Rule 5.3 Activities of Judges Who Become Candidates for Nonjudicial Public Office

If a judge in Oregon wants to run for an elected office that is not a judge position, they must first quit their job as a judge. This means a judge cannot stay on the bench while also campaigning for something like mayor, state legislator, or governor. The judge officially becomes a "candidate" as soon as they either publicly announce they are running or file paperwork with the Secretary of State's office, whichever happens first. Once either of those things happens, the judge is required to step down.

The rule works differently if the judge is seeking an appointed position instead of an elected one. In that case, the judge does not have to resign. They can keep their judicial job while being considered for the appointment. However, they still have to follow all the other rules in the judicial code of conduct while doing so.

This rule exists to prevent judges from mixing political campaigning with their judicial duties. Courts are supposed to stay neutral and separate from political races, so requiring resignation for elected office campaigns helps keep that separation clear.