Oregon Senate Democrats pick leaders as they head into long session with a strong majority

Oregon Senate Democrats selected Sen. Anthony Broadman, of Bend, as their new caucus leader as they head into a long legislative session.

First elected to the state Senate in 2024, Broadman is the first Oregon Senate Democratic leader representing the east of the Cascades since the 1980s, according to a press release from Senate Democrats. His district includes Bend, Redmond, Sisters and much of Deschutes County. Broadman previously served on the Bend City Council and worked as a lawyer for tribal governments. He served as a chief judge of the Warm Springs Court of Appeals on the Warm Springs Reservation in Central Oregon.

Broadman said his priorities are focusing on the economy, affordability and making Oregon’s schools and communities safer. Broadman represents Bend, where there was a school shooting last month at Silver Rail Elementary School.

“Voters entrusted us with the largest Democratic majority in decades, and our first priority must be making life more affordable for Oregon families,” Broadman said in a statement.

Broadman replaces Sen. Kayse Jama, D-Portland, who made history when he was elected to the Oregon State Senate as the first former refugee and first Muslim American to serve. Jama fled from Somalia and came to Portland in 1998. He was elected to leadership in 2024 and voluntarily stepped aside. He is still serving in the Oregon Senate.

Senate Democrats also reelected Senate President Rob Wagner to the post. Wagner, of Lake Oswego, was first appointed to the state Senate in 2018.

Wagner succeeded longtime Senate President Peter Courtney, who served in the post for about two decades. Courtney was the longest-serving state lawmaker in Oregon’s history. He died in 2024. Sen. James Manning was selected as Senate President Pro Tempore. The full chamber will vote in January on Wagner’s and Manning’s position. Broadman’s selection is effective immediately.