In this post we will looking at Oregon and its territories, Its past and present governors and current House of representative’s members.
INTRODUCTION.
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon’s northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. The 42° north parallel delineates the southern boundary with California and Nevada. Oregon has been home to many indigenous nations for thousands of years. The first European traders, explorers, and settlers began exploring what is now Oregon’s Pacific coast in the early-mid 16th century. As early as 1564, the Spanish began sending vessels northeast from the Philippines, riding the Kuroshio Current in a sweeping circular route across the northern part of the Pacific. In 1592, Juan de Fuca undertook detailed mapping and studies of ocean currents in the Pacific Northwest, including the Oregon coast as well as the strait now bearing his name. Spanish ships – 250 in as many years – would typically not land before reaching Cape Mendocino in California but some landed or wrecked in what is now Oregon. Nehalem tales recount strangers and the discovery of items like chunks of beeswax and a lidded silver vase, likely connected to the 1707 wreck of the San Francisco Xavier. In 1843, an autonomous government was formed in the Oregon Country, and the Oregon Territory was created in 1848. Oregon became the 33rd state of the U.S. on February 14, 1859. Today, with 4 million people over 98,000 square miles (250,000 km2), Oregon is the ninth largest and 27th most populous U.S. state. The capital, Salem, is the second-most populous city in Oregon, with 169,798 residents. Portland, with 647,805, ranks as the 26th among U.S. cities. The Portland metropolitan area, which also includes the city of Vancouver, Washington, to the north, ranks the 25th largest metro area in the nation, with a population of 2,453,168.
Oregon is one of the most geographically diverse states in the U.S., marked by volcanoes, abundant bodies of water, dense evergreen and mixed forests, as well as high deserts and semi-arid shrublands. At 11,249 feet (3,429 m), Mount Hood, a stratovolcano, is the state’s highest point. Oregon’s only national park, Crater Lake National Park, comprises the caldera surrounding Crater Lake, the deepest lake in the United States. The state is also home to the single largest organism in the world, Armillaria ostoyae, a fungus that runs beneath 2,200 acres (8.9 km2) of the Malheur National Forest. Because of its diverse landscapes and waterways, Oregon’s economy is largely powered by various forms of agriculture, fishing, and hydroelectric power. Oregon is also the top lumber producer of the contiguous United States, with the lumber industry dominating the state’s economy during the 20th century. Technology is another one of Oregon’s major economic forces, beginning in the 1970s with the establishment of the Silicon Forest and the expansion of Tektronix and Intel. Sportswear company Nike, Inc., headquartered in Beaverton, is the state’s largest public corporation with an annual revenue of $30.6 billion.
OREGON TERRITORIES.
Oregon is 295 miles (475 km) north to south at longest distance, and 395 miles (636 km) east to west. With an area of 98,381 square miles (254,810 km2), Oregon is slightly larger than the United Kingdom. It is the ninth largest state in the United States. Oregon’s highest point is the summit of Mount Hood, at 11,249 feet (3,429 m), and its lowest point is the sea level of the Pacific Ocean along the Oregon Coast. Oregon’s mean elevation is 3,300 feet (1,006 m). Crater Lake National Park, the state’s only national park, is the site of the deepest lake in the United States at 1,943 feet (592 m). Oregon claims the D River as the shortest river in the world, though the state of Montana makes the same claim of its Roe River. Oregon is also home to Mill Ends Park (in Portland), the smallest park in the world at 452 square inches (0.29 m2). Oregon is split into eight geographical regions. In Western Oregon: Oregon Coast (west of the Coast Range), the Willamette Valley, Rogue Valley, Cascade Range and Klamath Mountains; and in Central and Eastern Oregon: the Columbia Plateau, the High Desert, and the Blue Mountains.
