upper house An upper house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house.''Bicameralism'' (1997) by George Tsebelis The house formally designated as the upper house is usually smaller and often has more restric ...

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 the ...

Oregon Legislative Assembly 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 ...

Oregon State Capitol The Oregon State Capitol is the building housing the state legislature and the offices of the governor, secretary of state, and treasurer of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located in the state capitol, Salem. Constructed from 1936 to 1938 ...

Salem Salem may refer to: Places Canada Ontario * Bruce County ** Salem, Arran–Elderslie, Ontario, in the municipality of Arran–Elderslie ** Salem, South Bruce, Ontario, in the municipality of South Bruce * Salem, Dufferin County, Ontario, part ...

term limit A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms an officeholder may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method of curbing the potential ...

Oregon Supreme Court The Oregon Supreme Court (OSC) is the highest state court in the U.S. state of Oregon. The only court that may reverse or modify a decision of the Oregon Supreme Court is the Supreme Court of the United States.Oregon Ballot Measure 3, that had restricted state senators to two terms (eight years) on procedural grounds. Like certain other upper houses of state and territorial legislatures and the

United States 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 ...

, the state Senate can confirm or reject

gubernatorial A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political r ...

appointments to state departments, commissions, boards, and other state governmental agencies. The current

Senate president President of the Senate is a title often given to the presiding officer of a senate. It corresponds to the speaker in some other assemblies. The senate president often ranks high in a jurisdiction's succession for its top executive office: for ex ...

is

Peter Courtney Peter Michael Coleman Courtney (born June 18, 1943) is an American politician, lawyer, and professor who is currently a Democratic member of the Oregon State Senate, representing the 11th District (in Marion County and including parts of Salem, ...

of Salem. Oregon, along with

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States. It is the list of U.S. states and territories by area, 6th largest and the list of U.S. states and territories by population, 14 ...

,

Maine Maine () is a U.S. state, state in the New England and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and territories of Canad ...

,

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the nor ...

, and

Wyoming Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to the sou ...

, is one of the five U.S. states to not have the office of the

lieutenant governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

, a position which for most

upper house An upper house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house.''Bicameralism'' (1997) by George Tsebelis The house formally designated as the upper house is usually smaller and often has more restric ...

s of state legislatures and for the

United States 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 Washi ...

(with the vice president) is the head of the legislative body and holder of the casting vote in the event of a tie. Instead, a separate position of Senate president is in place, removed from the state

executive branch The Executive, also referred as the Executive branch or Executive power, is the term commonly used to describe that part of government which enforces the law, and has overall responsibility for the governance of a state. In political systems b ...

. If the chamber is tied, legislators must devise their own methods of resolving the impasse. In 2002, for example, Oregon's state senators entered into a power sharing contract whereby Democratic senators nominated the Senate President while Republican senators chaired key committees.

Milestones

Kathryn Clarke was the first woman to serve in Oregon's Senate. Women became eligible to run for the Oregon state legislature in 1914 and later that year Clarke was appointed to fill a vacant seat in Douglas county by her cousin, governor

Oswald West Oswald West (May 20, 1873 – August 22, 1960) was an American politician, a Democrat, who served most notably as the 14th Governor of Oregon. He was called "Os West" by Oregon writer Stewart Holbrook, who described him as "by all odds the mos ...

. Following some controversy concerning whether West had the authority to appoint someone to fill the vacancy, Clarke campaigned and was elected by voters in 1915. She took office five years before Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution protected the right of all American women to vote. In 1982, Mae Yih became the first Chinese-American elected to a state senate in the United States.

Composition

{, class=wikitable style="text-align:center" , - style="vertical-align:bottom;" ! rowspan="3" , Affiliation ! colspan="4" , Party

(Shading indicates majority caucus)

! rowspan="3" , Total ! , - , - style="height:5px" , style="background-color:" , , style="background-color:" , , style="background-color:" , , style="background-color:" , , style="background: black" , , - !

Democratic 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 ...

