Gene Whisnant

Gene Whisnant (born December 8, 1943) is a Republican politician from the US state of Oregon. He serves in the Oregon House of Representatives representing District 53, which encompasses most of Deschutes County, including the cities of Redmond and Sisters, and portions of the city of Bend.

Gene Whisnant
Member of the Oregon House of Representatives
from the 53rd district
In office
January 2003 – January 14, 2019
Preceded byBen Westlund
Succeeded byJack Zika
Personal details
Born (1943-12-08) December 8, 1943
Caroleen, North Carolina, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseJosie Whisnant
Children1
EducationUniversity of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (BA)
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville (MA)

Early life and military career

Whisnant was born in North Carolina, and attended West Mecklenburg High School in Charlotte, later graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1966 with a bachelor's degree in journalism. He later received a master's degree in International Affairs from the University of Arkansas in 1976.[1][2][3]

In 1966, Whisnant was commissioned to the United States Air Force from the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps, attending Air Command and Staff College and National Defense University. He served in the Vietnam War, where he flew 32 missions as a combat cameraman. Whisnant also served on American bases in Germany and Yugoslavia, where he served in various command and staff positions before his retirement as a colonel in the early 1990s.[1][2][3]

Political career

Following his retirement from the military, Whisnant moved to Oregon and became involved in politics in Deschutes County, serving as the treasurer and later chairman of the Deschutes County Republican Party. In 2003, he was appointed to fill the vacant seat in the Oregon House of Representatives created when Ben Westlund was appointed to a seat in the Oregon Senate.[4] and has been re-elected four times, most recently in 2010. He served as the deputy Republican whip and was Republican whip in 2007.[5]

Whisnant is a member of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), serving as Oregon state leader.[6] In August 2011, he was given ALEC's 2011 Legislator of the Year Award. His support and advocacy in animal-related measures saw him labeled as a 2011 "Top Dog" by the Oregon Humane Society.[7]

Personal life

Whisnant's wife is Josie Whisnant. They have one son. Whisnant and his family live in Sunriver.[1]

References
  1. "Representative Gene Whisnant". Oregon State Legislature. Archived from the original on June 11, 2011. Retrieved 2008-10-30.
  2. "Gene Whisnant". Project VoteSmart. Retrieved October 30, 2008.
  3. "Air Force Record". GeneWhisnant.com. Retrieved October 30, 2008.
  4. Hortsch, Dan; Dave Hogan; Janie Har (September 5, 2003). "Political notebook: Whisnant appointed to fill Westlund's House seat". The Oregonian.
  5. Cole, Michelle (August 31, 2007). "Hanna elected new leader of House Republican caucus". The Oregonian.
  6. "State Chairs - American Legislative Exchange Council".
  7. 2011 Oregon Humane Society Legislative Scorecard Archived June 28, 2012, at the Wayback Machine at the Oregon Humane Society
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