State Rep. Jeff Helfrich of Hood River, who is in the middle of his first elected term, is the new Republican leader of the Oregon House.

The 25 Republicans chose Helfrich to succeed Rep. Vikki Breese-Iverson of Prineville, who resigned as leader after almost two years but retained her Central Oregon seat in the House. Rep. Shelly Boshart Davis of Albany, who had hoped to move up the leadership ladder, did not get a formal position.

Others chosen were Rep. Mark Owens of Crane as deputy leader and Rep. Kim Wallan of Medford as whip.

The 35-day 2024 session opens on Feb. 5.

Helfrich said in a statement released by the House Republican office after the meeting Sept. 26:

“Oregon is in crisis. Residents are leaving because they can’t afford housing, they feel unsafe on our city streets and their taxes keep increasing. Inaction or failed action only makes the situation worse. The status quo must change.

“Politics is a team sport, and our caucus looks forward to working together to bring forward new ideas and solutions to help everyday Oregonians.”

Republicans have been the minority party in the Oregon House since the 2006 election. They won 30 seats in 2010 to force the first co-speakership in the Oregon House in state history — Democrats also had 30 seats — but then lost four seats to Democrats in 2012.

Democrats reached 38 seats after the 2018 election — tying their mark back in 1975 — but then lost one seat to Republicans in 2020 and two more seats in 2022.

Helfrich, 55, holds one of the most competitive seats in the House.

He was in the Air Force during Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1990 and 1991, and was a Portland police officer, retiring after 25 years with the rank of sergeant. He and his wife have two children.

He was appointed to the District 52 seat in 2018 when Republican Mark Johnson vacated it for a short-lived tenure as president of Oregon Business & Industry. But Helfrich lost his bid for a full term to Democrat Anna Williams, 51.4% to 48.5%. Williams won their rematch two years later, but by a final margin of just 84 votes of more than 38,000 cast.

When Williams decided not to seek re-election in 2022 — she and two other women members said legislative pay was inadequate — Helfrich defeated Democrat Darcy Long, 52.5% to 47.4%. (The totals exclude scattered votes cast for other candidates; there was a third-party candidate in the 2020 race.)

District 52 covers Hood River County, the eastern parts of Multnomah and Clackamas counties, and part of Wasco County.

Helfrich played a role in shaping legislation as the top Republican on the House Committee on Housing and Homelessness in the 2023 session.

Owens, 53, the new deputy leader, is an alfalfa farmer, Crane School Board member and a former Harney County commissioner. He was appointed in January 2020 to the House seat vacated by Republican Lynn Findley of Vale, who was appointed to the Senate seat that Cliff Bentz of Ontario left in his successful bid for Oregon’s 2nd District congressional seat. Owens won full terms in 2020 and 2022.

He was the top Republican on the House Agriculture Committee in the 2023 session.

District 60 is Oregon’s largest House district by area. It covers Malheur, Harney, Lake, Baker and Grant counties, and a small part of eastern Deschutes County.

His statement: “It is an honor to be chosen by my colleagues for this leadership role. I look forward to working with all of our caucus members for the benefit of all Oregonians.”

Wallan, 62, a lawyer, was elected to the House in 2018 to the seat vacated by Republican Sal Esquivel of Medford after 14 years. She was re-elected in 2020 and 2022. She is a former Medford School Board and City Council member. Virtually all of the city of Medford is within District 6.

She was the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee in the 2023 session.

Since Mike McLane of Powell Butte was Republican leader in 2013, 2015 and 2017 — he resigned to accept a circuit judgeship, which he has left — no House Republican leader has served more than two years. Carl Wilson of Grants Pass succeeded McLane, but was ousted as leader in 2019 by Christine Drazan of Canby, who resigned two years later to mount a bid for governor in 2022. Breese-Iverson then succeeded Drazan as leader.