Peter Courtney
55th President of the Oregon Senate
In office
January 3, 2003 – January 9, 2023
Preceded byGene Derfler
Succeeded byRob Wagner
Member of the Oregon Senate
from the 11th district
In office
January 3, 1999 – January 9, 2023
Preceded byGene Derfler
Succeeded byKim Thatcher
Minority Leader of the Oregon House of Representatives
In office
1991–1999
Preceded byDavid Dix
Succeeded byKitty Piercy
Member of the Oregon House of Representatives
from the 33rd district
In office
1989–1999
Preceded byMike Kopetski
Succeeded byVic Backlund
In office
1981–1985
Preceded byChick Edwards
Succeeded byMike Kopetski
Personal details
Born (1943-06-18) June 18, 1943 (age 80)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseMargie Courtney
EducationUniversity of Rhode Island, Kingston (BA, MPA)
Boston University (JD)

Peter Michael Coleman Courtney (born June 18, 1943) is an American politician, lawyer, and professor who was a Democratic member of the Oregon State Senate, representing the 11th District (in Marion County and including parts of Salem, Woodburn, and Gervais) since 1999. He served as President of the Senate from 2003 to 2023. He was a member of the Oregon House of Representatives in 1981, 1983, and from 1989 through 1998. Courtney previously taught at Western Oregon University.

Early life

Courtney was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on June 18, 1943.[1] He grew up in Moorestown, New Jersey, West Virginia, Rhode Island, and Virginia, the son of a life insurance agent.[1][2] Both his parents earned college degrees, with his mother’s degree in Latin.[2] In high school, he played on the school’s football team.[2] Courtney attended college at the University of Rhode Island where he earned a bachelor's degree in political science in 1965 and a master’s in public administration the following year.[1][3] He graduated from Boston University’s law school, and then moved to Oregon in 1969 to become the law clerk of William S. Fort of the Oregon Court of Appeals.[2] Courtney arrived in Salem and stayed at the YMCA for two years.[2]

Political career

Courtney's first political office was as a member of the Salem City Council where he served from 1974 until 1980.[3] He was first elected to the Oregon Legislative Assembly in 1980 as a Democrat representing Marion and Polk counties in the Oregon House of Representatives.[4]

Courtney gave up his House seat to run for the U.S. House of Representatives, 5th district, in the 1984 primary.[citation needed] Courtney narrowly lost to state senator Ruth McFarland, who had been the 1982 nominee.[5] McFarland again lost to Congressman Denny Smith.[citation needed] Courtney ran for and narrowly lost a state Senate seat in 1986, before taking back his old state House seat in 1988.[citation needed] In the House he served as Democratic leader for eight years, longer than anyone else had before him.[2] After repairs to the Oregon State Capitol were finished in 1995 after damage from the 1993 Scotts Mills earthquake, he gave a small piece of marble with an engraved image of the building to each Democrat in the House.[2] He served as minority leader during the 1997 session.[6]

He avoided term limits by moving from the House to the Senate in 1999, representing only Marion County.[2][7] In 2002, he had surgery to remove a burst appendix and even received last rites prior to the surgery when survival was unknown. After 13 days at the hospital he recovered and returned to the legislature.[2]

Courtney in June 2008

In 2003, Courtney was selected as the President of the Oregon State Senate. The Senate was evenly divided between the state's major parties at the time, with 15 Democrats and 15 Republicans. Republican Lenn Hannon was chosen as President Pro-tem;[8] the two were recognized as having forged a strong bipartisan working relationship during the previous legislature's five emergency sessions.[9] Courtney is the longest-serving legislator and Senate President in Oregon's history.[10][11][12] His support and advocacy in animal-related measures saw him labeled as a 2011 "Top Dog" by the Oregon Humane Society.[13] In January 2022, Courtney announced he would not seek reelection to the Oregon Senate.[14]

Courtney served as co-chair of the Legislative Counsel Committee, the Legislative Policy and Research Committee, and the Legislative Administrative Committee.[15]

Career and family

Courtney taught speech at Western Oregon University, and served as an administrator at the Monmouth school.[2] He married Margie (née Brenden) Courtney in 1976; they have three sons.[1][11]

He has worked as a political commentator for KPTV television and KSLM (now KZGD, as of 2020) radio.[11] Courtney appeared in the documentary film Running Forward: Conquering Oregon's Hood to Coast Relay, that was released in 2011.[16] He has served on several boards of directors, and is a member of the Oregon State Bar.[11]