! Republican ! Ind. Rep. ! Ind. Party !Vacant , - ! style="font-size:80%" , End of 75th Assembly (2010) , , 18 , 12 , 0 , 0 !30 , 0 , - , colspan=7 , , - ! style="font-size:80%" , 76th Assembly (2011–2012) , , 16 , 14 , 0 , 0 ! 30 , 0 , - , colspan=7 , , - ! style="font-size:80%" , 77th Assembly (2013–2014) , , 16 , 14 , 0 , 0 ! 30 , 0 , - , colspan=7 , , - ! style="font-size:80%" , 78th Assembly (2015–2016) , , 18 , 12 , 0 , 0 ! 30 , 0 , - , colspan=7 , , - ! style="font-size:80%" , 79th Assembly (2017–2018) , , 17 , 13 , 0 , 0 ! 30 , 0 , - , colspan=7 , , - ! style="font-size:80%" , 80th Assembly (2019–2021) , , 18 , 12 , 0 , 0 ! 30 , 0 , - , colspan=7 , , - ! style="font-size:80%" , Begin 81st (2021–present) , rowspan=3 , 18 , 12 , colspan=2, 0 ! rowspan=3, 30 , rowspan=3, 0 , - ! style="font-size:80%" , January 15, 2021 , 11 , 0 , rowspan=3, 1 , - ! style="font-size:80%" , April 2021 , rowspan=2, 10 , rowspan=2, 1 , - ! style="font-size:80%" , December 15, 2021{{efn, Democrat Betsy Johnson (District 16) resigned to focus on her run for governor. , {{party shading/Democratic , 17 ! 29 , 1 , - !Latest voting share ! {{party shading/Democratic , {{percentage, 17, 29, 1 !{{percentage, 10, 29, 1 !colspan=2 , {{percentage, 2, 29, 1 !colspan=2,

Redistricting

During the 2011 legislative session, the House and Senate passed Senate Bill 989, which implemented new legislative districts for the 2012 elections and beyond. State Senate Districts 2012

81st Senate

{{main, 81st Oregon Legislative Assembly The

81st Oregon Legislative Assembly The 81st Oregon Legislative Assembly was the most recent legislative session of the Oregon Legislative Assembly which convened on January 11, 2021 and adjourned June 26th. Its even-year short session of 35 days convened on February 1, 2022 and ad ...

, which holds its regular session from 2021 to 2023, has the following leadership: Senate President:

Peter Courtney Peter Michael Coleman Courtney (born June 18, 1943) is an American politician, lawyer, and professor who is currently a Democratic member of the Oregon State Senate, representing the 11th District (in Marion County and including parts of Salem, ...

(D–11

Salem Salem may refer to: Places Canada Ontario * Bruce County ** Salem, Arran–Elderslie, Ontario, in the municipality of Arran–Elderslie ** Salem, South Bruce, Ontario, in the municipality of South Bruce * Salem, Dufferin County, Ontario, part ...

)
President Pro Tempore:

James Manning Jr. James Ivory Manning Jr. is an American politician currently serving in the Oregon State Senate. He represents the 7th district, which covers parts of Lane County, including Junction City and northern Eugene. After unsuccessfully running for a ...

(D–7

Eugene Eugene may refer to: People and fictional characters * Eugene (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Eugene (actress) (born 1981), Kim Yoo-jin, South Korean actress and former member of the sin ...

)
Majority Leader:

Rob Wagner Robert Leicester Wagner (August 2, 1872 – July 20, 1942) was the editor and publisher of ''Script'', a weekly literary film magazine published in Beverly Hills, California, between 1929 and 1949. Rob Wagner was a magazine writer, screenwrite ...

(D–19

Lake Oswego Lake Oswego () is a city in the U.S. state of Oregon, primarily in Clackamas County, Oregon, Clackamas County, with small portions extending into neighboring Multnomah County, Oregon, Multnomah and Washington County, Oregon, Washington counties. L ...

)
Minority Leader: Fred Girod (R-9

Stayton 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 ...

