Oregon’s longest-serving lawmaker and Senate president, Peter Courtney, passed away at the age of 81 due to complications related to cancer. Courtney, known for his bipartisan approach and dealmaking skills, retired from politics in 2022 after a long and influential career in Oregon’s legislative history. An idiosyncratic speaker and decisive leader, Courtney was described as charismatic and larger than life. His dedication to his family was highlighted by colleagues, and he survived battles with both colon cancer in the 1990s and congestive heart failure more recently.
Courtney began his political career in Salem in 1969 and steadily rose through the ranks, serving on the city council and then in the state House before becoming Senate president in 2003, a role he held for nearly two decades. He championed causes such as mental health, animal rights, and child welfare, and played a key role in upgrading Oregon’s mental health facilities.
His legacy was honored with the naming of the new Salem state hospital campus after him. Colleagues and friends remembered how Courtney’s visit to the hospital had inspired him to lead efforts to improve the state’s mental health system.
His retirement marked the end of an era in Oregon politics, with many acknowledging his significant contributions across the state. As the news of his passing spread, tributes poured in from lawmakers and leaders across the state, remembering Courtney as a larger-than-life figure who left a lasting impact on Oregon and its people.
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Photo credit www.oregonlive.com