Oregon lies in two time zones. Most of Malheur County is in the Mountain Time Zone, while the rest of the state lies in the Pacific Time Zone. Western Oregon’s mountainous regions, home to three of the most prominent mountain peaks of the United States including Mount Hood, were formed by the volcanic activity of the Juan de Fuca Plate, a tectonic plate that poses a continued threat of volcanic activity and earthquakes in the region. The most recent major activity was the 1700 Cascadia earthquake. Washington’s Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980, an event visible from northern Oregon and affecting some areas there. The Columbia River, which forms much of Oregon’s northern border, also played a major role in the region’s geological evolution, as well as its economic and cultural development. The Columbia is one of North America’s largest rivers, and one of two rivers to cut through the Cascades (the Klamath River in southern Oregon is the other). About 15,000 years ago, the Columbia repeatedly flooded much of Oregon during the Missoula Floods; the modern fertility of the Willamette Valley is largely the result. Plentiful salmon made parts of the river, such as Celilo Falls, hubs of economic activity for thousands of years.
LIST OF GOVERNORS OF OREGON
Champoeg Meetings
The Champoeg Meetings, including a constitutional committee, held from February 1841 until May 1843, served as a de facto government before the government was officially established. While early attempts at establishing a government had been unsuccessful because of discontent between English American and French-Canadian settlers over the question, whom they should choose as governor, several other officers were elected at these meetings, including the position of Supreme Judge as the highest position at the second meeting. For lack of a government the Supreme Judge also received executive and legislative duties and was mostly chosen as the chairman of the following meetings:
Executive | Term start | Term end | ||
– | Chairman Jason Lee | February 17, 1841 | ||
– | Chairman David Leslie | February 18, 1841 | ||
1 | Supreme Judge Ira Babcock | February 18, 1841 | May 2, 1843 | |
– | Vacant | May 2, 1843 | July 5, 1843 |
Provisional Government
The meetings at Champoeg led up to the first constitution of the Oregon Country and several petitions for U.S. territorial status. The resulting acts also created this body as a provisional government for the region. The first executives of this government were a three-person, elected committee known as the executive committee. In 1845, elections for a chief executive were held. The first person in Oregon to hold the title of governor was George Abernethy, a prominent businessman.
Executive | Term start | Term end | ||
1 | First Executive Committee David Hill • Alanson Beers • Joseph Gale |
July 5, 1843 | May 14, 1844 | |
2 | Second Executive Committee Peter G. Stewart • Osborne Russell • William J. Bailey |
May 14, 1844 | June 3, 1845 | |
3 | George Abernethy | June 3, 1845 | March 3, 1849[6] |
Governors of the Territory of Oregon
Oregon became a U.S. Territory in 1848. Like most other U.S. territorial governments, Oregon’s territorial governor was appointed by the President of the United States. As transportation and communications were not as reliable or as fast as 21st-century methods, there were times when a departing governor left office and a new governor could not yet take over. This resulted in several local individuals acting as territorial governor until the new executive was appointed and arrived to take office. President Polk initially appointed Brigadier General James Shields to be Oregon’s first territorial governor and Shields was confirmed by the Senate, but he declined the position and Joseph Lane was appointed in his place.
Democratic (3) Whig (1) | |||||||
Governor | Took office | Left office | Appointed by | Party | |||
1 | Joseph Lane December 14, 1801 – April 19, 1881 (aged 79) |