) until October 22, 2021; Tim Knopp (R-27 Bend) after {, class="wikitable sortable" ! District !! Senator !! Party !! Residence !! Assumed office , - , 1 , , Dallas Heard , , {{Party shading/Republican, Republican , , Roseburg , , 2018{{efn, name=appointeds, Senator was originally appointed. , - , 2 , , Art Robinson , , {{Party shading/Independent Republican, Ind. Rep. , ,

Cave Junction Cave Junction is a city in Josephine County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 1,995. Its motto is the "Gateway to the Oregon Caves", and the city got its name by virtue of its location at the junction of Redw ...

, , 2021 , - , 3 , ,

Jeff Golden Jeffrey Simon Golden (born April 24, 1950) is a political activist, radio personality, politician, and author from Southern Oregon. His commentary and political leaning are progressive. He is the producer and host of the regional PBS serieImmense ...

, , {{Party shading/Democratic, Democratic , , Ashland , , 2019 , - , 4 , , Floyd Prozanski , , {{Party shading/Democratic, Democratic , ,

Eugene Eugene may refer to: People and fictional characters * Eugene (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Eugene (actress) (born 1981), Kim Yoo-jin, South Korean actress and former member of the sin ...

, , 2003 , - , 5 , ,

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 ...

, , {{Party shading/Republican, Republican , ,

Coos Bay Coos Bay is an estuary where the Coos River enters the Pacific Ocean, the estuary is approximately 12 miles long and up to two miles wide. It is the largest estuary completely within Oregon state lines. The Coos Bay watershed covers an area of abo ...

, , 2021 , - , 6 , , Lee Beyer , , {{Party shading/Democratic, Democratic , , Springfield , , 2011 , - , 7 , ,

James Manning Jr. James Ivory Manning Jr. is an American politician currently serving in the Oregon State Senate. He represents the 7th district, which covers parts of Lane County, including Junction City and northern Eugene. After unsuccessfully running for a ...

, , {{Party shading/Democratic, Democratic , , Eugene , , 2017{{efn, name=appointeds , - , 8 , , Sara Gelser Blouin , , {{Party shading/Democratic, Democratic , , Corvallis , , 2015 , - , 9 , , Fred Girod , , {{Party shading/Republican, Republican , ,

Stayton 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 ...

, , 2008{{efn, name=appointeds , - , 10 , , Deb Patterson , , {{Party shading/Democratic, Democratic , , rowspan="2",

Salem Salem may refer to: Places Canada Ontario * Bruce County ** Salem, Arran–Elderslie, Ontario, in the municipality of Arran–Elderslie ** Salem, South Bruce, Ontario, in the municipality of South Bruce * Salem, Dufferin County, Ontario, part ...

, , 2021 , - , 11 , ,

Peter Courtney Peter Michael Coleman Courtney (born June 18, 1943) is an American politician, lawyer, and professor who is currently a Democratic member of the Oregon State Senate, representing the 11th District (in Marion County and including parts of Salem, ...

, , {{Party shading/Democratic, Democratic , , 1999 , - , 12 , ,

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 ...

, , {{Party shading/Independent (US), Ind. Party , ,

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

, , 2009 , - , 13 , , Kim Thatcher , , {{Party shading/Republican, Republican , , Keizer , , 2015 , - , 14 , ,

Kate Lieber Kate Lieber is an American politician, currently currently serving as Majority Leader of the Oregon State Senate. She represents Oregon's 14th Senate district, which includes the cities of Beaverton, Aloha, and portions of Washington and Multno ...

, , {{Party shading/Democratic, Democratic , , Beaverton , , 2021 , - , 15 , , Janeen Sollman , , {{Party shading/Democratic, Democratic , , Hillsboro , , 2022 , - , 16 , , Rachel Armitage , , {{Party shading/Democratic, Democratic , ,

Scappoose Scappoose is a city in Columbia County, Oregon, United States. It was named for a nearby stream, which drains the southern part of the county. The name "Scappoose" is of Native American origin, and is said to mean "gravelly plain."

