Wilson succeeds McLane as Oregon House GOP leader

Members and members-elect of the Oregon House Republican Caucus on Monday selected Rep. Carl Wilson, (R-Grants Pass) to serve as the House Republican Leader for the 2019 legislative session. The caucus also elected Rep. Greg Barreto, (R-Cove) to serve as Deputy Leader and Representative Sherrie Sprenger, (R-Scio) to serve as Whip.

“I am honored to have been chosen by my colleagues to serve as House Republican Leader,” Wilson said. “Politics is a team sport and I am excited to lead such a strong and talented team of people from throughout Oregon. We have much work to do on behalf of the hardworking Oregonians who sent us to Salem.”

Wilson has twice served as a member of the House, first from 1998-2003 and from 2015 to present. After his service in the Navy, he has spent his career in radio including as on-air talent, station manager, and executive. Wilson brings the strong communication skills he honed in radio along with the experience and valuable relationships of two stints in the Capitol into the role of House Republican Leader.

Wilson succeeds Rep. Mike McLane (R-Powell Butte), who chose not to seek an additional term as Leader after serving in the role since November 2012. During his time as leader, McLane successfully led House GOP opposition to a gross receipts tax, helped pass a transportation package that included historic investments in rural areas, and played a key role in the 2013 Grand Bargain, the Legislature’s last serious attempt at reforming PERS.

“Representative McLane has given so much to this caucus and to our state over the last six years,” Wilson said. “It’s a privilege to have the opportunity to follow in his footsteps. He’s a good friend and a great leader, and I will most certainly be relying on his counsel during this transition and in the months ahead.”

This month’s election gave Democrats a two-thirds supermajority in the House, which means they don’t need any GOP votes to pass taxes or other measures.

In addition to electing Wilson as Republican Leader, House Republicans also selected Rep. Greg Barreto, (R-Cove) to serve as Deputy Leader and Repr. Sherrie Sprenger, (R-Scio) to serve as Whip. Rep. Barreto was recently elected to a third term as a member of the House, while Rep. Sprenger was recently elected to her fifth full-term after initially being appointed to the House in 2008.

“I am enthusiastic about confronting head-on the challenge of governing from the minority, giving voice to every Oregonian from across the state, and humbled by the support of my colleagues,” said Sprenger.