FILE - Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., speaks during a transgender rights rally at the Lutheran Church of the Reformation on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, June 18, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana,File)
Oregon Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley says he’s running for reelection
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Democratic U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon said Thursday that he will run for reelection next year to seek a fourth term in Congress.
FILE - Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., speaks during a transgender rights rally at the Lutheran Church of the Reformation on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, June 18, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana,File)
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Democratic U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon said Thursday that he will run for reelection next year to seek a fourth term in Congress.
In a statement, the 68-year-old denounced the and described efforts to stand against growing threats to democracy as “the fight of our lives, and I’m not backing down.”
“This is a dark and dangerous time for our democracy, and the only way through it is together,” he said.
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Merkley is the top Democrat on the powerful Senate Budget Committee. His most recent reelection to the Senate was with nearly 57% of the vote.
Merkley has served in Congress since 2009. Before that, he served roughly a decade in the Oregon House of Representatives.
Oregon’s other Democratic senator, Ron Wyden, isn’t up for reelection until 2028.