, , 2022 , - , 17 , , Elizabeth Steiner Hayward , , {{Party shading/Democratic, Democratic , , rowspan="2",

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

, , 2012{{efn, name=appointeds , - , 18 , ,

Ginny Burdick Virginia Burdick (born December 3, 1947) is an American politician from the U.S. state of Oregon, who served seven terms in the Oregon State Senate. She represented Tigard and Southwest Portland in Senate District 18.19 , ,

Rob Wagner Robert Leicester Wagner (August 2, 1872 – July 20, 1942) was the editor and publisher of ''Script'', a weekly literary film magazine published in Beverly Hills, California, between 1929 and 1949. Rob Wagner was a magazine writer, screenwrite ...

, , {{Party shading/Democratic, Democratic , ,

Lake Oswego Lake Oswego () is a city in the U.S. state of Oregon, primarily in Clackamas County, Oregon, Clackamas County, with small portions extending into neighboring Multnomah County, Oregon, Multnomah and Washington County, Oregon, Washington counties. L ...

, , 2018{{efn, name=appointeds , - , rowspan="2", 20 , ,

Alan Olsen Alan Randal Olsen (born March 24, 1948) is an American Republican politician who served in the Oregon State Senate from 2011 until 2021, representing Oregon's 20th Senate district in southeastern Clackamas County, including the cities of Barlow ...

{{efn, Olsen resigned on January 10, 2021.{{cite web, url=https://www.oregonlive.com/clackamascounty/2021/01/oregon-senator-from-clackamas-county-will-resign.html, title=Oregon senator from Clackamas County will resign, date=January 4, 2021, first= Jayati, last= Ramakrishnan, work=

OregonLive ''The Oregonian'' is a daily newspaper based in Portland, Oregon, United States, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the West Coast of the United States, U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Th ...

, access-date=January 10, 2021 , , {{Party shading/Republican, Republican , , Canby , , 2011 , - ,

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 ...

{{efn, Kennemer was appointed as Olsen's successor on February 1, 2021.{{cite news, url=https://pamplinmedia.com/en/30-news/496554-398384-commissioners-appoint-bill-kennemer-to-senate-district-20, title=Commissioners appoint Bill Kennemer to Senate District 20 , date=February 1, 2021, first=Emily, last=Lindstrand, publisher=

Pamplin Media Group The Pamplin Media Group (PMG) is a media conglomerate owned by Robert B. Pamplin, Jr. and operating primarily in the Portland metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of 2019, the company owns 25 newspapers and employs 200 people. Hist ...

, access-date=February 3, 2021 , , {{Party shading/Republican, Republican , , Canby , , 2021{{efn, name=appointeds , - , 21 , , Kathleen Taylor , , {{Party shading/Democratic, Democratic , , rowspan="4", Portland , , 2017 , - , 22 , ,

Lew Frederick Lew Frederick (born December 1951) is an American Democratic politician, currently representing District 22 in the Oregon Senate. Early life and education Born in Pullman, Washington, Frederick grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Atlanta, Ge ...

, , {{Party shading/Democratic, Democratic , , 2017 , - , 23 , , Michael Dembrow , , {{Party shading/Democratic, Democratic , , 2013{{efn, name=appointeds , - , 24 , ,

Kayse Jama Kayse Jama is an American politician currently serving as a Democratic member of the Oregon State Senate, representing Oregon's 24th Senate district, which includes parts of Clackamas and Multnomah Counties. Jama was appointed by the Clackamas ...

, , {{Party shading/Democratic, Democratic , , 2021{{efn, name=appointeds , - , 25 , ,

Chris Gorsek Chris Gorsek (born January 28, 1958 in Portland, Oregon) is an American politician and a Democratic member of the Oregon State Senate representing District 25 since January 11, 2021. Background Gorsek earned his Bachelor of Science and Master ...

, , {{Party shading/Democratic, Democratic , , Troutdale , , 2021 , - , 26 , ,

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 ...

