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Oregon House of Representatives

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Oregon House of
Representatives
SLP-Infobox Image-Color.png
General Information
Party control:  Democrat
Session start:  February 2, 2026
Session end:  March 8, 2026
Term length:  2 years
Term limits:  None
Redistricting:  Legislative control
Salary:  $43,440/year + per diem
Members
Total:  60
Democrats:  31
Republicans:  25
Other:  0
Vacancies:  0
Leadership
Speaker:  Julie Fahey (D)
Maj. Leader:  Ben Bowman (D)
Min. Leader:  Lucetta Elmer (R)
Elections
Last election:  November 5, 2024
Next election:  November 3, 2026


The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Oregon State Legislature. Alongside the Oregon State Senate, it forms the legislative branch of the Oregon state government and works alongside the governor of Oregon to create laws and establish a state budget. Legislative authority and responsibilities of the Oregon House of Representatives include passing bills on public policy matters, setting levels for state spending, raising and lowering taxes, and voting to uphold or override gubernatorial vetoes.

The Oregon House of Representatives meets in the state capitol building in Salem, Oregon.

  • All 60 House seats were up for election in 2020. Click to read more »
  • In 2018, the chamber's Democratic supermajority increased from 35-25 to 38-22.
  • Oregon has a Democratic state government trifecta. A trifecta exists when one political party simultaneously holds the governor’s office and majorities in both state legislative chambers. As of February 2, 2026, there are 23 Republican trifectas, 14 Democratic trifectas, and 13 divided governments where neither party holds trifecta control. In the 2020 election, Republicans had a net gain of two trifectas and two states under divided government became trifectas. Prior to that election, Oregon had a Democratic trifecta. There were 21 Republican trifectas, 15 Democratic trifectas, and 14 divided governments.

    • This page contains the following information on the Oregon House of Representatives.

    Party control

    Current partisan control

    The table below shows the partisan breakdown of the Oregon House of Representatives as of February 2026:

    Partisan composition, Oregon House of Representatives
    As of February 2026
    PartyMembers
    Democratic37
    Republican23
    Other0
    Vacancies0
    Total60

    Members

    Leadership

    The speaker of the House is the presiding officer of the body.[1]

    Current leadership and members

    Salaries

    See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
    State legislative salaries, 2025[2]
    SalaryPer diem
    $43,440/year$178/day

    Swearing in dates

    See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

    Oregon legislators assume office the second Monday in January.

    Membership qualifications

    See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

    Article 4, Section 8 of the Oregon Constitution states:

    • No person shall be a Senator or Representative who at the time of election is not a citizen of the United States; nor anyone who has not been for one year next preceding the election an inhabitant of the district from which the Senator or Representative may be chosen. However, for purposes of the general election next following the operative date of an apportionment under section 6 of this Article, the person must have been an inhabitant of the district from January 1 of the year following the reapportionment to the date of the election.
    • Senators and Representatives shall be at least twenty one years of age.
    • No person shall be a Senator or Representative who has been convicted of a felony during:
      • The term of office of the person as a Senator or Representative; or
      • The period beginning on the date of the election at which the person was elected to the office of Senator or Representative and ending on the first day of the term of office to which the person was elected.
    • No person is eligible to be elected as a Senator or Representative if that person has been convicted of a felony and has not completed the sentence received for the conviction prior to the date that person would take office if elected. As used in this subsection, “sentence received for the conviction” includes a term of imprisonment, any period of probation or post-prison supervision and payment of a monetary obligation imposed as all or part of a sentence.
    • Notwithstanding sections 11 and 15, Article IV of this Constitution:
      • The office of a Senator or Representative convicted of a felony during the term to which the Senator or Representative was elected or appointed shall become vacant on the date the Senator or Representative is convicted.
      • A person elected to the office of Senator or Representative and convicted of a felony during the period beginning on the date of the election and ending on the first day of the term of office to which the person was elected shall be ineligible to take office and the office shall become vacant on the first day of the next term of office.
    • Subject to subsection (4) of this section, a person who is ineligible to be a Senator or Representative under subsection (3) of this section may:
      • Be a Senator or Representative after the expiration of the term of office during which the person is ineligible; and
      • Be a candidate for the office of Senator or Representative prior to the expiration of the term of office during which the person is ineligible.
    • No person shall be a Senator or Representative who at all times during the term of office of the person as a Senator or Representative is not an inhabitant of the district from which the Senator or Representative may be chosen or has been appointed to represent. A person shall not lose status as an inhabitant of a district if the person is absent from the district for purposes of business of the Legislative Assembly. Following the operative date of an apportionment under section 6 of this Article, until the expiration of the term of office of the person, a person may be an inhabitant of any district.

