Peter Courtney, longtime Senate president who advocated for Salem, dies at 81

Peter Courtney, the longest-serving Senate president in Oregon history and a champion for Salem in the state Legislature, died Tuesday, July 16, of complications related to cancer. He was 81.

Courtney served for almost four decades in the Legislature, including a record 20 years as Senate president until his retirement in 2022. A Democrat, he emphasized bipartisanship and compromise during his tenure running the upper chamber, befriending Republicans and making a point to learn the names of colleagues’ spouses and children.

Courtney represented Senate District 11, which included north and east Salem, from 1998 until his retirement in 2022. He became Senate president in 2003, a powerful post that allowed him to decide which bills would get a vote.

“He knew politics inside and out. He knew how to manage people, coalitions and caucuses,” said Chuck Adams, a Salem political strategist who became a close friend through their work together on the new Salem YMCA.

Colleagues in the Legislature on Tuesday described him as a larger-than-life figure who set the standard for what a legislator should be and worked tirelessly on behalf of Oregonians. He was known for his eccentric speeches, wry humor and charisma, relying on his relationships on both sides of the aisle to tackle major issues.

Gov. Tina Kotek’s office announced his death. The governor, who worked opposite Courtney as House speaker from 2013 to 2022, called him one of the “most important architects of our state in recent memory.”

He is survived by his wife Margie, three sons and several grandchildren.

Raised in New England, Courtney made Salem his home in 1969, when he arrived on a Greyhound bus to take a job as a law clerk. He took a room at the downtown YMCA and lived there for two years. He remained an advocate for the YMCA for the rest of his life.

Courtney began his public service on the Salem City Council, representing Ward 5, northeast Salem, from 1975 to 1980. He served in the Oregon House from 1981 to 1999, with a four-year break between 1985 and 1989 when he ran unsuccessfully for U.S. House and Oregon Senate.

Adams met Courtney in 1986 while running the campaign for Courtney’s opponent, Sen. Cub Houck.

Houck won and Adams said the men subsequently had little direct contact besides saying hello to each other while working out at the YMCA. But in 2017, Courtney approached Adams, who was then the Y’s board president, with an idea. The gym was aging and needed to be replaced, and Courtney had the idea to go after state lottery funding to make it happen.

Knowing the project would be a heavy lift, he told Adams he needed “somebody to go to war with.”

Courtney ultimately secured $16 million in state money to make the project happen, and another $9 million for the YMCA’s affordable veteran housing project next door. The building, which opened earlier this year, was christened Courtney Place in his honor.

The structure informally known as Salem’s “taco bridge,” which opened in 2017 and connects Riverfront and Minto-Brown Island parks, also bears Courtney’s name.

Adams said despite being opposed politically, the two became close, with Courtney asking about wife, kids and their respective jobs.

“We were nemesis at the beginning and I would say we were incredibly close friends at the end,” Adams said.

Courtney championed the Oregon State Hospital, Oregon’s psychiatric institution, leading an effort to secure funding for a new building in Salem, which opened in 2011. 

The building was named in his honor at a ceremony Tuesday afternoon, which had been scheduled before his death.

The dedication was held in front of the hospital’s memorial, with a backdrop of hundreds of empty copper canisters that once held cremated remains of patients which, Connie Seeley, Courtney’s longtime chief of staff in the senate, said had been locked away in an outbuilding.

“Walking into that room for the first time, when we learned what was contained in those copper canisters, everyone on the tour fell silent,” she said. “After coming back to the capitol, Peter knew he needed to do something, he needed to act.”

His leadership helped bring a new hospital in Salem, a new hospital in Junction City, the Oregon State Hospital’s museum and the memorial. The Oregonian won a Pulitzer for an editorial piece about the cremated remains, which credited Courtney for his initiative.

“Peter did all those things. But there is still more to do. If Peter were here right now, he would say the work that started 20 years ago is just the beginning of a journey, and it’s a journey that must continue,” Seeley said, holding back tears.

At the ceremony, Kotek unveiled a plaque in Courtney’s honor, which described his efforts to improve mental health services in the state, including an increase to the cigarette tax to fund mental health.

“He will be remembered because he loved Salem, he loved Oregon and he was a tenacious champion for the Oregon State Hospital,” Kotek said.

Courtney presided over an increasingly polarized legislature, including the 2019 Senate Republican walkout that ended after his controversial decision not to bring a carbon cap-and-trade proposal up for a vote. 

He lamented growing political polarization in interviews near the end of his tenure. In an interview following the 2021 session, he refused to name specific Republicans who helped avert a walkout and keep the session on track because doing so would hurt them politically.

While he was tough when negotiating over legislation, he had a soft side and a deep care for Oregonians.

“You’d normally see his tough exterior, but his heart broke for humanity. He had this sense of commitment and urgency of doing what we can for people who are in need,” said Tim Sinatra, CEO of the YMCA of Marion & Polk counties.

Irvin Brown, who will take office at the Salem City Council in May, was neighbors with Courtney in northeast Salem. He is stepping into the council seat Courtney held in the 1970s and described the statesman as a mentor, a father figure and a dear friend.