Electoral history

2006 Oregon State Senator, 11th district [17]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Peter Courtney 15,593 57.3
Republican Jared Thatcher 10,814 39.7
Constitution Keith Humphrey 767 2.8
Write-in 49 0.2
Total votes 27,223 100%
2010 Oregon State Senator, 11th district [18]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Peter Courtney 14,883 54.6
Republican Michael W Forest 12,280 45.1
Write-in 90 0.3
Total votes 27,253 100%
2014 Oregon State Senator, 11th district [19]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Peter Courtney 16,179 54.3
Republican Patricia Milne 13,442 45.1
Write-in 178 0.6
Total votes 29,799 100%
2018 Oregon State Senator, 11th district [20]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Peter Courtney 22,772 60.5
Republican Greg Warnock 14,760 39.2
Write-in 119 0.3
Total votes 37,651 100%

References

  1. ^ a b c d Senate President Peter Courtney. Archived 2019-04-08 at the Wayback Machine Oregon State Legislature. Retrieved October 10, 2007.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Esteve, Harry (November 30, 2004). "Converging paths to leadership: Two adept veterans who mix personal values and political skills will direct the 2005 legislature; Peter Courtney political everyman relies on dramatic, affable style". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon: Oregonian Media Group.
  3. ^ a b Senator Peter C. Courtney (OR) Archived 2010-09-30 at the Wayback Machine. Project Vote Smart. Retrieved on April 17, 2008.
  4. ^ "Oregon Legislators and Staff Guide, 1981 Regular Session (61st)". Oregon State Archives. Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original on 2023-04-25. Retrieved 2016-06-19.
  5. ^ Towslee, Tom (May 16, 1984). "Hatfield, incumbent House members easily win Oregon primary". United Press International. Washington, D.C.: News World Communications. Archived from the original on March 18, 2018. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
  6. ^ Feit, Josh (November 24, 1998). "The most powerful woman in Oregon". Willamette Week. Portland, Oregon: City of Roses Newspapers.
  7. ^ "Oregon Legislators and Staff Guide, 1999 Regular Session (70th)". Oregon State Archives. Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original on 2019-10-01. Retrieved 2016-06-19.
  8. ^ Jonsson, Patrik (March 27, 2003). "Noah's Ark governance in North Carolina: Two House Speakers". The Christian Science Monitor. Boston, Massachusetts: Christian Science Publishing Society. Archived from the original on March 18, 2018. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
  9. ^ Steves, David (January 14, 2003). "Oregon's Deadlocked State Senate Nears Leadership Deal". The Register-Guard. Eugene, Oregon: GateHouse Media. Archived from the original on September 2, 2019. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
  10. ^ Wong, Peter (14 November 2020). "Courtney nominated for 10th term to lead the Oregon Senate". Portland Tribune. Archived from the original on 2021-04-20. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
  11. ^ a b c d "Oregon Blue Book: Members of the Oregon Senate". Oregon Blue Book. Archived from the original on 2018-10-25. Retrieved 2016-06-19.
  12. ^ "Senator Peter Courtney Biography". www.oregonlegislature.gov. Archived from the original on 2021-01-19. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
  13. ^ 2011 Oregon Humane Society Legislative Scorecard Archived 2012-06-28 at the Wayback Machine at the Oregon Humane Society
  14. ^ Radnovich, Connor (January 5, 2022). "Longtime Salem Democrat Sen. Peter Courtney announces he won't seek reelection". Statesman Journal. Salem, OR: Gannett Co., Inc. Archived from the original on August 8, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  15. ^ "2019 Regular Session" (PDF). Journal of the Senate. Eightieth Legislative Assembly of the State of Oregon. 2019 Regular Session. June 30, 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-08-14. Retrieved 2021-10-29.
  16. ^ Nielson-Stowell, Amelia (March 4, 2011). "Reasons to Run: Documentary captures essence of Oregon relay". Deseret News. Archived from the original on 7 May 2011. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  17. ^ "Official Results | November 7, 2006". Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original on September 10, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  18. ^ "Official Results November 2, 2010". Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original on August 31, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  19. ^ "November 4, 2014, General Election, Official Abstract of Votes". Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  20. ^ "November 6, 2018, General Election Abstract of Votes". Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.

External links

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Political offices Preceded byGene Derfler President of the Oregon Senate 2003–2023 Succeeded byRob Wagner
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