Oregon Sen. Dallas Heard said he鈥檚 resigning from his legislative seat early next year.
His letter to the Senate Republican Leader Tim Knopp was one sentence:
鈥淚 am writing to inform you that I will be resigning my elected position as State Senator for Oregon Senate District 1 effective 12:01 am January 1st, 2023.鈥�
Heard鈥檚 current term was not set to end until 2025.
In a longer statement, received by the , Heard called the decision the most difficult he鈥檚 had to make.
Addressing his constituents Heard wrote, 鈥漈hank you for being the kind of people who made it easy to stand up in Salem for the freedom and rights of all citizens during the COVID era. I never had to question if the overwhelming majority in my district was with me in standing up for the few, the weak, the poor, and the oppressed鈥�
He added that he would be resigning until his children are at an age where they are more ready to face the world on their own.
鈥淭he country as a whole has seen an ever-growing movement of evil rising that is determined to take our children鈥檚 hearts and minds away from their parents,鈥� Heard said in the statement.
Heard was removed from the state capital in late February after on the Senate floor. Heard was absent for most of the legislative session, though he attended committee meetings, which were held remotely. He subsequently of the Oregon GOP in March.
In a letter to members of the Republican Party of Oregon, notifying them of his decision to give up his leadership role, Heard criticized his fellow Republicans: 鈥淭hey have broken my spirit,鈥� he wrote. 鈥淚 can face the Democrats with courage and conviction, but I can鈥檛 fight my own people too.鈥�
Heard has been representing Senate District 1, which covers Roseburg, since his predecessor, Jeff Kruse, resigned in 2018 . At the time, he was serving his second term as a state representative.
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