Rep. Brent Barton Will Not Run for Re-Election

Lawmaker's decision puts House swing seat in play.

State Rep. Brent Barton
By NIGEL JAQUISS

State Rep. Brent Barton (D-Oregon City) is surrendering the most expensive seat in the Oregon House.

Barton, 35, a Harvard-educated trial lawyer, defeated Republican Steve Newgard in a 2014 rematch that cost $1.24 million. Barton spent $787,000 to retain what is one of only a handful of Portland-area swing seats.

In WW's 2015 legislative survey, Barton was the region's most improved lawmaker, but in an Aug. 11 letter to legislative leadership and Gov. Kate Brown, Barton said he will not seek reelection.

"My wife and I are expecting our first child, and my law practice continues to grow," Barton wrote. "I do not feel it is fair to my family, my clients, or my constituents to juggle so many responsibilities, and my family must come first.” 

Democrats hold 35-to-25-seat majority in the House, so Barton's decision is unlikely to affect control of the chamber.

Although Democrats outnumber Republicans by about 3,000 registered voters in the district, which includes Gladstone and parts of Oregon City, Barton defeated Newgard by just 348 votes in 2012.

Barton increased his margin of victory to 1,948 votes last year, but the difficulty of winning what was still a relatively narrow victory is likely to encourage both parties to invest heavily in the seat again in 2016.

WWeek 2015

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