US Sen. Ron Wyden plans to run for reelection in 2028
The Democratic Party is trying to find its footing after Republicans gained control of Congress and the White House in the November general election. Meanwhile, four Senate Democrats have announced retirement plans.
But U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden says he doesn’t plan to go anywhere.
The senior member of Oregon’s congressional delegation, Wyden plans to run for reelection in 2028, Hank Stern, a spokesperson for Wyden, said in a text message to OPB.
Wyden turns 76 on Saturday. He would be 79 when he’s up for reelection.
“My top priority is stopping Donald Trump’s assault on America and taking back both the Senate and House in 2026,” Wyden said in a statement Tuesday. “But for those asking in 2025 about my personal political plans, I fully intend to run for re-election in 2028.”
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, meanwhile, has filed a candidacy form with the Federal Election Commission. Asked about it, a campaign spokesperson said Merkley filed the form after the 2020 election.
“Jeff is 100% focused on defeating Trump’s agenda,” said Maggie Sunstrum, a spokesperson. “Trump’s plan is simple: Families lose, Billionaires win. Jeff is fighting for a much better plan: Families thrive. And billionaires pay their fair share of taxes. As usual, Jeff and Mary will make a formal campaign announcement regarding 2026 sometime this quarter.”
The retirement plans announced by multiple Democratic Senators has provided a path for newcomers vying for seats ahead of next year’s midterm election. Most recently, Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, 80, announced last week that he would retire after about 40 years in Congress. He was the second-ranking Senate Democrat for about 20 years.
A Democrat, Wyden has been in Congress since 1981 – first the House of Representatives then the Senate since 1996. He is the ranking member of the United States Senate Committee on Finance. He also serves on other committees focused on energy and natural resources, the federal budget, intelligence and taxation.
Over the years, Wyden has been a vocal critic of secrecy within national security agencies, grilling federal leaders over the government’s reported use of warrantless surveillance. He has also focused on changes to the federal tax code that he sees as unfairly favoring large corporations and the wealthy.
A father of five from Portland, Wyden has engaged in regular town halls throughout the state. Lately, those town halls have focused on the actions of President Donald Trump and the billionaire Elon Musk, including their efforts to shrink the federal government through mass firings and cuts to programs like social security.
Over four days last week, Wyden held seven town halls in rural southern and eastern Oregon, traveling about 1,000 miles, Stern said. During those travels, Wyden said he heard from “Oregonians wanting a proven voice in Washington, DC that battles effectively to protect our state’s values.
“The best politics is good policy,” Wyden said in the Monday statement, “and I’ll keep battling every day for good policies that support jobs, civil liberties, tax fairness and more.”
Wyden rose to the Senate when he won a special election in 1995, filling a vacant seat after Republican Bob Packwood resigned following reports that he allegedly sexually harassed and abused multiple women.
For his part, Merkley, 68, defeated Republican U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith to win a seat in the Senate in 2008. Prior to that, he spent a decade in the Oregon Legislature, including time as House Speaker.
Merkley is one of 33 Senators up for reelection in 2026.
This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.