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: 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 * Mario ...

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

. 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 website

Project 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