of Sublimity and east of Aumsville. Located on the North Santiam River, Stayton is a regional agricultur ...
. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from
Oregon State University
Oregon State University (OSU) is a public land-grant, research university in Corvallis, Oregon. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate-degree programs along with a variety of graduate and doctoral degrees. It has the 10th largest engineering c ...
in
Corvallis, Oregon, a DMD from
Oregon Health & Science University School of Dentistry, and a
Master of Public Administration from
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...
.
Career
He has been a practicing
dentist for 26 years, and served in the
Oregon House of Representatives in the early 1990s, chairing the Rules Committee.
He ran for the
U.S. Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washin ...
in 1994, but lost in the primary to
Jim Bunn
James Lee Bunn (born December 12, 1956) is an American politician from Oregon. A native of Yamhill County, he served in the Oregon State Senate before election to the United States House of Representatives where he served one term. A Republican ...
.
Girod then served on the Stayton City Council.
He was selected by
Marion Marion may refer to:
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and
Linn County Republicans to run again for the House in 2006, in district 17, following then-representative
Jeff Kropf
Jeff Kropf (born February 7, 1959) is a former Oregon State Representative and fifth generation Oregon farmer from Halsey, Oregon. Kropf served as Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee for two legislative sessions and served two sessions ...
's sudden departure from the 2006 election. He won that election, defeating
Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
Dan Thackaberry, and was appointed in 2008 to succeed Senator
Roger Beyer of District 9 upon his resignation. He was sworn in during January 2008, and was re-elected in November 2008, 2010, 2012, and 2016.
2019 Senate Republican walkouts
From June 20, 2019, all 11 Republican members of the Oregon Senate, including Girod,
refused to show up for work at the
Oregon State Capitol, instead going into hiding, some even fleeing the state. Their aim was to push the vote on a
cap-and-trade proposal that would dramatically lower
greenhouse gas emissions
Greenhouse gas emissions from human activities strengthen the greenhouse effect, contributing to climate change. Most is carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels: coal, oil, and natural gas. The largest emitters include coal in China and ...
by 2050 to
combat climate change to voters instead of being instituted by lawmakers. The Senate holds 30 seats, but 1 is vacant due to a death. Without the Republican senators, the remaining 18 Democratic state senators could not reach a quorum of 20 to hold a vote. Although several Republican state senators returned to the Senate chamber on June 29, 2019, leading to the cap-and-trade bill being sent back to committee, while other bills were passed, Girod was missing, and it was stated that he would not return for the month's legislative session.
Personal life
Girod lives in
Stayton, Oregon
Stayton is a city in Marion County, Oregon, United States, located southeast of the state capital, Salem, on Oregon Route 22. It is south of Sublimity and east of Aumsville. Located on the North Santiam River, Stayton is a regional agricultur ...
.
Girod's home was destroyed in the
2020 Western United States wildfires.
He and his wife did not take their three pet cats with them when they fled their home in the middle of the night. He later said he did not know if they survived and hoped that they did.
References
External links
Legislative websiteProject VoteSmart biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Girod, Fred
1951 births
21st-century American politicians
American dentists
Harvard Kennedy School alumni
Living people
Republican Party members of the Oregon House of Representatives
Oregon city council members
Oregon Health & Science University alumni
Republican Party Oregon state senators
Oregon State University alumni
People from Stayton, Oregon
Politicians from Salem, Oregon