Oregon – A long-time eastern Oregon lawmaker is under more and more pressure as another Republican group publicly calls for him to step aside.
On February 9, the Sherman County Republican Central Committee voted overwhelmingly to ask state Rep. Greg Smith to step down because of a record of ethical issues. The group, as reported by The Oregonian, wrote to Smith and other party officials to say that they think Salem needs fresh representation to better serve its residents. The committee also backed a similar resolution that the Morrow County Republican Central Committee passed in January. This resolution listed numerous violations and problems with Smith’s behavior.
Smith has not publicly replied to the proceedings in Sherman County and has not answered requests for comment. He said that the criticism of the prior Morrow County resolution was only political when it became public. House Republican leader Rep. Lucetta Elmer and Oregon Republican Party Chair Connie Whelchel also got copies of the Sherman County letter. Neither of them has said anything about it in public.
Read also: WinCo Foods set to open 24 hour grocery store in Klamath Falls this March
Smith has been the representative for House District 57 since 2001 and is running for re-election in 2026. Over the past year, he has come under more and more scrutiny. In 2025, he admitted twice that he broke state ethics rules by not completely disclosing clients who were tied to his private company.
Investigators also found that he had set up a pay raise for himself in an unethical way while working for the Columbia Development Authority, a governmental agency in charge of redeveloping a former military depot. A separate investigation into whether he claimed paid for hours not performed is still going on. Smith resigned the authority in January at a meeting of the board.
Records of campaign finance show that most of his 2026 fundraising comes from political action committees and people who live outside of his area. Two Republican groups in the county are also asking the state party to punish Smith, stop supporting his candidacy, and promote a different candidate. Jim Doherty, a rancher and former Morrow County commissioner, is already running in the Republican primary.
Read also: Klamath County library to host family friendly Chinese New Year celebration on February 21
Local Republican leaders say the main point is accountability and faith in the government. They say that the accusations and proven ethical breaches have made people lose faith in Smith’s leadership and no longer meet the standards they expect from an elected representative.
