The governor of Oregon during the session was John Kitzhaber, a Democrat, who was elected to a third term in 2010 following an eight-year absence from public office.

The even split in the House of Representatives was addressed with the selection of two co-speakers, Democrat Arnie Roblan and Republican Bruce Hanna.

The two were selected by Governing Magazine among its eight "Public Officials of the Year," and praised for "setting in motion a tenure that has been marked by rare bipartisan cooperation and two of the most productive legislative sessions in Oregon's history.

In the last election, the Democratic Party lost two seats: in District 20, Martha Schrader lost a close election to Alan Olsen and in District 26, Rick Metsger did not seek re-election and was replaced by Chuck Thomsen.

Senate President: Peter Courtney (D–11 Salem) President Pro Tem: Ginny Burdick (D–18 Portland) Majority Leader: Diane Rosenbaum (D–21 Portland) Minority Leader: Ted Ferrioli (R–30 John Day) The Oregon House of Representatives is split evenly between 30 Democrats and 30 Republicans and the parties share control of the chamber.