Oregon legislature prepares for 2025 'long' session

Democrats struggled in reliably blue states in the November election – and nationally, Republicans made solid gains. From the Presidential election, US Congressional races, and statewide elections, Republican candidates outperformed their Democratic opponents across the country.

In states like California and New York, longtime bastions for liberals, Republicans gained seats in state houses.

But in Oregon, Democrats not only held the line, but regained supermajorities in the House and held the supermajority in the Senate.

A narrow win in the 22nd House District in northern Marion County by Democrat Lesly Muñoz over incumbent Republican Tracy Cramer gave Democrats edge needed for a supermajority. That race was finally certified on November 27th.

According to the Oregon Capital Chronical, Muñoz trailed Cramer in initial results on election night, but overtook Cramer and won by just 161 votes.

Going into the 2025 session, the 82nd Oregon House of Representatives will return 36 Democratic members, a supermajority over Republicans. House Democrats lost their supermajority in 2022.

In the Senate, Republicans picked up one seat, shaving the Democrats' majority to 17-12, but still enough for a supermajority for Dems.

However, the significance of the supermajority is limited to new taxes, which typically pass with bipartisan support. Democrats will not be able to hold supermajorities over other bills that come before the bodies.

Still, the trifecta of the House, Senate, and Governor in Oregon is significant. Democrats have held the trifecta for seventeen years, since 2007. Republicans have never had a trifecta.

Nationally, states are becoming increasingly dominated by one party. This year, Republicans gained trifecta status in five more states, and Democrats added one.

An astonishing 38 states now have trifectas, 15 states with Democrats, and 28 with Republicans. Some 41% of Americans now live in a state dominated by one party.