After one of the longest modern-day tenures in a single leadership position, Democrat Kate Brown of Portland announced Sunday she is stepping down as majority leader. The move could signal Brown's bid for another office. She has been mentioned as a potential statewide candidate, although she has said she won't run for U.

S. Brown, who turned 47 on Friday, is a lawyer. Brown has led Senate Democrats for five sessions -- from a minority of 10 in 1998 to a majority of 18 now.

She said it's time for her to make a change. "I was particularly honored to lead our caucus during this amazing last session," she said. "The time is right for me to turn over the reins to the next leader of this strong and unified team.

" Democrats will choose a new leader after this session ends. The majority leader serves as the party's principal voice during sessions, advances the party's agenda and oversees campaigns to elect party candidates to the Senate. As campaigns grow more complex and expensive, it is not unusual for a new party leader to take over between the end of a legislative session and the start of a campaign cycle.

Brown was appointed to the House in 1991 and elected twice. She was elected to the Senate in 1996 and became Democratic leader in 1998. She was minority leader in 1999 and 2001, Democratic leader of a tied Senate in 2003, and majority leader in 2005 and this year.

She had been proposed as her party's candidate for the presidency in 2003, when the Senate was split evenly. But Republicans preferred Democrat Peter Courtney of Salem, who now has held the presidency for three straight sessions. Brown's nine years as Senate Democratic leader is one of the longest in a leadership position.

Courtney was House Democratic leader from 1991 to the end of the 1997 session, when he left the job to run for the Senate. Larry Campbell was House Republican leader from 1983 to 1990, when his party won a majority and he became the House speaker. Potential contenders for Brown's position are Sens.

Richard Devlin of Tualatin, now deputy leader, and Alan Bates of Ashland and Laurie Monnes Anderson of Gresham, the two whips. But Devlin and Bates are potential candidates for other offices, and Monnes Anderson faces a re-election race in 2008. pwong@StatesmanJournal.

com or (503) 399-6745 After one of the longest modern-day tenures in a single leadership position, Democrat Kate Brown of Portland announced Sunday she is stepping down as majority leader.