Oregon – Connie Whelchel who was recently elected as the Vice Chair for the Oregon Republican Party has stepped into the position of Chair following the resignation of Jerry Cummings. Whelchel wrote the following in a recent release following assuming her new role:
Dear State Central Committee members,
I want to acknowledge and thank Jerry Cummings for his time and efforts as Chair on behalf of the Oregon Republican Party during his tenure. While recent revelations have been deeply concerning and were not known to party leadership, we are grateful for the contributions he made in service to our shared mission, and we wish him the best in moving forward.
Per our bylaws, I am now stepping into the role of Chair. It is an honor to serve, and I remain committed to the work ahead. These circumstances are not easy, but our focus is clear: to unify Republicans across Oregon, grow our Party, and elect qualified, principled leaders at every level of government.
Under Jerry’s leadership, we had started implementing robust, strategic plans to strengthen the Party, support Republican candidates, and unify our efforts across the state. That works continues – without pause.
Thank you for your continued support and commitment. Together, we will keep advancing toward a brighter future for Oregon.
With gratitude,
Connie Whelchel
Cummings’ resignation followed a piece from the Oregon Journalism Project earlier in the week. The report included allegations of abuse from 2009 divorce filings with his ex-wife. Also reported were active cases regarding the financial dealings of his business. He released a statement announcing his resignation and addressing the allegations.
“Yesterday, as you may know, an article was published by Nigel Jaquiss of Willamette Week leveling allegations against me. Beginning sixteen years ago this coming fall, my first wife and I went through a messy and painful divorce. I’ve been on record defending against these things for a decade and a half. My children are now young adults. And beginning the cycle of he said/she said with their mother is not something I want to put them through in public forums. It is also clear that my desire in running for Chairman, to unite the party and focus on winning elections, is hampered by these allegations and that they will serve as a distraction to the work of the party and our Republican elected officials and candidates going into what is a critical election cycle in 2026.
Thank you to all of you who have reached out and offered your support and encouragement. Please do not be discouraged. As a friend of mine said to me, ;if you’re drawing fire, then you must be over the target.’ There are three questions that we should be asking. Why are they suddenly interested in attacking volunteers in leadership of the Oregon Republican Party? What are they are [sic] afraid of? Who will be next?
I can’t honestly say that stepping down as chairman will be what is best for the party as it may embolden enemies from within and without to keep doing this to us. It was a Republican who called Mr. Jaquiss with the story. What I do know is that my position as chairman is not more important than my position as a dad. So, given the choice between resuming a heated battle of mudslinging with the mother of my children in order to “hold on to the gavel” or stepping down from party leadership to protect my children: that’s not even a hard call.”
The Oregon Republican Party recently elected new officers in February with seven candidates vying for the position of chair and two for vice chair. Most of the chair candidates gave interviews on the Town Hall series making the case for their candidacy, including now former Chair Jerry Cummings. Following the election the four new officers spoke with Daniel Crowe on the Town Hall series providing their vision for the future of the party.
In the latter interview Whelchel stated that “she was very blessed to have a lot of support” and that this is her first time running since being the Vice Chair for the Deschutes County Republican Party. She followed up describing herself as not a politician but a “business professional with a background in projects and loves bringing people together to achieve great things.” With regards to the direction moving forward Whelchel stated that she is very passionate about ‘get out the vote’ efforts and continuing to build on previous work in this area. She also addressed election transparency and security as a priority and looking to effect positive change on the issue.
In response to a question about geographical representation in Oregon politics Whelchel said she sees value to having representation from the different regions of Oregon with her specific experience in Deschutes County speaking to the wildfire hazard maps which have heavily impacted residents east of the Cascades.
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