“To see him no longer here is going to be extremely, extremely difficult. But I know his legacy is going to live on,” he said. “To see that the old lion has given its final roar, it’s going to be sad to know that we will no longer hear him in the Capitol or even in this community.”

Courtney’s political legacy, Brown said, is diplomacy. The table in his office hosted tough conversations that ended in compromise. Outside politics, he described Courtney as a kind-hearted family man.
“There was a side to him that a lot of people did not get a chance to see. He was a gentle giant,” Brown said. 

Courtney did not want to retire and had to be persuaded by family to step down as his 80th birthday approached. 

“He hated retirement. He always wanted to be in the middle of the fight,” Adams said.

He had worsening health issues and was diagnosed with congestive heart failure last November, the Statesman Journal reported.

Sinatra said as his health worsened, Courtney still made regular visits to the YMCA, sitting in Sinatra’s office snacking and talking about the state of humanity and the needs of Oregonians. When his energy allowed, he’d ride the recumbent bike. 

But often, Courtney would simply sit in the lobby and greet people coming in, striking up conversations with families.

His final visit was about two weeks ago. He took a chair near the fireplace, and Sinatra brought him his usual iced tea and snacks. The two men talked about the YMCA’s long legacy and Sinatra and how the Salem institution would be able to serve people for generations, helping them reach their full potential.

“He wanted every life to be special, to be cared for,” Sinatra said. “If he was tough, it was because he was fighting for good.”

Statements on Peter Courtney’s death

Salem Mayor Chris Hoy

“My thoughts today are with Senator Courtney’s family. I hope that knowing he leaves a legacy that impacts the city of Salem, and all of Oregon, in profound and deep ways will be a comfort in their time of loss. Salem has lost its champion today.”

House Republican Leader Jeff Helfrich 

“For nearly half a century, Senate President Peter Courtney served with distinction. He was a true statesman. It is an understatement to say that without his leadership, Oregon would be a profoundly different state. Today we lost a giant of the legislature, my thoughts are with his friends and family.”

Senate Republican Leader Daniel Bonham 

“Beyond his legislative achievements, Peter was a mentor, a friend, and a true statesman. His wisdom, compassion, and sense of humor were cherished by those who had the privilege to work with him. Our heartfelt condolences are extended to Peter’s family, friends, and loved ones. We honor his legacy and will strive to continue his work with the same spirit of civility he exemplified throughout his career.”

Senate President Rob Wagner

“Peter Michael Coleman Courtney was a legend — larger than life, with a passion for helping Oregonians all across the state, and especially in his beloved city of Salem. The sounds of the Capitol were never complete without Peter’s voice reverberating through the halls. He was bold and hard-charging, but also tender and caring, always looking for private moments to help a young lawmaker find their way.”

House Speaker Julie Fahey

“Peter Courtney set the standard for what it means to be a true champion for the state of Oregon
and its people. His passion for our state was clear no matter where he was or what office he
served in – as a Salem City Councilor, as a member of the Oregon House, or as Senate
President.

In the legislature, we came to know Peter as someone who worked to do the most good for as
many people as possible. Among his accomplishments include passing the Student Success Act
that increased funding for K-12 education in Oregon, modernizing the legislature to meet more
regularly, and beginning the legislature’s needed investments in mental health.

Peter cared deeply for the state of Oregon and for the city of Salem that he represented. He also
cared deeply for the legislature as an institution and as a cornerstone of our democracy. In a
time when we’re seeing an erosion of trust in government and in institutions more broadly, my
hope is that Peter’s legacy can remind us all of the importance and significance of our work and
of coming together to best serve the interests of our constituents.”

U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas

“I am saddened to learn that my friend, colleague and former Oregon Senate President Peter Courtney has passed away. President Courtney was a longtime Salemite, a champion for farmworkers, and a pillar of the State Legislature who was always willing to reach across the aisle to get things done. I am honored to represent his former district in the U.S. Congress, and my prayers go out to President Courtney’s family, friends, and loves ones today. May he rest in peace.”

U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley 

“When I was Oregon House Speaker, I had a front row seat to seeing Peter in action. We worked closely together to pass several major bills in the state legislature that have become central to Oregon. This includes creating the state’s first-ever rainy day fund to support schools, strengthening the Oregon Bottle Bill, and championing LGBTQ+ rights and protections.

All those of us who worked with Peter are better legislators and better people for having done so, regardless of party. He was scrappy, he was honest, and his love for Oregon and its people shown through everything he did. This is the lasting legacy Peter leaves behind in Oregon politics and in the lives of everyday Oregon families that will carry on for generations.”

Kevin Cameron, chair of the Marion County Board of Commissioners 

“I had the distinct privilege of working with Peter when I was in the Oregon House and witnessed firsthand his incredible statesmanship and his profound love for this state. He brought so many positive things to the community during his time here. My prayers go out to his wife Margie and his family in this difficult time of loss.”

Abbey McDonald and Joe Siess contributed reporting.

Contact reporter Rachel Alexander: [email protected] or 503-575-1241.

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