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Paige Clarkson retired as Marion County district attorney on September 30, 2026, ending a career at the office that began in 1997. Her 2018 election made her only the second woman elected to lead the county’s DA office. The transition was accelerated when Gov. Tina Kotek appointed DA-elect Brendan Murphy to take over on October 1, months before his originally scheduled start.
Who is Paige Clarkson?
Clarkson joined the Marion County District Attorney’s Office in 1997 as a law clerk. She later worked as a line attorney and senior deputy, then became Trial Team Leader more than a decade before she was elected district attorney in 2018. Her retirement took effect September 30, 2026, after nearly 30 years with the office.
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In its September 28 retirement announcement, the office said Clarkson believed it was the right time to step aside and expressed confidence that Murphy was ready for the job. Clarkson described the career as a privilege: “It has been the privilege of my professional life to serve as a prosecutor in Marion County.”
Why was Clarkson the second woman to hold the office?
Hattie Bratzel Kremen was the first woman elected district attorney in Oregon. She won the Marion County election in 1956 and served until losing her bid for a third term in 1964. Clarkson’s 2018 election followed Kremen’s tenure: the Oregon Encyclopedia reports that 53 years passed before another woman was elected to serve as Marion County DA. That interval refers specifically to the county office, not to women’s service in DA offices across Oregon.
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What were Clarkson’s notable initiatives and policy work?
The DA’s office credits Clarkson with local programs and policy work during a period that included Measure 110 implementation, the COVID-19 pandemic and related court shutdowns, and social unrest in 2020. The following descriptions reflect the office’s account; its announcement did not provide outcome statistics for the programs.
LEAD and Mental Health Court
Clarkson co-founded Marion County’s Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program in 2018. The office calls LEAD the foundational program for drug-deflection models throughout Oregon. The office also says she helped establish the county’s first Mental Health Court.
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Legislative and statewide work
The office says Clarkson championed HB 4002 in 2024, describing it as recriminalizing certain drug-possession offenses. She also served as president of the Oregon District Attorney’s Association for three terms, from 2019 through 2022, and worked on public-safety policy through the state legislature, committees, workgroups and boards. The office further noted that Clarkson and two colleagues joined a federal lawsuit as amici concerning restricted treatment timelines and civil commitment at the Oregon State Hospital.
Community organizations
The office says Clarkson supported Liberty House, the Center for Hope and Safety, and veterans’ causes. Marion County Sheriff Nick Hunter praised her leadership, saying: “The mark of a great leader is to leave a profession better than they found it.”
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Who took over as Marion County DA?
Murphy ran unopposed and won the May 2026 election. He was initially scheduled to begin January 1, 2027, but Gov. Tina Kotek appointed him effective October 1, 2026, the day after Clarkson’s retirement took effect. The appointment brought the handover forward by three months.
In the office’s retirement announcement, Murphy said, “The State of Oregon is better because of Paige,”
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