March 3, 1849 | June 18, 1850 | James K. Polk | Democratic | ||
– | Kintzing Prichette June 24, 1800 – April 12, 1869 (aged 68) |
June 18, 1850 | August 18, 1850 | Acting Governor | Democratic | ||
2 | John P. Gaines September 22, 1795 – December 9, 1857 (aged 62) |
August 18, 1850 | May 16, 1853 | Millard Fillmore | Whig | ||
– | Joseph Lane December 14, 1801 – April 19, 1881 (aged 79) |
May 16, 1853 | May 19, 1853 | Acting Governor | Democratic | ||
– | George Law Curry July 2, 1820 – July 28, 1878 (aged 58) |
May 19, 1853 | December 2, 1853 | Acting Governor | Democratic | ||
3 | John W. Davis April 16, 1799 – August 22, 1859 (aged 60) |
December 2, 1853 | August 1, 1854 | Franklin Pierce | Democratic | ||
4 | George Law Curry July 2, 1820 – July 28, 1878 (aged 58) |
August 1, 1854 | March 3, 1859 | Franklin Pierce | Democratic |
Governors of the State of Oregon
Democratic (16) Republican (19) Independent (1) | |||||||
Governor | Took office | Left office | Party | Terms [note 1] |
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1 | John Whiteaker May 4, 1820 – October 2, 1902 (aged 82) |
March 3, 1859 | September 10, 1862 | Democratic | 1 | ||
2 | A. C. Gibbs July 9, 1825 – December 29, 1886 (aged 61) |
September 10, 1862 | September 12, 1866 | Republican | 1 | ||
3 | George Lemuel Woods July 30, 1832 – January 7, 1890 (aged 57) |
September 12, 1866 | September 14, 1870 | Republican | 1 | ||
4 | La Fayette Grover November 29, 1823 – May 10, 1911 (aged 87) |
September 14, 1870 | February 1, 1877 | Democratic | 1+1⁄2 [note 2] |
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5 | Stephen F. Chadwick December 25, 1825 – January 15, 1895 (aged 69) |
February 1, 1877 | September 11, 1878 | Democratic | 1⁄2 | ||
6 | W. W. Thayer July 15, 1827 – October 15, 1899 (aged 72) |
September 11, 1878 | September 13, 1882 | Democratic | 1 | ||
7 | Zenas Ferry Moody May 27, 1832 – March 14, 1917 (aged 84) |
September 13, 1882 | January 12, 1887 | Republican | 1 | ||
8 | Sylvester Pennoyer July 6, 1831 – May 30, 1902 (aged 70) |
January 12, 1887 | January 14, 1895 | Democratic-Populist | 2 | ||
9 | William Paine Lord July 20, 1838 – February 17, 1911 (aged 72) |
January 14, 1895 | January 9, 1899 | Republican | 1 | ||
10 | Theodore Thurston Geer March 12, 1851 – February 21, 1924 (aged 72) |
January 9, 1899 | January 15, 1903 | Republican | 1 | ||
11 | George Earle Chamberlain January 1, 1854 – July 9, 1928 (aged 74) |
January 15, 1903 | March 1, 1909 | Democratic | 1+1⁄3 [note 2] |
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12 | Frank W. Benson March 20, 1858 – April 14, 1911 (aged 53) |
March 1, 1909 | June 17, 1910 | Republican | 1⁄3 [note 3] |
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13 | Jay Bowerman August 15, 1876 – October 25, 1957 (aged 81) |
June 17, 1910 | January 11, 1911 | Republican | 1⁄3 | ||
14 | Oswald West May 20, 1873 – August 22, 1960 (aged 87) |
January 11, 1911 | January 12, 1915 | Democratic | 1 | ||
15 | James Withycombe March 21, 1854 – March 3, 1919 (aged 64) |
January 12, 1915 | March 3, 1919 | Republican | 1+1⁄2 [note 4] |
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16 | Ben W. Olcott October 15, 1872 – July 21, 1952 (aged 79) |
March 3, 1919 | January 8, 1923 | Republican | 1⁄2 | ||
17 | Walter M. Pierce May 30, 1861 – March 27, 1954 (aged 92) |
January 8, 1923 | January 10, 1927 | Democratic | 1 | ||
18 | I. L. Patterson September 17, 1859 – December 21, 1929 (aged 70) |
January 10, 1927 | December 21, 1929 | Republican | 1⁄2 [note 4] |
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19 | A. W. Norblad March 19, 1881 – April 17, 1960 (aged 79) |
December 21, 1929 | January 12, 1931 | Republican | 1⁄2 | ||
20 | Julius Meier December 31, 1874 – July 14, 1937 (aged 62) |
January 12, 1931 | January 14, 1935 | Independent | 1 | ||
21 | Charles H. Martin October 1, 1863 – September 22, 1946 (aged 82) |
