Mark McMullen#

Mark McMullen is the Vice President of Policy & Research at Common Sense Institute (CSI) Oregon, a nonpartisan research organization focused on economic policy. He joined CSI Oregon in June 2024 after serving as Oregon’s State Economist from 2012 to 2024—the longest tenure in the position’s history.12

At CSI Oregon, McMullen has focused on housing affordability and supply issues, publishing research on construction defect liability laws and Oregon’s population trends. As State Economist, he served under three governors (Kitzhaber, Brown, and Kotek) and produced 54 quarterly economic and revenue forecasts.3

Background#

McMullen holds a B.A. in Economics from Pomona College and completed graduate studies in Public Economics at the University of Pennsylvania.4 Before becoming State Economist, he worked as a researcher at the Congressional Budget Office and as Director of Consulting at Moody’s Analytics.4

Key Housing Actions#

As VP of Policy & Research, CSI Oregon (2024-present)#

  • Construction Defect Liability Research (2024): Co-authored a report arguing that Oregon has “arguably the most restrictive” construction defect liability protections in the country, contributing to a 92% decline in condominium production since 2006. The report recommended reducing the statute of repose from 10 to 6 years and establishing statewide construction quality standards.5

  • HB 3746 Testimony (2025): Testified in a neutral position before the Oregon Legislature on HB 3746, a construction defect reform bill requested by Representative Pam Marsh. McMullen submitted CSI Oregon’s research as testimony on both March 11 and May 2, 2025.6

  • Oregon Migration Research (2024): Published research documenting Oregon’s population loss to lower-cost states, linking the trend to housing affordability. McMullen noted that “a lot of what I’ve seen in terms of the dynamics and population really do have to do with affordability.”7

  • Housing Supply Commentary: Has been quoted extensively on Oregon’s housing challenges, noting that multifamily building permits have fallen to a 12-year low and that the state can “certainly stimulate additional building activity” but faces headwinds from higher interest rates and cautious lending.89

As State Economist (2012-2024)#

  • Revenue Forecasting: Produced the state’s official quarterly economic and revenue forecasts, which inform legislative budget decisions. Every one of his biannual forecasts triggered Oregon’s “kicker” law, which refunds excess revenue when collections exceed forecasts by more than 2%—the longest such streak since the law’s 1979 enactment.3

  • Governor’s Council of Economic Advisors: Chaired the council, which advised the governor on economic conditions affecting the state budget and policy, including housing market trends.4

  1. OPB: Oregon State Economist Mark McMullen to step down next month (April 25, 2024) ↩︎

  2. Willamette Week: Oregon’s Top Economist to Depart Without Any Notice From the State (April 25, 2024) ↩︎

  3. Oregon Capital Insider: Say goodbye to the state economist who is ‘always wrong’ (May 30, 2024) ↩︎ ↩︎

  4. Common Sense Institute Oregon: Mark McMullen ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  5. Common Sense Institute Oregon: Oregon’s Construction Defect Liability Laws: A Barrier to Homeownership? (October 2024) ↩︎

  6. Oregon Legislative Information System: HB 3746 Testimony ↩︎

  7. Willamette Week: After Decades of Growth, Oregon’s Population Is Shrinking (November 6, 2024) ↩︎

  8. Willamette Week: Amid a Housing Crisis, Oregon Issues Building Permits for Multifamily Units at the Slowest Pace in 12 Years (February 28, 2026) ↩︎

  9. Willamette Week: New Census Data Shows Oregon Is Losing Residents in Their Prime Earning Years (March 28, 2026) ↩︎

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