House Majority Leader Dave Hunt (D-Clackamas) was elected to be the next Speaker of the House on Saturday when House Democrats met to decide their leadership for the 2009 session.
Hunt will replace current House Speaker Jeff Merkley (D-Portland), who won election to the U.S. Senate on Thursday after defeating U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Pendleton).
While Oregon delegates were meeting in caucuses and getting ready to cast their vote for Barack Obama on Thursday, U.S. Rep. Phil Barnhart (D-Central Lane) was hard at work touting Obama’s policies in Oregon and defending the Democratic presidential candidate from Republican attacks.
Janet Napolitano, the Democratic governor of Arizona and an early supporter of Barack Obama's presidential campaign, is being mentioned for several federal posts, including Attorney General ... >
"One of the great surprises of my career came, however, when I discovered that my new colleague, Gordon Smith, was as thoughtful and kind and decent outside the political arena as he was tough and competitive inside the political arena."
- U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D) during a farewell speech Thursday in praise of U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith (R), who was defeated by Senator-elect Jeff Merkley (D).