January 14, 1935 | January 9, 1939 | Democratic | 1 | ||
22 | Charles A. Sprague November 12, 1887 – March 13, 1969 (aged 81) |
January 9, 1939 | January 11, 1943 | Republican | 1 | ||
23 | Earl Snell July 11, 1895 – October 28, 1947 (aged 52) |
January 11, 1943 | October 30, 1947 | Republican | 1+1⁄3 [note 4] |
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24 | John Hubert Hall February 7, 1899 – November 14, 1970 (aged 71) |
October 30, 1947 | January 10, 1949 | Republican | 1⁄3 | ||
25 | Douglas McKay June 24, 1893 – July 22, 1959 (aged 66) |
January 10, 1949 | December 27, 1952 | Republican | 1⁄3 + 1⁄2 [note 5] |
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26 | Paul L. Patterson July 18, 1900 – January 31, 1956 (aged 55) |
December 27, 1952 | February 1, 1956 | Republican | 1⁄2 + 1⁄3 [note 4] |
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27 | Elmo Smith November 19, 1909 – July 15, 1968 (aged 58) |
February 1, 1956 | January 14, 1957 | Republican | 1⁄3 | ||
28 | Robert D. Holmes May 11, 1909 – June 6, 1976 (aged 67) |
January 14, 1957 | January 12, 1959 | Democratic | 1⁄3 | ||
29 | Mark Hatfield July 12, 1922 – August 7, 2011 (aged 89) |
January 12, 1959 | January 9, 1967 | Republican | 2 | ||
30 | Tom McCall March 22, 1913 – January 8, 1983 (aged 69) |
January 9, 1967 | January 13, 1975 | Republican | 2 | ||
31 | Robert W. Straub May 6, 1920 – November 27, 2002 (aged 82) |
January 13, 1975 | January 8, 1979 | Democratic | 1 | ||
32 | Victor Atiyeh February 20, 1923 – July 20, 2014 (aged 91) |
January 8, 1979 | January 12, 1987 | Republican | 2 | ||
33 | Neil Goldschmidt June 16, 1940 (age 82) |
January 12, 1987 | January 14, 1991 | Democratic | 1 | ||
34 | Barbara Roberts December 21, 1936 (age 85) |
January 14, 1991 | January 9, 1995 | Democratic | 1 | ||
35 | John Kitzhaber March 5, 1947 (age 75) |
January 9, 1995 | January 13, 2003 | Democratic | 2 | ||
36 | Ted Kulongoski November 5, 1940 (age 81) |
January 13, 2003 | January 10, 2011 | Democratic | 2 | ||
37 | John Kitzhaber March 5, 1947 (age 75) |
January 10, 2011 | February 18, 2015 | Democratic | 1+1⁄2 [note 6] [note 7] |
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38 | Kate Brown June 21, 1960 (age 62) |
February 18, 2015 | Incumbent [note 8] |
Democratic | 1+1⁄2 |
MEMBERS OF REPRESENTATIVES TO THE U.S. HOUSE FROM OREGON.
The following is an alphabetical list of members of the United States House of Representatives from the state of Oregon. For chronological tables of members of both houses of the United States Congress from the state (through the present day), see United States congressional delegations from Oregon. The list of names is complete, but other data may be incomplete. It includes members who have represented both the state and the territory, both past and present.
List of representatives
Representative | Party | District | Years | Note |
Homer D. Angell | Republican | 3rd | January 3, 1939 – January 3, 1955 |
Elected in 1938. Lost renomination to Tom McCall. |
Les AuCoin | Democratic | 1st | January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1993 |
Elected in 1974. Retired to run for U.S. senator. |
Cliff Bentz | Republican | 2nd | January 3, 2021 – Present |
Elected in 2020. Incumbent. |
Earl Blumenauer | Democratic | 3rd | May 21, 1996 – Present |
Elected to finish Wyden’s term. Incumbent,. |
Suzanne Bonamici | Democratic | 1st | January 31, 2012 – Present |
Elected to finish Wu’s term. Incumbent. |
Jim Bunn | Republican | 5th | January 3, 1995 – January 3, 1997 |
Elected in 1994. Lost re-election to Hooley. |
Robert R. Butler | Republican | 2nd | November 6, 1928 – January 7, 1933 |
Elected to finish Sinnott’s term. Lost re-election and died before next term began. |
Wes Cooley | Republican | 2nd | January 3, 1995 – January 3, 1997 |
Elected in 1994. Renominated but withdrew prior to election. |
Sam Coon | Republican | 2nd | January 3, 1953 – January 3, 1957 |
