Political Career
Berkeley Lent began his political life in the state house as a Democrat from Portland, serving at the 1957 session. He remained in the House through 1965, and that year serving as the Minority Whip. He then served in the state senate from 1967 to 1971. During the 1971 legislative session Lent was selected as the Senate Majority Leader after losing the Senate Presidency when a rural conservative Democrat, himself a former Senate President, joined Republicans to deny Lent the Senate Presidency. The defection caused a 15-15 deadlock that lasted for 12 days and through 54 ballots before being broken. Later that year Lent was appointed as a county circuit court judge in Multnomah County remaining at that post until 1977.
Lent was elected to the Oregon Supreme Court in November 1976 to replace the outgoing Kenneth O’Connell. Justice Lent was then re-elected to another six-year term in 1982. On the court his fellow justices elected him as Chief Justice in July 1982, serving until resigning the position in August 1983. Justice Lent then resigned from the bench on September 30, 1988. George Van Hoomissen was elected in May of that year to replace Lent.
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