    Historical party control

    Democrats won control of the Oregon House of Representatives in 2012. In 2024, they won a 36-24 majority.

    The table below shows the partisan history of the Oregon House following every general election from 1992 to 2024. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.

    Oregon House of Representatives election results: 1992-2024

    Year '92 '94 '96 '98 '00 '02 '04 '06 '08 '10 '12 '14 '16 '18 '20 '22 '24
    Democrats 28 26 29 25 27 25 27 31 36 30 34 35 35 38 37 35 36
    Republicans 32 34 31 34 33 35 33 29 24 30 26 25 25 22 23 25 24

    Trifecta history

    A state government trifecta is a term that describes single party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Democrats in Oregon gained a state government trifecta as a result of the 2012 elections by regaining control of the state House. The state House was split 30-30 after the 2010 elections. Democrats also held a trifecta from 2006 until 2010. The table below shows state government trifectas in Oregon from 1992 to 2019.

    Oregon Party Control: 1992-2026
    Eighteen years of Democratic trifectas  •  No Republican trifectas
    Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

    Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
    Governor D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D
    Senate D D D R R R R R R R R S S D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D
    House R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R D D D D S S D D D D D D D D D D D D D D

    Elections

    Elections by year

    Oregon state representatives serve two-year terms, with all seats up for election every two years. Oregon holds elections for its legislature in even years.

    2026

    See also: Oregon House of Representatives elections, 2026

    Elections for the Oregon House of Representatives will take place in 2026. The general election is on November 3, 2026. The primary is May 19, 2026. The filing deadline for incumbents is March 3, 2026. The filing deadline for non-incumbents is March 10, 2026.

    2024

    See also: Oregon House of Representatives elections, 2024

    Elections for the Oregon House of Representatives took place in 2024. The general election was on November 5, 2024. The primary was May 21, 2024. The filing deadline was March 12, 2024.

    In the 2024 election, Democrats maintained their 35-24 majority with one vacancy remaining after the election.

    Oregon House of Representatives
    Party As of November 5, 2024 After November 6, 2024
         Democratic Party 35 36
         Republican Party 24 24
         Independent Party of Oregon 1 0
         Vacancies 0 0
    Total 60 60

    2022

    See also: Oregon House of Representatives elections, 2022

    Elections for the Oregon House of Representatives took place in 2022. The general election was on November 8, 2022. A primary was scheduled for May 17, 2022. The filing deadline was March 8, 2022.

    Heading into the 2022 election, Democrats held a 37-23 majority. Democrats lost two seats in the election, giving them a 35-25 majority.

    Oregon House of Representatives
    Party As of November 8, 2022 After November 9, 2022
         Democratic Party 37 35
         Republican Party 23 25
    Total 60 60

    2020

    See also: Oregon House of Representatives elections, 2020

    Elections for the office of Oregon House of Representatives took place in 2020. The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for May 19, 2020. The filing deadline was March 10, 2020.

    Heading into the 2020 election, Democrats held a 38-22 majority. Democrats lost one seat in the election, giving them a 37-23 majority.

    Oregon House of Representatives
    Party As of November 3, 2020 After November 4, 2020
         Democratic Party 38 37
         Republican Party 22 23
    Total 60 60

    2018

    See also: Oregon House of Representatives elections, 2018

    Elections for the Oregon House of Representatives took place in 2018. A closed primary election took place on May 15, 2018, and the general election was held on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was March 6, 2018.[3]

    In the 2018 elections, Democrats increased their majority in the Oregon House of Representatives from 35-25 to 38-22.

    Oregon House of Representatives
    Party As of November 6, 2018 After November 7, 2018
         Democratic Party 35 38
         Republican Party 25 22
    Total 60 60

    2016

    See also: Oregon House of Representatives elections, 2016

    Elections for the Oregon House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election took place on May 17, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was March 8, 2016. All 60 seats in the Oregon House of Representatives were up for election in 2016.