Elected in 1952. Lost re-election to Ullman. |
Maurice E. Crumpacker | Republican | 3rd | March 4, 1925 – July 24, 1927 |
Elected in 1924. Died. |
Peter DeFazio | Democratic | 4th | January 3, 1987 – Present |
Elected in 1986. Incumbent. |
John R. Dellenback | Republican | 4th | January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1975 |
Elected in 1966. Lost re-election to Weaver. |
Robert B. Duncan | Democratic | 4th | January 3, 1963 – January 3, 1967 |
Elected in 1962. Retired to run for U.S. senator. |
3rd | January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1981 |
Elected in 1974. Lost renomination to Wyden. |
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Edwin R. Durno | Republican | 4th | January 3, 1961 – January 3, 1963 |
Elected in 1960. Retired to run for U.S. senator. |
William A. Ekwall | Republican | 3rd | January 3, 1935 – January 3, 1937 |
Elected in 1934. Lost re-election to Honeyman. |
William R. Ellis | Republican | 2nd | March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1899 |
Elected in 1892. Lost renomination to Moody. |
March 4, 1907 – March 3, 1911 |
Elected in 1906. Lost renomination to Lafferty. |
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Harris Ellsworth | Republican | 4th | January 3, 1943 – January 3, 1957 |
Elected in 1942. Lost re-election to Porter. |
Elizabeth Furse | Democratic | 1st | January 3, 1993 – January 3, 1999 |
Elected in 1992. Retired. |
Melvin C. George | Republican | At-large | March 4, 1881 – March 3, 1885 |
Elected in 1880. Retired. |
Edith Green | Democratic | 3rd | January 3, 1955 – December 31, 1974 |
Elected in 1954. Retired and resigned early. |
La Fayette Grover | Democratic | At-large | February 15, 1859 – March 3, 1859 |
Elected in 1858. Retired. |
Willis C. Hawley | Republican | 1st | March 4, 1907 – March 3, 1933 |
Elected in 1906. Lost renomination to Mott. |
James H.D. Henderson | Republican | At-large | March 4, 1865 – March 3, 1867 |
Elected in 1864. Lost renomination to Mallory. |
Binger Hermann | Republican | At-large | March 4, 1885 – March 3, 1893 |
Elected in 1884. Redistricted to the 1st district. |
1st | March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1897 |
Redistricted from the at-large district and re-elected in 1892. Resigned to become Commissioner of the General Land Office. |
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June 1, 1903 – March 3, 1907 |
Elected to finish Tongue’s term. Retired. |
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Nan Wood Honeyman | Democratic | 3rd | January 3, 1937 – January 3, 1939 |
Elected in 1936. Lost re-election to Angell. |
Darlene Hooley | Democratic | 5th | January 3, 1997 – January 3, 2009 |
Elected in 1996. Retired. |
Michael J. Kopetski | Democratic | 5th | January 3, 1991 – January 3, 1995 |
Elected in 1990. Retired. |
Franklin F. Korell | Republican | 3rd | October 18, 1927 – March 3, 1931 |
Elected to finish Crumpacker’s term. Lost re-election to Martin. |
George A. La Dow | Democratic | At-large | March 4, 1875 – May 1, 1875 |
Elected in 1874. Died. |
Walter Lafferty | Republican | 2nd | March 4, 1911 – March 3, 1913 |
Elected in 1910. Redistricted to the 3rd district. |
3rd | March 4, 1913 – March 3, 1915 |
Redistricted from the 2nd district and re-elected in 1912. Lost renomination to McArthur. |
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Joseph Lane | Democratic | Oregon Territory | March 4, 1851 – February 14, 1859 |
Elected in 1851 Retired to run for U.S. senator upon statehood. |
Lafayette Lane | Democratic | At-large | October 25, 1875 – March 3, 1877 |
Elected to finish La Dow’s term. Lost re-election to Williams. |
Rufus Mallory | Republican | At-large | March 4, 1867 – March 3, 1869 |
Elected in 1866. Retired. |
Charles H. Martin | Democratic | 3rd | March 4, 1931 – January 3, 1935 |
Elected in 1930. Retired to run for governor. |
Clifton N. McArthur | Republican | 3rd | March 4, 1915 – March 3, 1923 |
