U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) is up for reelection in 2026 for the seat the East Portland resident and former Oregon House speaker first won in 2008. 

Merkley, a member of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee and a progressive in the mode of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), has never enjoyed campaigning or retail politics. He will turn 70 just before the 2026 general election. 

Speculation about whether Merkley will run again has heated up in recent days, and some hopefuls have begun eyeing congressional seats should one of Oregon’s five Democratic members of the U.S. House seek to succeed him. 

Merkley’s campaign gave an equivocal response to that speculation.

“Jeff is 100% focused on defeating Trump’s agenda,” said campaign spokeswoman Maggie Sunstrum. “As usual, Jeff and [his wife], Mary [Sorteberg], will make a formal campaign announcement regarding 2026 sometime this quarter.”

This story was produced by the Oregon Journalism Project, a nonprofit investigative newsroom for the state of Oregon. Nigel Jaquiss is the most decorated journalist in Oregon history, including winning the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting for his work at Willamette Week (the only time in U.S. history this award has been won by a weekly newspaper).