    Heading into the election, Democrats held a 35-25 majority. No partisan change occurred in the election.

    Oregon House of Representatives
    Party As of November 7, 2016 After November 8, 2016
         Democratic Party 35 35
         Republican Party 25 25
    Total 60 60

    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.[11] 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.[12]

    DocumentIcon.jpg See sources: Oregon Rev. Stat. §171.051

    District map

    See also: Oregon state legislative districts

    The state of Oregon has 60 state House districts. Each district elects one representative.

    Use the interactive map below to find your district.

    Redistricting

    See also: Redistricting in Oregon

    In Oregon, congressional and state legislative district lines are drawn by the state legislature. District lines are subject to veto by the governor.[13]

    If the legislature fails to establish a redistricting plan for state legislative districts, it falls to the secretary of state to draw the boundaries.[13]

    State law requires that congressional and state legislative districts meet the following criteria:[13]

    • 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."

    2020

    See also: Redistricting in Oregon after the 2020 census

    Upon completion of the 2020 census, Oregon will draft and enact new district maps. On Sept. 10, Gov. Kate Brown called for a special session of the Oregon legislature to address redistricting that would begin on Sept. 20.[14]

    The Oregon Supreme Court established the following timeline for state legislative redistricting in 2021 and 2022:

    State legislative redistricting timeline for Oregon, 2021-2022 – state legislature
    Date Event
    September 27, 2021 Deadline for the state legislature to enact a plan.
    October 25, 2021 Deadline for electors to file objections to the plan.
    November 22, 2021 Deadline for the Oregon Supreme Court to file its opinion if it approves of the enacted plan.
    December 6, 2021 Deadline for the Oregon Supreme Court to file an opinion requiring corrections if it rejects the enacted plan.
    January 1, 2022 Enactment date if the Oregon Supreme Court approves of the plan.
    January 17, 2022 Deadline for the secretary of state to make revisions in response to the state supreme court's order.
    January 31, 2022 Deadline for the Oregon Supreme Court to approve the revisions or make additional revisions.


    The state supreme court also laid out a timeline for the secretary of state to complete state legislative redistricting should the legislature fail to do so:

    State legislative redistricting timeline for Oregon, 2021-2022 – secretary of state
    Date Event
    October 18, 2021 Deadline for the secretary of state to enact a plan.
    November 15, 2021 Deadline for electors to file objections to the plan.
    December 13, 2021 Deadline for the Oregon Supreme Court to file its opinion if it approves of the enacted plan.
    December 27, 2021 Deadline for the Oregon Supreme Court to file an opinion requiring corrections if it rejects the enacted plan.
    January 1, 2022 Enactment date if the Oregon Supreme Court approves of the plan.
    January 27, 2022 Deadline for the secretary of state to make revisions in response to the state supreme court's order.
    February 7, 2022 Deadline for the Oregon Supreme Court to approve the revisions or make additional revisions.


    Neither the Oregon Constitution nor state statutes establish a fixed timeline for congressional redistricting.

    2010

    Oregon's population increased by 12 percent from 2000-2010, exceeding the national average of 9.7 percent. The Legislature had not successfully drawn a plan in 100 years. Despite the even partisan split and the historical success rate, the Legislature proposed and passed a new plan quickly without major controversy. Governor John Kitzhaber (D) signed the plan into law on June 13, 2011, six days after its original proposal. This is the first time Oregon enacted a redistricting plan without the involvement of the Secretary of State in 100 years. No major litigation was filed against the plan.

    Sessions

    Legislation

    The legislation tracker below displays all legislation that the Oregon House of Representatives has approved in its most recent legislative session—this includes legislation that has been sent from the House to the Senate and legislation that has already been approved by both chambers and signed by the governor. Information on legislation provided below includes the bill number, its name, progress, most recent action date, and sponsor. The tracker is fully interactive. Scroll up and down and side to side to see more. Click the bill number to read its text in full and see its voting history. You can click the headings to sort the content in the column. You can also rearrange the order of the headings by clicking and dragging them. Finally, in the bottom-left corner of the tracker is a magnifying glass, which, when clicked, will allow you to search for specific terms. The legislation tracker is maintained and updated by BillTrack50.

    Dates of legislative sessions in Oregon by year

    2025

    See also: 2025 Oregon legislative session and Dates of 2025 state legislative sessions

    In 2025, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 21, 2025, and adjourn on June 27, 2025.



