Greg Walden

In October 2019, Walden announced that he would not run for reelection in 2020.

On October 28, 2019, Walden announced that he would not run for reelection. Walden disagreed with President Donald Trump over the latter's attempts to finance his border wall project and backed sanctioning Russia despite Trump's resistance. He voted to end the 35-day government shutdown and spoke up about addressing the global warming crisis, though he supported Trump regarding the growing Ukraine quid pro quo scandal.

Walden, whose district office incorporates the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, said, although one militant was killed and another wounded in the armed occupation of the refuge, "We can all be grateful that today has ended peacefully, and that this situation is finally over. Now, life in Harney County can begin to return to normal and the community can begin the long process of healing." Walden complained about allegedly poor federal forest and land management policies during the occupation, and said he would like to see changes to those policies: "We need to foster a more cooperative spirit between the federal agencies and the people who call areas like Harney County home." On June 27, 2018, on the floor of the House of Representatives, Walden pleaded for a pardon for Dwight and Steven Hammond, who repeatedly committed arsons and threatened federal refuge workers, over an 18-year period, saying that the original trial's federal Judge Michael Robert Hogan said that the mandatory sentence would, "...shock the conscious (sic)." On July 10, Trump pardoned both men, commuting their sentences to time served. Stephen had been scheduled to be released on June 29, 2019 and Dwight on February 13, 2020.

Walden was tapped as campaign manager for Cooley's re-election bid. However, after Cooley was caught in several lies about his military service, Walden was one of many Republicans who called for Cooley to drop out of the race. Walden went as far as to announce he was running for the 2nd District seat as an independent. However, he served as Oregon state chairman of Bob Dole's presidential campaign, and he touted his "strong Republican credentials"—implying that he would serve as a Republican if elected. Walden's candidacy led to fears that the Democrats could take advantage of a split in the Republican vote and take a seat they hadn't held since 1981. This ended, however, when Cooley's predecessor, Bob Smith, was called out of retirement.

Following the 2012 elections, Walden became chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee. In July 2014, he announced he would seek a second term as chairman of the committee, arguing he would help provide continuity in a changing leadership team after the defeat of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor. He served a second term, the traditional limit for holders of that office, ending in 2016.

Walden was chosen by Speaker John Boehner to be chairman of the House Majority Transition Committee. He served as chairman of the House Republican Leadership through most of 2010.

From 2010 to 2011, Walden gave up his seat on the Committee on Energy and Commerce, at Republican leadership request so that Parker Griffith, who had recently switched parties, could take his spot on that committee.

Walden founded the Small Brewers Caucus (see Alcohol in Oregon) and the Digital Television Caucus; as of 2007, he was a member of 39 congressional caucuses.

On January 31, 2007, Walden sold Columbia Gorge Broadcasting, which runs five stations in the eastern Columbia River Gorge, to Bicoastal Columbia River LLC in order to avoid any conflict of interest that might arise with his congressional duties.

Smith did not run for reelection in 1998. Walden easily won the Republican primary and the November general election. His district contains some liberal-leaning communities such as Ashland and his hometown of Hood River, but most of it leans heavily Republican, and Walden has been reelected ten times without serious difficulty, never receiving less than 60 percent of the vote. In 2002, he defeated Democrat Peter Buckley, who later became a member of the Oregon House of Representatives. In 2006, Walden defeated Democratic nominee Carol Voisin, and in 2008 he won a sixth term with 70% of the vote over Democrat Noah Lemas and Pacific Green Tristin Mock. Following the defeat of Senator Gordon Smith in the 2008 elections, Walden became the only Republican representing Oregon in the United States Congress.

Walden was born in The Dalles, Oregon, the son of Elizabeth (née McEwen) and Paul Ernest Walden. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Oregon in 1981. Before being elected to Congress, Walden owned and ran radio stations.

Walden served as Press Secretary and Chief of Staff to Congressman Denny Smith from 1981 to 1987. He was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives in 1988 and served in the House until 1995, when he was appointed to the Oregon State Senate to fill a vacancy that opened up when Wes Cooley was elected to the U. S. House. Walden rose to the position of assistant majority leader in the Senate and was considering a bid for Oregon Governor in 1994. However, upon discovering that the son he and his wife were expecting had a heart defect, Walden decided to not run for Governor and to not seek re-election to the state Senate. Their son died soon after birth.

Gregory Paul Walden (born January 10, 1957) is an American politician who is the U.S. Representative for Oregon's 2nd congressional district , first elected to office in 1998. He is a member of the Republican Party, and as of 2019 the only Republican member of Oregon's congressional delegation. The 2nd district covers more than two-thirds of the state (generally, east of the Cascades). He is the son of three-term Oregon state representative Paul E. Walden.