Oregon Senate Majority Leader Kayse Jama, a Portland Democrat, will not seek another term leading his caucus, opening a key leadership post as lawmakers prepare for next year’s long legislative session. Jama announced his decision Thursday, Oct. 8. Senate Democrats are scheduled to elect a full leadership team Nov. 13. The caucus is expected to enter the session with a majority. Jama said he intends to work with colleagues to address affordability and economic opportunity, and plans to keep focusing on fair pay and workplace protections for vulnerable workers. He became majority leader in November 2024, after being appointed to the Senate in 2021. He is running unopposed for another four-year Senate term. During Jama’s leadership, lawmakers passed the 2025 POWER Act, which aims to make data centers pay more toward the strain they place on state utilities. His office also pointed to investments in legal representation for immigrant communities and an earned income tax credit for low-income Oregonians as accomplishments of his tenure. Jama, who came to Portland in 1998 after fleeing Somalia, was the first former refugee and Muslim American to serve in the Oregon Senate. Before taking the caucus leadership post, he chaired the Senate Committee on Housing and Development and advocated for social services and affordable housing. Senate President Rob Wagner, a Lake Oswego Democrat, praised Jama’s collaborative approach and said he was grateful Jama would continue serving in the Senate. The leadership election will determine who guides the caucus through a session expected to address issues including affordability and economic opportunity.