    About legislative sessions in Oregon

    The Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution declares that any power not already given to the federal government is reserved to the states and the people.[21] State governments across the country use this authority to hold legislative sessions where a state's elected representatives meet for a period of time to draft and vote on legislation and set state policies on issues such as taxation, education, and government spending. The different types of legislation passed by a legislature may include resolutions, legislatively referred constitutional amendments, and bills that become law.

    Article IV of the Oregon Constitution establishes when the Oregon State Legislature, of which the House of Representatives is a part, is to meet. Section 10 of Article IV states that the Legislature will meet in regular session once every two years. The section goes on to establish starting dates for these sessions, but these dates have been changed by law (as the section allows).

    Section 10 of Article IV also requires the presiding officers of both legislative houses to convene an emergency session of the Legislature when a majority of the members of each house request an emergency session.

    Legislative roles and procedures

    Every state legislature throughout the country features its own internal procedures that it uses to govern itself and how it interacts with other parts of state government. Ballotpedia's coverage of internal state legislative procedures includes veto overrides, the role of the legislature in the state budget, and procedures for filling membership vacancies.

    Veto overrides

    Veto Override Graphic-No party.png

    See also: Veto overrides in state legislatures

    State legislatures can override governors' vetoes. Depending on the state, this can be done during the regular legislative session, in a special session following the adjournment of the regular session, or during the next legislative session. The rules for legislative overrides of gubernatorial vetoes in Oregon are listed below.

    How many legislators are required to vote for an override? Two-thirds of members present in both chambers.

    Two-thirds of members present in both chambers must vote to override a veto. If all members are in attendance, this is 40 of the 60 members in the Oregon House of Representatives and 20 of the 30 members in the Oregon State Senate. Oregon is one of 36 states that requires a two-thirds vote from both of its legislative chambers to override a veto.

    How can vetoes be overridden after the legislature has adjourned?

    Vetoes can be overridden in a special session or when the next regular session convenes.[22][23] A majority of members in both chambers must agree to call for a special session.[24]

    Authority: Article V, Section 15b of the Oregon Constitution.

    "(1) Every bill which shall have passed the Legislative Assembly shall, before it becomes a law, be presented to the Governor; if the Governor approve, the Governor shall sign it; but if not, the Governor shall return it with written objections to that house in which it shall have originated, which house shall enter the objections at large upon the journal and proceed to reconsider it.
    (2) If, after such reconsideration, two-thirds of the members present shall agree to pass the bill, it shall be sent, together with the objections, to the other house, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and, if approved by two-thirds of the members present, it shall become a law."

    Role in state budget

    See also: Oregon state budget and finances
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    Check out Ballotpedia articles about policy in your state on:
    Budgets • Civil liberties • Education • Elections • Energy • Environment • Healthcare • Pensions

    The state operates on a biennial budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:[25]

    1. Budget instructions are sent to state agencies in March.
    2. State agencies submit their budget requests to the governor in September.
    3. Agency hearings are held between September and November.
    4. The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the state legislature by December 1. For new governors, the deadline is the first day the legislature convenes.
    5. The legislature adopts a budget between February and June. A simple majority is required to pass a budget. The biennium begins July 1.

    Oregon is one of 44 states in which the governor has line item veto authority.[25][26]

    The governor is constitutionally required to submit a balanced budget proposal. Likewise, the legislature is required to pass a balanced budget.[25]

    Committees

    See also: List of committees in Oregon state government

    Every state legislature and state legislative chamber in the country contains several legislative committees. These committees are responsible for studying, amending, and voting on legislation before it reaches the floor of a chamber for a full vote. The different types of committees include standing committees, select or special, and joint.

    • Standing committees are generally permanent committees, the names of which sometimes change from session to session.
    • Select or special committees are temporary committees formed to deal with specific issues such as recent legislation, major public policy or proposals, or investigations.
    • Joint committees are committees that feature members of both chambers of a legislature.

    Ballotpedia covers standing and joint committees. The Oregon House of Representatives has 15 standing committees:

    Constitutional amendments

    In every state but Delaware, voter approval is required to enact a constitutional amendment. In each state, the legislature has a process for referring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states, initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are also many other types of statewide measures.