, , {{Party shading/Republican, Republican , , Hood River , , 2010 , - , 27 , , Tim Knopp , , {{Party shading/Republican, Republican , , Bend , , 2013 , - , 28 , , Dennis Linthicum , , {{Party shading/Republican, Republican , ,

Klamath Falls Klamath Falls ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Klamath County, Oregon, United States. The city was originally called ''Linkville'' when George Nurse founded the town in 1867. It was named after the Link River, on whose falls the city wa ...

, , 2017 , - , 29 , , Bill Hansell , , {{Party shading/Republican, Republican , ,

Athena Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarded as the patron and protectress of ...

, , 2013 , - , 30 , ,

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 ...

, , {{Party shading/Republican, Republican , , Vale , , 2020{{efn, name=appointeds

81st Senate Committee Assignments

Senators are each assigned to one or more committees.{{Cite web, title=Senate Committee Selection, url=https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/Committees/list/senate, website=OregonLegislature.gov Education * Senator Michael Dembrow – Chair * Senator Chuck Thomsen – Vice-Chair * Senator Sara Gelser Blouin * Senator Chris Gorsek * Senator Art Robinson Energy and Environment * Senator Kate Lieber – Chair * Senator Lynn Findley – Vice-Chair * Senator Michael Dembrow * Senator Akasha Lawrence Spence * Senator Art Robinson Finance and Revenue * Senator Lee Beyer – Chair * Senator Brian Boquist – Vice-Chair * Senator Rachel Armitage * Senator Lynn Findley * Senator Janeen Sollman Health Care * Senator Deb Patterson – Chair * Senator Bill Kennemer – Vice-Chair * Senator Lee Beyer * Senator Dennis Linthicum * Senator James Manning Jr. Housing and Development * Senator Kayse Jama – Chair * Senator Dick Anderson – Vice-Chair * Senator Fred Girod * Senator Jeff Golden * Senator Deb Patterson Human Services, Mental Health and Recovery * Senator Sara Gelser Blouin – Chair * Senator Art Robinson – Vice-Chair * Senator Bill Kennemer * Senator Kate Lieber * Senator Janeen Sollman Judiciary and Ballot Measure 110 Implementation * Senator Floyd Prozanski – Chair * Senator Kim Thatcher – Vice-Chair * Senator Michael Dembrow * Senator Sara Gelser Blouin * Senator Dallas Heard * Senator Dennis Linthicum * Senator James Manning Jr. Labor and Business * Senator Kathleen Taylor – Chair * Senator Tim Knopp – Vice-Chair * Senator Bill Hansell * Senator Kayse Jama * Senator Kate Lieber Natural Resources and Wildfire Recovery * Senator Jeff Golden – Chair * Senator Bill Kennemer – Vice-Chair * Senator Dallas Heard * Senator Deb Patterson * Senator Floyd Prozanski Rules * Senator Rob Wagner – Chair * Senator Tim Knopp – Vice-Chair * Senator Fred Girod * Senator James Manning Jr. * Senator Kathleen Taylor Veterans and Emergency Preparedness * Senator James Manning Jr. - Chair * Senator Chuck Thomsen – Vice-Chair * Senator Rachel Armitage * Senator Dennis Linthicum * Senator Deb Patterson Conduct * Senator Floyd Prozanski – Co-Chair * Senator Chuck Thomsen – Co-Chair * Senator Bill Hansell * Senator Kathleen Taylor * Senator Dick Anderson – Alternate * Senator Lynn Findley – Alternate * Senator Lew Frederick – Alternate * Senator Fred Girod – Alternate * Senator Kate Lieber – Alternate

Past composition of the Senate

{{main, Political party strength in Oregon

Notes

{{notelist

References

{{reflist

External links

Oregon state Senate

Map of state Senate Districts

Oregon Senate Democrats homepage
{{Current Oregon State Senators {{United States legislatures {{Authority control

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the e ...

State upper houses in the United States 1859 establishments in Oregon

Milestones

Composition

Redistricting

81st Senate

81st Senate Committee Assignments

Past composition of the Senate

See also

Notes

References

External links