Wikipedia

Peter Courtney

For other people named Peter Courtney, see Peter Courtney (disambiguation).

Peter Michael Coleman Courtney (June 18, 1943 – July 16, 2024) was an American politician, lawyer, and professor who was a Democratic member of the Oregon State Senate, representing the 11th District (in Marion County and including parts of Salem, Woodburn, and Gervais) from 1999 until 2023. He served as President of the Senate from 2003 to 2023.

Peter Courtney
Courtney in 2011
55th President of the Oregon Senate
In office
January 3, 2003 – January 9, 2023
Preceded byGene Derfler
Succeeded byRob Wagner
Member of the Oregon Senate
from the 11th district
In office
January 3, 1999 – January 9, 2023
Preceded byGene Derfler
Succeeded byKim Thatcher
Minority Leader of the
Oregon House of Representatives
In office
1991–1999
Preceded byDavid Dix
Succeeded byKitty Piercy
Member of the Oregon House of Representatives
from the 33rd district
In office
1989–1999
Preceded byMike Kopetski
Succeeded byVic Backlund
In office
1981–1985
Preceded byChick Edwards
Succeeded byMike Kopetski
Personal details
Born
Peter Michael Coleman Courtney

(1943-06-18)June 18, 1943
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedJuly 16, 2024(2024-07-16) (aged 81)
Salem, Oregon, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Margie Brenden
​
(m. 1976)​
EducationUniversity of Rhode Island (BA, MPA)
Boston University (JD)
Signature

Courtney was a member of the Oregon House of Representatives from 1981 to 1985 and from 1989 through 1998. Courtney previously taught at Western Oregon University.

Early life

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Courtney was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on June 18, 1943.[1] He grew up in Moorestown, New Jersey, West Virginia, Rhode Island, and Virginia, the son of a life insurance agent.[1][2] Both his parents earned college degrees, with his mother's degree in Latin.[2]

In high school, Courtney played on the school's football team.[2] He attended college at the University of Rhode Island where he earned a bachelor's degree in political science in 1965 and a master's in public administration the following year.[1][3] He graduated from Boston University's law school, and then moved to Oregon in 1969 to become the law clerk of William S. Fort of the Oregon Court of Appeals.[2]

Courtney arrived in Salem and stayed at the YMCA for two years.[2]

Political career

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Courtney's first political office was as a member of the Salem City Council where he served from 1974 until 1980.[3] He was first elected to the Oregon Legislative Assembly in 1980 as a Democrat representing Marion and Polk counties in the Oregon House of Representatives.[4]

Courtney gave up his House seat to run for the U.S. House of Representatives, 5th district, in the 1984 primary.[5] Courtney narrowly lost to state senator Ruth McFarland, who had been the 1982 nominee.[6] In the House he served as Democratic leader for eight years, longer than anyone else had before him.[2] After repairs to the Oregon State Capitol were finished in 1995 after damage from the 1993 Scotts Mills earthquake, he gave a small piece of marble with an engraved image of the building to each Democrat in the House.[2] He served as minority leader during the 1997 session.[7]

 
Courtney in June 2008

He avoided term limits by moving from the House to the Senate in 1999, representing only Marion County.[2][8] In 2002, he had surgery to remove a burst appendix and even received last rites prior to the surgery when survival was unknown. After 13 days at the hospital he recovered and returned to the legislature.[2]

In 2003, Courtney was selected as the President of the Oregon State Senate. The Senate was evenly divided between the state's major parties at the time, with 15 Democrats and 15 Republicans. Republican Lenn Hannon was chosen as President Pro-tem;[9] the two were recognized as having forged a strong bipartisan working relationship during the previous legislature's five emergency sessions.[10] Courtney was the longest-serving legislator and Senate President in Oregon's history.[11][12][13] His support and advocacy in animal-related measures saw him labeled as a 2011 "Top Dog" by the Oregon Humane Society.[14] In January 2022, Courtney announced he would not seek reelection to the Oregon Senate due to health issues.[15][16]

Courtney served as co-chair of the Legislative Counsel Committee, the Legislative Policy and Research Committee, and the Legislative Administrative Committee.[17]

Personal life

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Courtney in September 2015

Courtney taught speech at Western Oregon University, and served as an administrator at the Monmouth school.[2] He married Margie (née Brenden) Courtney in 1976; they had three sons.[1][12]

He worked as a political commentator for KPTV television and KSLM (now KZGD, as of 2020) radio.[12] Courtney appeared in the documentary film Running Forward: Conquering Oregon's Hood to Coast Relay, that was released in 2011.[18] He served on several boards of directors, and was a member of the Oregon State Bar.[12]

