Gene Whisnant
Member of the Oregon House of Representatives
from the 53rd district
In office
January 2003 – January 14, 2019
Preceded byBen Westlund
Succeeded byJack Zika
Personal details
Born (1943-12-08) December 8, 1943
Caroleen, North Carolina, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseJosie Whisnant
Children1
EducationUniversity of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (BA)
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville (MA)

Gene Whisnant (born December 8, 1943) is a Republican politician from the US state of Oregon. He served in the Oregon House of Representatives representing District 53, which encompasses most of Deschutes County, including the cities of Redmond and Sisters, and portions of the city of Bend.

Early life and military career

Whisnant was born in North Carolina, and attended West Mecklenburg High School in Charlotte, later graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1966 with a bachelor's degree in journalism. He later received a master's degree in International Affairs from the University of Arkansas in 1976.[1][2][3]

In 1966, Whisnant was commissioned to the United States Air Force from the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps, attending Air Command and Staff College and National Defense University. He served in the Vietnam War, where he flew 32 missions as a combat cameraman. Whisnant also served on American bases in Germany and Yugoslavia, where he served in various command and staff positions before his retirement as a colonel in the early 1990s.[1][2][3]

Political career

Following his retirement from the military, Whisnant moved to Oregon and became involved in politics in Deschutes County, serving as the treasurer and later chairman of the Deschutes County Republican Party. In 2003, he was appointed to fill the vacant seat in the Oregon House of Representatives created when Ben Westlund was appointed to a seat in the Oregon Senate.[4] and has been re-elected four times, most recently in 2010. He served as the deputy Republican whip and was Republican whip in 2007.[5]

Whisnant is a member of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), serving as Oregon state leader.[6] In August 2011, he was given ALEC's 2011 Legislator of the Year Award. His support and advocacy in animal-related measures saw him labeled as a 2011 "Top Dog" by the Oregon Humane Society.[7]

Personal life

Whisnant's wife is Josie Whisnant. They have one son. Whisnant and his family live in Sunriver.[1]

Electoral history

2004 Oregon State Representative, 53rd district [8]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Gene Whisnant 25,106 83.5
Constitution Mark M. Francis 4,624 15.4
Write-in 325 1.1
Total votes 30,055 100%
2006 Oregon State Representative, 53rd district [9]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Gene Whisnant 16,527 59.1
Democratic Bill A. Smith 11,406 40.8
Write-in 31 0.1
Total votes 27,964 100%
2008 Oregon State Representative, 53rd district [10]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Gene Whisnant 22,058 67.1
Democratic Conrad Ruel 10,753 32.7
Write-in 50 0.2
Total votes 32,861 100%
2010 Oregon State Representative, 53rd district [11]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Gene Whisnant 21,532 72.8
Democratic John Huddle 8,012 27.1
Write-in 52 0.2
Total votes 29,596 100%
2012 Oregon State Representative, 53rd district [12]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Gene Whisnant 21,675 97.9
Write-in 460 2.1
Total votes 22,135 100%
2014 Oregon State Representative, 53rd district [13]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Gene Whisnant 20,173 97.7
Write-in 482 2.3
Total votes 20,655 100%
2016 Oregon State Representative, 53rd district [14]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Gene Whisnant 24,425 67.5
Democratic Michael Graham 11,727 32.4
Write-in 60 0.2
Total votes 36,212 100%

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Representative Gene Whisnant". Oregon State Legislature. Archived from the original on June 11, 2011. Retrieved 2008-10-30.
  2. 1 2 "Gene Whisnant". Project VoteSmart. Archived from the original on May 21, 2011. Retrieved October 30, 2008.
  3. 1 2 "Air Force Record". GeneWhisnant.com. Archived from the original on July 11, 2011. Retrieved October 30, 2008.
  4. ↑ Hortsch, Dan; Dave Hogan; Janie Har (September 5, 2003). "Political notebook: Whisnant appointed to fill Westlund's House seat". The Oregonian.
  5. ↑ Cole, Michelle (August 31, 2007). "Hanna elected new leader of House Republican caucus". The Oregonian.
  6. ↑ "State Chairs - American Legislative Exchange Council". Archived from the original on April 1, 2012. Retrieved May 19, 2012.
  7. ↑ 2011 Oregon Humane Society Legislative Scorecard Archived June 28, 2012, at the Wayback Machine at the Oregon Humane Society
  8. ↑ "Official Results | November 2, 2004". Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original on September 10, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Official Results | November 7, 2006". Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original on September 10, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Official Results | November 4, 2008". Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original on September 10, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Official Results November 2, 2010". Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original on August 31, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Official Results | November 6, 2012". Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  13. ↑ "November 4, 2014, General Election, Official Abstract of Votes". Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  14. ↑ "November 8, 2016, General Election Abstract of Votes". Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original on January 19, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
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