politics
Oregon Holds Primary Elections for Governor and Other Offices
Oregon voters will select party nominees on Tuesday for governor and other statewide offices. The primaries include a crowded field of candidates seeking to replace the incumbent governor and a referendum on the state fuel tax.
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Oregon will hold primary elections on Tuesday for governor and other offices. m. m. The state uses a closed primary system in which voters select nominees only for the party under which they are registered. Incumbent Governor Tina Kotek is seeking a second term.
She faces nine Democratic challengers, including a children's book author, the leader of an Indigenous nonprofit, and an inventor focused on water shortages. State Senator Christine Drazan and former NBA player Chris Dudley are among the Republican candidates for governor.
Polls show Drazan leading the Republican primary with 35 percent support. Kotek is the frontrunner in the Democratic primary. The winner of each party's primary will advance to the November general election.
Senate and House Races U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley is running for a fourth term.
He faces eight challengers and is expected to win the Democratic primary. All six of Oregon's U.S. House members are also running for re-election. Voters will also select nominees for the state Senate and House and choose a nonpartisan commissioner to lead the state Bureau of Labor and Industries.
A referendum on the ballot asks voters whether to repeal a state fuel tax increase passed to fund roads and transportation projects. Gas prices in Oregon have risen by about 80 cents per gallon amid the U.S.-Israel war on Iran. Republicans have used the referendum to highlight cost-of-living concerns.
Preliminary results are expected Tuesday evening after polls close. Mail-in and provisional ballots will continue to be counted in the days that follow.