    The methods by which the Oregon Constitution can be amended:

    See also: Section 1, Article IV, and Article XII of the Oregon Constitution and Laws governing ballot measures in Oregon
    Cover of the 1857 Oregon Constitution

    The Oregon Constitution lays out four different paths, in two different articles, for how to go about changing the state's constitution.

    • An initiated amendment must be proposed "by a petition signed by a number of qualified voters equal to eight percent of the total number of votes cast for all candidates for Governor at the election at which a Governor was elected for a term of four years next preceding the filing of the petition."
    • The petition must include the full text of the proposed amendment.
    • The signatures must be filed "not less than four months before the election at which the proposed...amendment to the Constitution is to be voted upon."
    • Article IV contains several restrictions on the initiative process such as Section 1b, which prohibits pay-per-signature.
    • Amendments can be proposed in either house of the state legislature.
    • To earn a spot on the ballot, a "majority of all the members elected to each of the two houses" must vote in favor of a proposed amendment.
    • The Legislature can put any such referred amendments on a special election ballot.
    • If more than one amendment is proposed by the legislature, they must be voted on separately.
    • The constitution does not define how such a referendum is to be put before voters.
    • Possible ways might include a citizen-initiated question or a vote of the legislature.


    See also

    Elections Oregon State Government State Legislatures State Politics
    Ballotpedia Elections Badge-VOTE-no shadow-Square.jpg
    Oregon State Flag-Close Up.jpg
    State Houses-Tile image.png
    State Courts-Tile image.png

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ Oregon State Legislature, "Oregon House Leadership," accessed July 28, 2014
    2. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2025 Legislator Compensation," December 2, 2025
    3. ↑ Oregon Secretary of State, "Oregon Secretary of State Elections Division Offices Open May 15, 2018, Primary Election," accessed September 1, 2017
    4. ↑ Follow the Money, "Oregon House of Representatives 2012 Campaign Contributions," accessed May 23, 2014
    5. ↑ Follow the Money, "Oregon House of Representatives 2010 Campaign Contributions," accessed May 23, 2014
    6. ↑ Follow the Money, "Oregon House of Representatives 2008 Campaign Contributions"
    7. ↑ Follow the Money, "Oregon House of Representatives 2006 Campaign Contributions," accessed May 23, 2014
    8. ↑ Follow the Money, "Oregon House of Representatives 2004 Campaign Contributions," accessed May 23, 2014
    9. ↑ Follow the Money, "Oregon House of Representatives 2002 Campaign Contributions," accessed May 23, 2014
    10. ↑ Follow the Money, "Oregon House of Representatives 2000 Campaign Contributions," accessed May 23, 2014
    11. ↑ OregonLaws, "Oregon Revised Laws," accessed February 15, 2021 (Statute 171.051, (1) (a)-(c))
    12. ↑ OregonLaws, "Oregon Revised Laws," accessed February 15, 2021 (Statute 171.051, (2)-(6))
    13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 All About Redistricting, "Oregon," accessed April 28, 2015
    14. ↑ Oregon Office of the Governor, "Governor Kate Brown Calls Legislature into Special Session for Redistricting," September 10, 2021
    15. ↑ Oregon Live, "Oregon Legislature by the numbers: What to watch for in 2015," accessed February 2, 2015
    16. ↑ oregonlive.com, "2014 Oregon Legislature: 35 days for guns, pot, booze and a zombie bridge," accessed February 3, 2014
    17. ↑ Statesman Journal, "Immigration issues back in spotlight at Oregon Legislature," January 27, 2013
    18. ↑ Daily Tidings, "Immigration issues on agenda for Ore. Legislature," February 1, 2013
    19. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2011 Legislative Sessions Calendar," accessed June 6, 2014(Archived)
    20. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2010 Legislative Sessions Calendar," accessed July 28, 2014(Archived)
    21. ↑ Find Law, "Tenth Amendment - U.S. Constitution," accessed May 20, 2017
    22. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "The Veto Process," accessed June 22, 2017
    23. ↑ The Oregon Legislature, "How an Idea Really Becomes a Law," accessed July 3, 2017
    24. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Special Sessions," May 6, 2009
    25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 National Association of State Budget Officers, "Budget Processes in the States, Spring 2021," accessed January 24, 2023
    26. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Separation of Powers: Executive Veto Powers," accessed January 26, 2024
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