Oregon State Senate District 15
| Oregon State Senate District 15 | ||
 | ||
| Current incumbent | Chuck Riley  | |
| Population | 140,429 | |
| Ethnicity | 1.9% Black, 19.2% Hispanic[1] | |
| Voting age | 73.2% age 18 and over | |
Oregon's fifteenth state senate district is represented by Democratic Senator Chuck Riley.
As of the 2010 census, a total of 140,429 civilians reside within Oregon's fifteenth state senate district.[2] Oregon state senators represent an average of 127,702 residents. After the 2000 Census, each member represented 114,047 residents.
About the chamber
Members of the Oregon State Senate serve four-year terms and are not subject to term limits. Oregon legislators assume office the second Monday in January.[3] Each district of the Oregon State Senate is made up of two districts of the Oregon House of Representatives.
Qualifications
According to Article IV, Section 8 of the Oregon Constitution, candidates for the Oregon State Legislature must meet the following qualifications:[4]
- 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.[5]
Salaries
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislative salaries, 2024[6] | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $35,052/year | $157/day |
Vacancies
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.[7] 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.[8]
See sources: Oregon Rev. Stat. §171.051
Elections
2014
- See also: Oregon State Senate elections, 2014
Elections for the Oregon State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on May 20, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 11, 2014. Chuck Riley was unopposed in the Democratic primary. Incumbent Bruce Starr was unopposed in the Republican primary. Riley also ran on the Working Families Party ticket. Caitlin Mitchel-Markley ran on the Libertarian ticket. Riley defeated Starr and Mitchel-Markley in the general election.[9][10][11]
The Oregon State Senate was a battleground chamber that Ballotpedia identified as having the opportunity to switch partisan control in 2014. The Oregon Senate had a difference in partisan balance between Democrats and Republican of two seats, which amounts to 13.3 percent of the seats up for election in 2014. District 15 in the Senate was identified by Ballotpedia and The Oregonian as a battleground district that could determine control of the Oregon State Senate. Incumbent Bruce Starr (R) was defeated by former state representative Chuck Riley (D) in the general election. In 2010, Starr defeated Riley by less than 2,000 votes. Campaign finance reports showed that Starr received over $550,000 and Riley raised over $400,000 in donations before the general election.[12]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |  Chuck Riley |
45.7% | 18,156 | |
| Republican | Bruce Starr Incumbent | 45% | 17,869 | |
| Libertarian | Caitlin Mitchel-Markley | 9% | 3,593 | |
| None | Miscellaneous | 0.3% | 116 | |
| Total Votes | 39,734 | |||
2010
- See also: Oregon State Senate elections, 2010
Elections for the office of Oregon State Senate consisted of a primary election on May 18, primary election on June 8, 2010, and a general election on November 2, 2010. The signature-filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 9, 2010. Incumbent Bruce Starr (R) defeated Chuck Riley (D) in the general election and was unopposed in the Republican primary. Riley defeated Travis Comfort in the Democratic primary.[13][14]
| Oregon State Senate, District 15, General Election, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Bruce Starr Incumbent |
52.3% | 21,382 | |
| Democratic | Chuck Riley | 47.7% | 19,533 | |
| Total Votes | 40,915 | |||
| Oregon State Senate, District 15 Democratic Primary, 2010 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Chuck Riley |
77.2% | 6,038 |
| Travis Comfort | 22.8% | 1,781 |
| Total Votes | 7,819 | |
Campaign contributions
- Note: Oregon senate incumbents may receive contributions in off-election years.
From 2010 to 2012, candidates for Oregon State Senate District 15 raised a total of $1,467,604. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $366,901 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money.
| Campaign contributions, Oregon State Senate District 15 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Amount | Candidates | Average | |
| 2012 | $54,745 | 1 | $54,745 | |
| 2010 | $1,412,859 | 3 | $470,953 | |
| Total | $1,467,604 | 4 | $366,901 | |
See also
- Oregon State Legislature
- Oregon State Senate
- Oregon House of Representatives
- Oregon state legislative districts
External links
References
- ↑ For more information on the parameters the U.S. Census Bureau use, please see our Race and Ethnicity on the United States Census page.
- ↑ publicmapping.org, "Oregon 2010 Census Selected Statistics," accessed October 31, 2013
- ↑ Oregon Constitution, "Article IV, Section 4," accessed February 17, 2021
- ↑ Oregon State Legislature, "The Legislative Body," accessed May 23, 2025
- ↑ Oregon Secretary of State, "2020 State Candidate Manual," accessed May 29, 2025 (page 4)
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
- ↑ OregonLaws, "Oregon Revised Laws," accessed February 15, 2021 (Statute 171.051, (1) (a)-(c))
- ↑ OregonLaws, "Oregon Revised Laws," accessed February 15, 2021 (Statute 171.051, (2)-(6))
- ↑ Oregon Secretary of State, "Official Results - May 20, 2014 Primary Election," accessed July 8, 2014
- ↑ Oregon Secretary of State, "Candidate Filing," accessed March 15, 2014
- ↑ Oregon Secretary of State, "Official general election results for 2014," accessed April 30, 2015
- ↑ Oregon Live, "Oregon state Senate races top $1 million mark in furious battle for control of chamber," accessed October 28, 2014
- ↑ "2010 Official Election Results," accessed October 30, 2013
- ↑ "Oregon 2010 Primary Election Results," accessed October 30, 2013
