Oregon House of Representatives District 27

Oregon House of Representatives District 27 is represented by Ken Helm (D).

As of the 2020 Census, Oregon state representatives represented an average of 70,692 residents. After the 2010 Census, each member represented 64,143 residents.

About the chamber

Members of the Oregon House of Representatives serve two-year terms and are not subject to term limits. Oregon legislators assume office the second Monday in January.^[1]

Qualifications

See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

According to Article IV, Section 8 of the Oregon Constitution, candidates for the Oregon State Legislature must meet the following qualifications:^[2]

Be a citizen of the United States,
Be at least 21 years of age,
Be an inhabitant of the district from which the Senator or Representative may be chosen for at least one year preceding the election (or from January 1 if a reapportionment year),
Not be convicted of a felony (unless the conviction happened prior to winning the election and the sentence received for the conviction is completed prior to the date that person would take office if elected.)

In 2022, Oregon voters approved Measure 113, which disqualifies legislators from seeking re-election if they accumulate more than 10 unexcused absences in a single legislative session.

Candidates must also be registered to vote.^[3]

Salaries

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries

State legislative salaries, 2024^[4]
Salary	Per diem
$35,052/year	$157/day

Vacancies

See also: How vacancies are filled in state legislatures

If there is a vacancy in the Oregon State Legislature, the board of county commissioners representing the vacant seat must select a replacement. This can only be done when the Legislature is in session or when the vacancy happens more than 61 days before the next scheduled general election.^[5] The board must select a person from the political party that last held the vacant seat. The board must consider three to five candidates, nominated by the local county party that last controlled the seat. A replacement must be selected within 30 days of the vacancy. Persons selected to fill vacancies serve until the second Monday in January following the general election.^[6]

See sources: Oregon Rev. Stat. §171.051

District map

Redistricting

2020 redistricting cycle

See also: Redistricting in Oregon after the 2020 census

Gov. Kate Brown (D) signed new state legislative maps into law on September 27, 2021. The maps were approved by the Oregon House of Representatives, 31-18, and approved in the Oregon State Senate 18-11.^[7] These maps took effect for Oregon’s 2022 legislative elections.

How does redistricting in Oregon work? In Oregon, congressional and state legislative district lines are drawn by the state legislature. District lines are subject to veto by the governor.^[8]

If the legislature fails to establish a redistricting plan for state legislative districts, it falls to the secretary of state to draw the boundaries.^[8]

State law requires that congressional and state legislative districts meet the following criteria:^[8]

Districts must be contiguous.
Districts must "utilize existing geographic or political boundaries."
Districts should not "divide communities of common interest."
Districts should "be connected by transportation links."
Districts "must not be drawn for the purpose of favoring a political party, incumbent or other person."

Oregon House of Representatives District 27
until January 8, 2023

Click a district to compare boundaries.

Oregon House of Representatives District 27
starting January 9, 2023

Click a district to compare boundaries.

Elections

2024

General election

General election for Oregon House of Representatives District 27

Incumbent Ken Helm defeated Victoria Kingsbury in the general election for Oregon House of Representatives District 27 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ken Helm (D)	74.0	25,142
	Submit photo	Victoria Kingsbury (R)	25.9	8,780
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	35

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 33,957
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Sandra Nelson (R)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Oregon House of Representatives District 27

Incumbent Ken Helm advanced from the Democratic primary for Oregon House of Representatives District 27 on May 21, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Ken Helm	99.4	6,500
	Other/Write-in votes	0.6	39

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 6,539
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Oregon House of Representatives District 27

Sandra Nelson advanced from the Republican primary for Oregon House of Representatives District 27 on May 21, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Sandra Nelson	98.7	2,017
	Other/Write-in votes	1.3	27

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,044
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.