08:38 AM PST on Wednesday, November 3, 2004

By CHARLES E. BEGGS, Associated Press Writer

SALEM -- Democrats made sizable gains in the Oregon Legislature in the election, ending a tie in the 30-seat Senate by picking up three seats and shaving the Republican House majority.

State of Oregon

The Capitol Rotunda in Salem, where the Oregon Legislature meets.

Democrats won a Senate majority for the first time since the Republicans took over the chamber in the 1994 election. The 2002 election left the parties with 15 seats apiece.

Republican incumbents had vacated five Senate seats, and Democratic House members won at least three of them, gaining an 18-12 majority heading into the 2005 Legislature that begins Jan. 10.

"We're in the majority. It's really damned good," said a jubilant Senate Democratic Leader Kate Brown of Portland, who's expected to run for Senate president.

In the key Senate races, Democratic Rep. Laurie Monnes Anderson of Gresham defeated former GOP Rep. Ron Sunseri for an east Multnomah County seat, and Democratic Rep. Alan Bates of Ashland beat Republican businessman Jim Wright of Medford.

Democratic Rep. Joanne Verger of Coos Bay defeated Republican tree farmer Al Pearn of Florence.

Brown's quest to become the first woman to head the Oregon Senate sets up a struggle with the current president, fellow Democrat Peter Courtney of Salem, who is seeking the post again.

The Senate president has the power to appoint committee members and control which panels handle legislation.

Courtney said the solid Democratic majority in the Senate might make it easier for Democratic Gov. Ted Kulongoski to advance his agenda.

But with the House remaining under Republican control, Courtney stressed the need for bipartisanship.

"We can't do it without the Republicans," Courtney said. "And there will be more pressure on us to produce when we're in the majority."

In the House, incomplete results showed Democrats winning at least two GOP-held seats to reduce the Republicans' current 35-25 majority.

Democrat Chuck Riley of Hillbsoro defeated incumbent Republican Rep. Mary Gallegos of Cornelius, with 50 percent of the vote to 41 percent for Gallegos and 9 percent for prominent Libertarian Tom Cox, who ran for governor in 2002.

In a Marion County race, Democrat Betty Komp of Woodburn beat Republican Al Shannon to snag the seat held by outgoing Republican Rep. Cliff Zauner of Woodburn.

But a key House race in Bend remained too close to call early Wednesday morning. Lawyer Judy Stiegler was seeking to become the only Democratic legislator in either house from east of the Cascades.

According to results from the Secretary of State's office, Stiegler was trailing her opponent, Republican Chuck Burley, by a slim 503-vote margin, 16,088 to 16,858, on Wednesday morning. Both were seeking the seat held by retiring GOP Rep. Tim Knopp.

The campaign for the seat shattered the previous fund-raising records for an eastside House race. In total, the two major party candidates collected nearly $500,000.

Republicans have held a majority in the House since 1991.