Since the state constitution prohibits Republican senators who took part in a 2023 walkout from seeking reelection, former Oregon House Republican Leader Jeff Helfrich is one of several anticipated campaign announcements that he would run for the state Senate in 2026.
Helfrich, R-Hood River, declared on Tuesday that he intends to compete for the 26th Senate District, which is now held by Senate Republican Leader Daniel Bonham, R-The Dalles, and stretches along the Columbia River Gorge. Due to his excessive number of unexcused absences during the six-week Republican senatorial walkout in 2023 over measures pertaining to abortion, gun rights, and transgender health, Bonham is not eligible to run for reelection.
In a statement announcing his candidacy, Helfrich lauded Bonham but did not return a call from the Capital Chronicle.
According to Helfrich, he bravely decided to forgo his political career in order to stand firmly on principle for what he believed to be right. I aspire to uphold his legacy as a statesman in the Senate because I respect his perseverance and leadership.
After serving as an assigned representative from 2017 to 2018, Helfrich, a veteran Portland police officer who was in the Air Force during the First Gulf War, is currently spending his second full term in the House. Former Democratic Representative Anna Williams defeated him in the 2018 and 2020 elections, but he was re-elected in 2022 after Williams decided not to seek a third term.
He led the House caucus until the 2024 election and the loss of one Republican-held House seat after being elected as the majority leader by the Republicans in 2023. With 24 of 60 House seats and 13 of 30 Senate seats, they are currently in a superminority, which means Democrats may enact legislation to increase revenue without the backing of Republicans.
Rep. Christine Drazan, a Republican from Canby who had returned to the House following a failed bid for governor, assumed leadership after Helfrich decided not to compete for reelection. Last November, Helfrich announced his decision in a letter to other Republican MPs, saying that he was exhausted by the constant drama, which included other members trying to remove him from his position as leader when he was burying his father.
Helfrich worked on a bipartisan $210 million housing and homelessness investment while serving as the Republican vice head of the House housing committee in 2023. He also persuaded the majority of Republicans to support a bill that Governor Tina Kotek prioritized to facilitate the construction of dwellings on the fringes of cities. He collaborated on bipartisan legislation to recriminalize narcotics and restrict political funding with Democrats, notably current Speaker Julie Fahey and former Speaker Dan Rayfield, while serving as the leader of the Republican caucus.
Helfrich stated in a statement that he is motivated by the desire to create a brighter future for all Oregonians, including his children. My accomplishments in enacting campaign finance reform and recriminalizing drugs demonstrate that I can support significant legislation while in the minority and will be able to continue providing for the needs of Senate District 26’s citizens.
Compared to Helfrich’s House district, which was one of Democrats’ top four objectives in 2024, the Senate district is more consistently conservative. Helfrich won his 2024 election by a mere 3.6 percentage points, whereas Bonham won by almost 20 percentage points in 2022.
When questioned about Helfrich’s participation in the race, Bonham did not answer the phone or text back.
Bonham is prohibited from seeking reelection in 2026, as are Republican Senators Suzanne Weber of Tillamook, Kim Thatcher of Keizer, and Cedric Hayden of Fall Creek. Both Weber and Thatcher represent historically contested districts.
— Oregon Capital Chronicle’s Julia Shumway
Established in 2021, The Oregon Capital Chronicle is a nonprofit news outlet that specializes in Oregon politics, government, and policy.
