Skip to main content
This story was produced by the Oregon Journalism Project, a nonprofit newsroom covering the state.
Former state Sen. Rod Monroe (D-East Portland) died Feb. 20 at age 83, according to his wife and longtime legislative aide, Billie Monroe.
Monroe first won election to the Oregon House in 1976 and, in a varied political career that lasted until 2019, he served on the David Douglas School Board, Mt. Hood Community College Board, and the Metro Regional Council in addition to five terms in the state Senate.
A schoolteacher and physical fitness buff who ran more than 20 marathons and calculated he’d run enough miles to circle the globe, Monroe left a mark on Oregon that reflected his focus on public health. In addition to numerous other laws, he sponsored Oregon’s indoor smoking ban in 1981 and, for many years, pushed a mandatory seat belt law, which eventually passed on the ballot in 1990.
Monroe lost his Senate seat in the 2018 Democratic primary to Shemia Fagan (who later became secretary of state). Senate Majority Leader Kayse Jama, who now holds Monroe’s old seat, finished third in that race but, in a Feb. 23 Senate floor speech, recalled how courteous and respectful Monroe was, even in a bitter primary contest. “After we debated,” Jama said, “he even offered me some tips.”
Monroe is survived by his wife, Billie, and their son, Marty.
