Walden Won’t Seek Re-Election

U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Hood River) announced today that he will not seek a new term in Congress in the 2020 elections.

“At the end of this term, I will have devoted 30 years to the important calling of public service; of helping bring people together to solve problems and leave our communities, our beautiful state and our great nation better off for the next generation,” Walden said in a video statement. “Together we’ve worked to find solutions to the opioid crisis, improve forest health, and increase access to high speed broadband. I fought to save the fire-fighting tanker base in Medford, the VA facility in White City, and I’ve stood up for the ranching and farming way of life that is eastern Oregon.

Walden said the time has come to pursue new challenges and opportunities.

“So, I will not seek re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives, nor election to any other office, but instead I will close the public service chapter of my life, thankful for the friends I’ve made and the successful work we’ve done together,” he said.

Walden, 62, is the former chairman, and now top Republican, of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.  Under Walden’s leadership, 93 percent of the bills approved by the committee received bipartisan support on the House floor, with the bulk of the work becoming law.  Major issues for Walden included tackling the opioid crisis, increasing access to high speed broadband service, modernizing the energy sector and moving forward on medical research and innovation.

Walden is the latest House Republican to leave Congress. Seventeen House GOP members and four Senate Republicans have announced they will be leaving Congress after 2020. The Democrats took control of the House in 2018.

Walden and his wife, Mylene, owned and operated radio stations in Hood River and The Dalles for more than two decades.  They are the parents of two sons, Anthony, 29, and Garrison, who died of a congenital heart defect in 1994.  He served six years in the Oregon House, (1989-95), including as House Majority Leader during the 1991 and 1993 sessions, before serving two years in the Oregon Senate, (1995-97).

Walden was elected to Congress in 1998 with 61 percent of the vote.  He held every challenger to less than 40 percent of the vote in every election including in 2018.

“I am deeply thankful to my supporters who made such a difference at the grassroots level to help achieve huge victories in each election.  Likewise, I could not have run or served effectively without the support of my wife and family who backed me every step of the way. To them, I owe the most special thank you,” said Walden.