Elected in 1914. Lost re-election to Watkins. |
John R. McBride | Republican | At-large | March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1865 |
Elected in 1862. Lost renomination to Henderson. |
Malcolm A. Moody | Republican | 2nd | March 4, 1899 – March 3, 1903 |
Elected in 1898. Lost renomination to Williamson. |
James W. Mott | Republican | 1st | March 4, 1933 – November 12, 1945 |
Elected in 1932. Died. |
James W. Nesmith | Democratic | At-large | December 1, 1873 – March 3, 1875 |
Elected to finish Wilson’s term. Retired. |
A. Walter Norblad | Republican | 1st | January 18, 1946 – September 20, 1964 |
Elected to finish Mott’s term. Died. |
Walter M. Pierce | Democratic | 2nd | March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1943 |
Elected in 1932. Lost re-election to Stockman. |
Charles O. Porter | Democratic | 4th | January 3, 1957 – January 3, 1961 |
Elected in 1956. Lost re-election to Durno. |
Kurt Schrader | Democratic | 5th | January 3, 2009 – Present |
Elected in 2008. Incumbent. |
George K. Shiel | Democratic | At-large | July 30, 1861 – March 3, 1863 |
Won election contest. Retired. |
Nicholas J. Sinnott | Republican | 4th | March 4, 1913 – May 31, 1928 |
Elected in 1912. Resigned to become judge to the U.S. Court of Claims. |
James H. Slater | Democratic | At-large | March 4, 1871 – March 3, 1873 |
Elected in 1870. Retired. |
Denny Smith | Republican | 2nd | January 3, 1981 – January 3, 1983 |
Elected in 1980. Redistricted to the 5th district. |
5th | January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1991 |
Redistricted from the 2nd district and re-elected in 1982. Lost re-election to Kopetski. |
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Joseph S. Smith | Democratic | At-large | March 4, 1869 – March 3, 1871 |
Elected in 1868. Retired. |
Robert F. Smith | Republican | 2nd | January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1995 |
Elected in 1982. Retired. |
January 3, 1997 – January 3, 1999 |
Elected in 1996. Retired. |
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Lowell Stockman | Republican | 2nd | January 3, 1943 – January 3, 1953 |
Elected in 1942. Retired. |
Lansing Stout | Democratic | At-large | March 4, 1859 – March 3, 1861 |
Elected in 1858. Lost renomination to Thayer. |
Andrew J. Thayer | Democratic | At-large | March 4, 1861 – July 30, 1861 |
Elected in 1860. Lost election contest to Shiel. |
Samuel Thurston | Democratic | Oregon Territory | March 4, 1849 – March 3, 1851 |
Elected in 1849 Died. |
Thomas H. Tongue | Republican | 1st | March 4, 1897 – January 11, 1903 |
Elected in 1896. Re-elected but died before next term began. |
Al Ullman | Democratic | 2nd | January 3, 1957 – January 3, 1981 |
Elected in 1956. Lost re-election to D. Smith. |
Greg Walden | Republican | 2nd | January 3, 1999 – January 3, 2021 |
Elected in 1998. Retired. |
Elton Watkins | Democratic | 3rd | March 4, 1923 – March 3, 1925 |
Elected in 1922. Lost re-election to Crumpacker. |
James H. Weaver | Democratic | 4th | January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1987 |
Elected in 1974. Retired to run for U.S. senator. |
John Whiteaker | Democratic | At-large | March 4, 1879 – March 3, 1881 |
Elected in 1878. Lost re-election to George. |
Richard Williams | Republican | At-large | March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1879 |
Elected in 1876. Retired. |
John N. Williamson | Republican | 2nd | March 4, 1903 – March 3, 1907 |
Elected in 1902 Retired. |
Joseph G. Wilson | Republican | At-large | March 4, 1873 – July 2, 1873 |
Elected in 1872. Died. |
David Wu | Democratic | 1st | January 3, 1999 – August 3, 2011 |
Elected in 1998. Resigned due to sexual misconduct accusation. |
Wendell Wyatt | Republican | 1st | November 3, 1964 – January 3, 1975 |
Elected to finish Norblad’s term. Retired. |
Ron Wyden | Democratic | 3rd | January 3, 1981 – February 5, 1996 |
Elected in 1980. Resigned when elected U.S. senator. |