PORTLAND, ORE. — One of the most influential members of Congress with respect to media industry regulatory policy and oversight of the FCC has decided not to seek reelection in November 2020.
Oregon Republican Greg Walden, Ranking Member of the House Energy & Commerce Committee, will be leaving Capitol Hill come January 2021.
In a video message recorded from Oregon and sent to RBR+TVBR by the House E&C Republicans, Walden noted that at the end of his current term, he will have devoted 30 years to the important calling of public service, of helping bring together to solve problems and leave our communities, our beautiful state and our great nation better than we found it for the next generation.”
He noted his efforts regarding the expansion of high-speed broadband access to rural areas of Oregon, among other achievements, while sharing how “rural Oregon values run deeply” in his veins. Walden’s ancestors arrived in the state in 1845.
Now, he will have more time to spend in these areas of the state, should he choose to do so.
While some may rush to think Walden’s decision to not seek reelection is tied to negative voter sentiment toward President Trump, making his return to Capitol Hill a greater challenge than ever, he made it very clear that is far from the case.
“Based on recent polling, strong fundraising, [and] the backing of my wife and family, I am confident I could earn another term,” he said, reading from a script from what appears to be a home patio surrounded by greenery. “I’m also optimistic that there’s a path that exists for Republicans to reclaim the majority in the U.S. House and I could return as Chairman of the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee.”
But, Walden added, “I also know that, for me, the time has come to pursue new challenges and new opportunities. So, I will not seek reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives nor election to any other office.”
Instead, he will close the public service chapter to a career that involves radio station ownership.
“It has been a real honor and a real privilege to represent the people of Oregon’s 2nd District in the U.S. House,” he concluded. “Know that I will continue to work hard on their behalf as long as I’m in office.”
For two decades, Walden and his wife, Mylene, owned and operated radio stations in Hood River and The Dalles, Ore.
As the former owner of Columbia Gorge Broadcasting, Walden was the licensee of KIHR-AM 1340 and KCGB-FM 105.5 in Hood River, just east of Portland. The stations are now owned by Bicoastal Media and last week suffered a ransomware attack crippling much of the station’s day-to-day programming operations.
Mr. Walden first entered public service in 1989, earning a seat in the Oregon House of Representatives in Salem. He served as House Majority Leader in Oregon during the 1991 and 1993 sessions before serving two years in the Oregon Senate.
Walden was elected to Congress in 1998 with 61% of the vote. He held every challenger to less than 40% of the vote in every election including in 2018, a statement released by the Congressman’s home office in Hood River noted.
The Trump administration has arguably brought more divisiveness than ever to not just Capitol Hill, but to locales across the U.S. While Portland is a diverse metropolis with a wide range of voter attitudes, eastern Oregon and communities within the Columbia River Gorge remain largely Conservative. Here, Walden has been very popular, and a source of pride.
He even served as Chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee for the 2014 and 2016 cycles.
Walden’s ascent in Congress began in December 2010, when then-incoming Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) named his slate of committee leaders. Walden was appointed Chairman the coveted Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet.
The selection received praise from NAB President/CEO Gordon Smith, a former Senator from Oregon.
“Greg is a remarkably gifted public servant steeped in the nuances of communications policy and broadcast-related issues,” Smith said in 2010.
Now, Upton is poised to become Ranking Member or, should the GOP retake the House in fall 2020, Committee Chairman.
In his role on the House E&C Committee, Walden became a firebrand on many FCC issues during the tenure of former Chairman Tom Wheeler. He kept a close eye on the first LPFM proceedings in 2011. By August 2011, he was taking the FCC to task for the consideration of a standstill provision in a resolution of MVPD carriage disputes — something many had forgotten about at the time.
By April 2018, Walden and Smith were chatting about current legislation and its potential impact on the broadcasting industry at a NAB Show keynote presentation in Las Vegas.
On Monday (10/28), Smith said of Walden, “I was lucky to have served with Greg in both the Oregon legislature and in Congress, and can honestly say he is one of the finest public servants I’ve ever known. Greg’s career has been defined by success — as a committed local broadcaster, as a bipartisan political bridge builder, and as a brilliant legislator. Congress is a better place because of Greg Walden, and I’m certain he will make a positive difference in whatever path his future may hold.”
Now, as Walden’s political career reaches its sunset, there’s already talk of Walden being a potential successor to Smith at the NAB — should Smith decide it’s time to retire.
For now, that’s just speculation. “Gordon has a contract as President and CEO of NAB into March 2023, and Gordon intends to fulfill his NAB contract,” NAB EVP/Communications Dennis Wharton tells RBR+TVBR.
Meanwhile, Walden received praise from the other side of the aisle.
Current House E&C Chairman Frank Pallone Jr. said, “The Energy and Commerce Committee has a proud tradition of bipartisanship, and during both his time as Chairman and Ranking Member, Greg has lived up to that tradition. Our bipartisan work has continued this Congress, as we have partnered to develop legislation to end surprise medical billing and to stop abusive robocalls. Greg is a serious legislator who always takes the time to listen to members and to his constituents back home in Oregon. I look forward to completing our bipartisan work over the next year and wish Greg nothing but the best in the future. Greg’s voice, ideas and leadership will be missed in the House.”
Once Walden exits Washington, one thing is certain: He’ll have time for some form of “radio” work — he’s also a licensed amateur radio operator (W7EQI).
Adam R Jacobson reported on this story from Boca Raton, Fla.; additional coverage from RBR+TVBR correspondents in Portland, Ore.
