BEND, OR -- State Representative John Huffman (R-The Dalles) resigned a week ago, to pursue a job with the Trump Administration. Commissioners who represent the vast area in his district are now responsible for choosing his replacement.
Deschutes County Commissioner Tony DeBone says there's a procedure for an event like this, but he's never been part of the process before. "What it is, is a partisan appointment, as in, he's a registered Republican that's in office that has resigned, so the Republican party in Deschutes, Jefferson, and Wasco and Wheeler counties are the four involved, so the commissioners will get proposed appointments from the party, and then, if there's multiple people, I think that's where the decision will happen."
Huffman officially resigned Saturday, October 28, and the Commissioners from the four counties affected by his leaving have thirty days to appoint his replacement. DeBone tells KBND News, "Every once in a while, somebody will just do this, mid-term, resign for whatever reason, and there's a process to do this. And it's a positive situation, if he's finding a career to serve on the federal level, then we'll find the next person to get appointed to his seat to finish the term."
He says Huffman won't be easy to replace. "[I] want to thank him for his representation in the state legislature, the terms he's been involved. He's seen the evolution of the Governor's office and the majority being the Democrats in the last couple of sessions and really having to figure out how to do good things for the citizens from the east side of the state. It gets pretty partisan when you're in the state legislature."
Representative Huffman is currently unavailable for comment.
