SALEM — Sen. Bill Hansell, R-Athena, announced Thursday, March 2, that he would not seek reelection in 2024, ending more than four decades in politics.

“I did not realize it at the time, but in the fall of 1981, Margaret and I made a decision that would set the course of my life for the next 42 years,” Hansell said. “Now we are making another decision that will set another course for us.”

In the Senate, Hansell represented the community where he was born. He was born in Athena, left to earn a degree from the University of Oregon, a certificate from Harvard University, and work as a Christian evangelist overseas, but came home to the farm that had been in his family for four generations. He and his wife, Margaret, have been married 54 years, raised six grown children and have 11 grandchildren.

Hansell won election to the Umatilla County Commission eight times before moving to the Oregon Senate in 2013. He was last reelected in 2020 and his current term runs through January 2025. His Senate District 29 sprawls across much of Eastern Oregon, including Wallowa, Union, Umatilla, Morrow, Gilliam, Sherman and parts of Wasco counties. It covers an area greater than the state of Maryland.

Though it is 13 months until the May 2024 primary that will include the 29th District seat, Hansell said he wanted to make the decision early enough that anyone who would want to seek the office would have plenty of time to prepare.

“It is the second largest district in Oregon, and I am confident there may be a number of individuals interested in running,” he said.

Hansell said he would not endorse a candidate in the primary.

‘Exemplary service’

Rep. Greg Smith, R-Heppner, the dean of the Oregon House, praised Hansell’s tenure.

“I would like to acknowledge Sen. Bill Hansell’s exemplary service to the State of Oregon,” he said.

Hansell’s district includes all Smith’s district, but the House veteran said he wasn’t interested in moving to the Senate. The eastern portion of Hansell’s district is represented by Rep. Bobby Levy, R-Echo. Local political and civic leaders could also run — just as Hansell moved from the Umatilla County commissioners to a seat in Salem.

A strongly conservative vote in the Senate, Hansell eventually drew a line on attempts by Republicans to halt legislation through walkouts. Hansell took part in the work-stoppages in 2019 and 2020 that led to denying Democrats a quorum to conduct business.

But Hansell joined with then-Senate Minority Leader Fred Girod, R-Stayton, and a group of Republicans who refused to walk out in 2021 over demands by gun rights advocates that they leave the Capitol to block a gun control initiative.

The Girod-led group opted to stay in the capital and vote against the gun control bill, but not halt the session, which included the need to pass the state budget amid the COVID-19 crisis.

Hansell and other lawmakers received anonymous death threats over the issue. Recall efforts against the Republicans who wouldn’t walk out fizzled early.

In a rare legislative move to block an internal political problem, Hansell and Sen. Lynn Findley, R-Vale, authored legislation making it against senate rules for senators to also hold state political party offices.

Sen. Dallas Heard, R-Roseburg, a leader of the senators who wanted to walk out over the gun bill, had become chair of the Oregon Republican Party and was advocating a pre-emptive endorsement of his candidacy for governor in 2022. Heard dropped his bid for governor, stepped down from the state party presidency and resigned from the senate prior to the 2023 session.

A life of serviceHansell’s decision to attend the University of Oregon caused competition in his family, dominated by Washington State University alumni and boosters. The Pullman campus isn’t far from Umatilla County.

Hansell recalled in an interview with the University of Oregon Alumni Association newsletter in 2021 that he arrived in Eugene in 1963, straight from the family’s cattle ranch in, ready to study pre-law.

“When I enrolled, JFK was in the White House,” he said. “I could not find Vietnam on a world map, the only drug on campus was alcohol, and we all had crew cuts — the Emerald even ran a story about how unusual it was that two professors had beards.”

By the time he earned his degree, John F. Kennedy, Jr. had been assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald, the U.S. was mired in a war in Vietnam, the Civil Rights movement was in full force, and the Daily Emerald was fighting in the Oregon Supreme Court to protect its sources in a story about campus drug use.

“We entered a particular university setting,” Hansell said, “and when we graduated it had all changed.”

Hansell’s life plans also changed at UO. He switched from prelaw to political science, was elected senior class president and married his college sweetheart Margaret Eversaul.

Hansell joined the nondenominational Campus Crusade for Christ, and took an assignment with the missionary group in Sydney, Australia.

After five years, the Hansells returned to Eastern Oregon and the family farm.

Hansell also earned a post-graduate certificate from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

During his time as a county officeholder, Hansell served as President of the National Association of Counties and President of the Association of Oregon Counties while on the Umatilla Commission.

Hansell thanked his constituents for supporting his elections.

Work left to doUnless he can convince his colleagues during his remaining time in office, Hansell will leave without accomplishing one of his most consistent goals — enshrining the potato as the official vegetable of Oregon.

Hansell rose during courtesies to praise Oregon potatoes, reminding his colleagues that “much of the state’s crop is grown in my very own district.”

Hansell in June 2021 extolled the spud, noting that $200 million worth of potatoes, accounting for 25% of all french fries exported overseas, came from Oregon.

”Much from my very own district,” he said.

To lobby his cause, he gave each senator a canvas bag that was sent to each senator that included a potato and spud-inspired recipes.

Hansell’s good-natured nemesis has been Rep. Mark Owens, R-Crane, who has championed the onion for the official vegetable designation from the state.

The latest potato legislation, Senate Concurrent Resolution 3 has languished in the Senate Rules Committee without additional action since it was introduced in January.

In his statement, Hansell thanked his constituents for supporting his elections.

”It has been an absolute privilege and honor to serve as an elected official, first as an Umatilla County commissioner for 30 years, and 2-1/2 terms thus far as a state senator, which will be 12 years when I retire,” he said. “I am very grateful for my wife, Margaret, my family, my friends, and the Good Lord for the opportunity to serve for over four decades.

When Hansell arrived at the Senate and opened a drawer in his new desk, he found — as is often Senate custom — a note from the previous tenant.

“Be a Statesman, not a Politician, it’s all about service,” Hansell recalled the note saying. “I agree and this I have tried to do.”