Rep. Jeff Helfrich , R-Hood River, at the Oregon Legislature on Feb. 12, 2024. (Jordan Gale/Oregon Capital Chronicle)
Former Oregon House Republican Leader Jeff Helfrich will run for the state Senate in 2026, one of several expected campaign announcements as the state constitution bars Republican senators who participated in a 2023 walkout from running for reelection.
Helfrich, R-Hood River, announced Tuesday that he plans to run for the 26th Senate District, which runs along with Columbia River Gorge and is now represented by Senate Republican Leader Daniel Bonham, R-The Dalles. Bonham can’t seek reelection because he had too many unexcused absences during Republican senators’ six-week walkout over bills on gun rights, abortion and transgender health in 2023.
Helfrich, who did not return a call from the Capital Chronicle, praised Bonham in a statement announcing his candidacy.
“He made the courageous choice to sacrifice his political career, standing firmly on principle for what he knew to be right,” Helfrich said. “I admire his leadership and tenacity and hope to honor his legacy as a statesman in the Senate.”
Helfrich, a retired Portland police officer who served in the Air Force during the First Gulf War, is serving his second full term in the House, following a stint as an appointed representative from 2017 to 2018. He lost elections in 2018 and 2020 to former Democratic Rep. Anna Williams but returned to office in 2022 after Williams declined to run for a third term.
Republicans chose him as their majority leader in 2023 and he led the House caucus through the 2024 election and the loss of one Republican-held seat in the House. They’re now in a superminority, with 24 of 60 seats in the House and 13 of 30 in the Senate, meaning Democrats have the ability to pass revenue-raising bills without Republican support.
Helfrich opted not to seek another term as leader, and Rep. Christine Drazan, a Canby Republican who returned to the House after a failed run for governor, took over. In a letter to other Republican representatives announcing his decision last November, Helfrich wrote that “endless drama,” including an attempt by other members to oust him as leader while he buried his father, took a toll on him.
Bipartisan work
As the Republican vice chair of the House housing committee in 2023, Helfrich worked on a bipartisan $210 million housing and homelessness investment and got most Republicans to vote for a bill prioritized by Gov. Tina Kotek to make it easier to build homes on the outskirts of cities. During his time as Republican caucus leader, he worked with Democrats including then-Speaker Dan Rayfield and current Speaker Julie Fahey on bipartisan legislation to recriminalize drugs and limit money in politics.
“I am driven by the desire to forge a better future for my children and for all Oregonians,” Helfrich said in a statement. “My successes re-criminalizing drugs and passing campaign finance reform prove I can champion major legislation while in the minority and will be able to continue to deliver for the residents of Senate District 26.”
The Senate district is more reliably conservative than Helfrich’s House district, which was one of Democrats’ four top targets in 2024. Bonham won by nearly 20 points in 2022, while Helfrich won his 2024 election by just 3.6 points.
Bonham didn’t return a call and texted back “no comment” when asked about Helfrich entering the race.
Bonham and Republican Sens. Cedric Hayden of Fall Creek, Kim Thatcher of Keizer and Suzanne Weber of Tillamook are all barred from running for reelection in 2026. Thatcher and Weber both represent districts that have been competitive in the past.
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