In 2021, Courtney had one of his kidneys removed due to his ureteral cancer. He previously had colon cancer in the 1990s. In 2023, he was diagnosed with heart failure and in January 2024, had a heart valve replaced.[16]

Courtney died from complications of cancer in Salem, on July 16, 2024, at the age of 81.[19][16]

Electoral history

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2006 Oregon State Senator, 11th district [20]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Peter Courtney 15,593 57.3
Republican Jared Thatcher 10,814 39.7
Constitution Keith Humphrey 767 2.8
Write-in 49 0.2
Total votes 27,223 100%
2010 Oregon State Senator, 11th district [21]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Peter Courtney 14,883 54.6
Republican Michael W Forest 12,280 45.1
Write-in 90 0.3
Total votes 27,253 100%
2014 Oregon State Senator, 11th district [22]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Peter Courtney 16,179 54.3
Republican Patricia Milne 13,442 45.1
Write-in 178 0.6
Total votes 29,799 100%
2018 Oregon State Senator, 11th district [23]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Peter Courtney 22,772 60.5
Republican Greg Warnock 14,760 39.2
Write-in 119 0.3
Total votes 37,651 100%

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Senate President Peter Courtney. Archived April 8, 2019, at the Wayback Machine Oregon State Legislature. Retrieved October 10, 2007.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Esteve, Harry (November 30, 2004). "Converging paths to leadership: Two adept veterans who mix personal values and political skills will direct the 2005 legislature; Peter Courtney political everyman relies on dramatic, affable style". The Oregonian/OregonLive.
  3. ^ a b Senator Peter C. Courtney (OR) Archived September 30, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Project Vote Smart. Retrieved on April 17, 2008.
  4. ^ "Oregon Legislators and Staff Guide, 1981 Regular Session (61st)". Oregon State Archives. Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original on April 25, 2023. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
  5. ^ Shumway, Julia (December 9, 2022). "Senate bids farewell to Peter Courtney, longest-serving president in Oregon history". Oregon Capital Chronicle. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
  6. ^ Towslee, Tom (May 16, 1984). "Hatfield, incumbent House members easily win Oregon primary". United Press International. Archived from the original on March 18, 2018. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
  7. ^ Feit, Josh (November 24, 1998). "The most powerful woman in Oregon". Willamette Week.
  8. ^ "Oregon Legislators and Staff Guide, 1999 Regular Session (70th)". Oregon State Archives. Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original on October 1, 2019. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
  9. ^ Jonsson, Patrik (March 27, 2003). "Noah's Ark governance in North Carolina: Two House Speakers". The Christian Science Monitor. Archived from the original on March 18, 2018. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
  10. ^ Steves, David (January 14, 2003). "Oregon's Deadlocked State Senate Nears Leadership Deal". The Register-Guard. Archived from the original on September 2, 2019. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
  11. ^ Wong, Peter (November 14, 2020). "Courtney nominated for 10th term to lead the Oregon Senate". Portland Tribune. Archived from the original on April 20, 2021. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  12. ^ a b c d "Oregon Blue Book: Members of the Oregon Senate". Oregon Blue Book. Archived from the original on October 25, 2018. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
  13. ^ "Senator Peter Courtney Biography". Oregon State Legislature. Archived from the original on January 19, 2021. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  14. ^ 2011 Oregon Humane Society Legislative Scorecard Archived June 28, 2012, at the Wayback Machine at the Oregon Humane Society
  15. ^ Radnovich, Connor (January 5, 2022). "Longtime Salem Democrat Sen. Peter Courtney announces he won't seek reelection". Statesman Journal. Archived from the original on August 8, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  16. ^ a b c Edge, Sami (July 16, 2024). "Longtime Senate President Peter Courtney, a pivotal figure in Oregon politics, dies at 81". The Oregonian/OregonLive. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
  17. ^ "2019 Regular Session" (PDF). Journal of the Senate. 2019 Regular Session. Eightieth Legislative Assembly of the State of Oregon. June 30, 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 14, 2022. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
  18. ^ Nielson-Stowell, Amelia (March 4, 2011). "Reasons to Run: Documentary captures essence of Oregon relay". Deseret News. Archived from the original on May 7, 2011. Retrieved February 25, 2012.
  19. ^ VanderHart, Dirk (July 16, 2024). "Peter Courtney, legendary and longtime leader of Oregon's state Senate, has died". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
  20. ^ "Official Results | November 7, 2006". Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original on September 10, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  21. ^ "Official Results November 2, 2010". Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original on August 31, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  22. ^ "November 4, 2014, General Election, Official Abstract of Votes". Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  23. ^ "November 6, 2018, General Election Abstract of Votes". Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
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Political offices
Preceded by President of the Oregon Senate
2003–2023 		Succeeded by
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