Oregon Senators' Request to Run in 2024 Denied by Federal Judge

A federal judge has rejected a request from three Oregon Republican state senators who boycotted the Legislature to be allowed on the ballot after their terms end. The senators had challenged their disqualification from running for reelection under Measure 113, a voter-approved constitutional amendment that bars legislators from seeking reelection after 10 or more unexcused absences. The judge ruled that the walkouts were an exercise of the senators' official power and not protected political protests, and that their disqualification was the intended effect of the measure. The decision comes as the Oregon Supreme Court hears a separate challenge to the measure.