Presidential election

Oregon, which has consistently supported the Democratic Party in previous presidential elections, was not among the swing states this year. Although fewer than in previous years, many Oregonians were still keen to cast their ballots.

For Oregon elections to achieve the turnout levels saw in the previous two presidential elections, a significant surge of 700,000 or more ballots would have to be received Tuesday and beyond.

By the day before the November 2020 election, the state’s voter turnout had risen to 73% and then to 82%. Former Vice President Joe Biden carried Oregon 56.64% of the vote that year, compared to 40.25% for then-President Donald Trump.

MORE: Real-time election results in Oregon

MORE: Real-time coverage of local, state, and national races

MORE: A preview of Oregon’s general election

U.S. House of Representatives

Voters in the Portland region cast ballots in two of the most competitive congressional elections this year.

One of the most hotly contested seats in the U.S. House of Representatives is being defended by Lori Chavez-DeRemer, on the left. Democrat Janelle Bynum, a state politician and business owner, is her opponent.thanks to campaigns

Oregon Congressional District 5

Four-term Democrat Janelle Bynum defeated first-term Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemerin in a fierce contest that the Cook Political Report had deemed a tie.

It wasn’t until Thursday night that the outcome of the close contest was known, as the election revealed that the incumbent had no realistic chance of overtaking Bynum’s 48% to 45% lead.

District 5 extends from Bend to Southeast Portland. As of August, Democrats made up about 31% of the district s 530,000 registered voters and Republicans made up about 27%.

Washington Congressional District 3

Joe Kent, left, and U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez are preparing for a rematch in November that experts anticipate could be one of the closest races in the country.Mark Graves/The Oregonian/OregonLive. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez campaign.

In Washington, first-term DemocraticU.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perezdefeated Republican Joe Kent in the race torepresent southwest Washingtonin Congress.

As of Thursday, Nov. 7, Washington election officials reported that Gluesenkamp Perez led by 51.3% to 48.3%, a difference of 11,000 votes.

Gluesenkamp Perezdefendedher seat against Trump-endorsed Republican Joe Kent in arematch of the 2022 racefor Washington s 3rd Congressional District, which spans the southwestern part of the state.

Other Oregon congressional races

In the 6th Congressional District, Democratic U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinasdefeated businessman Mike Erickson in a rematch of their 2022 race.

Democratic U.S.Rep Val Hoyle won re-election,successfully defending her 4th District seat against Air Force veteran Monique DeSpain.

Democratic state Rep.Maxine Dexter won the seatheld by retiring U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer in the 3rd District.

Other statewide races

Oregon chose a new secretary of state, attorney general and treasurer in Tuesday s election.

Democrats have controlled those statewide offices for years. Since 1985, voters have only elected a Republican to serve as secretary of state once. Republicans haven t been elected as state treasurer or attorney general since 1993.

Attorney General

Former Democratic Oregon House SpeakerDan Rayfield defeatedWill Lathrop, a former deputy district attorney in Marion and Yamhill counties, in the race to replace Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum in one of this year s most competitive statewide races.

Both candidates raised around $1 million for their campaigns with Rayfield slightly ahead in fundraising as of mid-August.

Democratic candidate Dan Rayfield, left, and Republican candidate Will Lathrop competed to be Oregon’s next attorney general.File photos

Oregon Secretary of State

Democratic state TreasurerTobias Read beatstate Sen. Dennis Linthicum of Beatty, who was barred from seeking reelection to the Senate after participating in a 2023 walkout.

Thetwo candidatessaid they wouldtake vastly different approachesin the office that has seen high turnover and increased public scrutiny in recent years.

Tobias Read, left, and Dennis Linthicum squared off to become Oregon’s next secretary of state.Courtesy of campaigns

Oregon Treasurer

Democratic state Sen.Elizabeth Steiner defeatedRepublican Sen. Brian Boquist, who also was barred from seeking reelection in the Senate after participating in the 2023 walkout.

Democrat Elizabeth Steiner and Republican Brian Boquist have served together in the Oregon Senate for 13 years. They’re running against one another to be state treasurer.Steiner campaign, Oregonian file photo

State measures

Oregon voters decided on five statewide measures on their ballot this November.

Measure 115would amend the state Constitution to allow the Oregon Legislature with a two-thirds vote in each chamberto impeachstatewide elected officials, including the governor, secretary of state, attorney general, treasurer and labor commissioner.The measure passed.

MORE:Oregon is the only state where lawmakers can t impeach statewide office holders. Will voters change that with Measure 115?

Measure 116, which was defeated, would have established anindependent compensation commissionto determine the salaries of certain elected officials, including the governor, statewide elected officials, state lawmakers, judges and district attorneys.

MORE:Oregon voters to decide whether independent commission should set salaries for state elected officials

Measure 117,which was defeated,would have instituted single-winnerranked-choice votingfor future federal and statewide races. Alaska and Maine are currently the only two states that have fully implemented that system.16 Oregon county clerks have raised concerns about the cost of the ranked-choice voting measure.

Of all the statewide measures,Measure 118is the most contentious.The measure would raise corporate taxesto give every Oregonian an estimated $1,600 per year.

Proponents said it would relieve some of the financial burden on low-income Oregonians and require large corporations to pay their fair share in taxes. But the measure has faced strong opposition from both Democrats and Republicans.Voters rejected the measure.

Measure 119, which passed,willrequire owners of cannabis businesses to allow workers to unionize without interference.

MORE:Oregon voters will decide whether to ease way for cannabis workers to unionize

LC- Yuxing Zheng/The Oregonian

City of Hillsboro

Hillsboro votersrejected adding fluorideto the public water supply, weighing in on a mineral that s widely used to strengthen tooth enamel but that opponents say can hurt children s neurological development.

MORE:Hillsboro voters will advise city whether to add fluoride to water supply

Portland City Council and Mayor

Portland voters selected a new mayor and a dozen City Council members in an historic election that willradically transformgovernment and political power structures in Oregon s most populous city.

The 2024 election comes two years after voters approved the revamp in 2022.

Instead of electing five City Council members, voters will instead elect a 12-person City Council whose members will come from four large geographic districts.Michelle Brence/Staff (file)

MORE:How Portland elects its mayor is about to drastically change. Here are the promises and pitfalls

Portland voterselected Keith Wilsonas mayor, using a common form of single-winner ranked-choice voting that has been adopted in more than 40 U.S. cities.

But Multnomah County election officials estimate as many as 53% of ballots across the county may be left to be tallied. So the race s final outcome is far from certain and top rival Carmen Rubio, an incumbent Portland city commissioner, can t be counted out.

MORE:Portland enters uncharted territory with first-in-nation City Council election system

Instead of electing five members to the City Council, Portland voters will instead elect 12 members who will come from four large geographic districts.Here are the winners:

District 1

Candace Avalos

Jamie Dunphy

Loretta Smith

District 2

Sameer Kanal

Elana Pirtle-Guiney

Dan Ryan

District 3

Tiffany Koyama Lane

Angelita Morillo

Steve Novick

District 4

Oliva Clark

Mitch Green

Eric Zimmerman

MORE:See the new City Council district boundaries

Multnomah County Board of Commissioners

Nonprofit policy director Meghan Moyerwon theDistrict 1seat on the Multnomah County Board of Commissionersto represent Portland s westside, defeating administrative law judge Vadim Mozyrsky.

Partial results tallied as of 8 p.m. showed Moyer with 57% of the vote to Mozyrsky s 42%. But county officials estimate as many as 46% of countywide ballots may be left to be tallied.

In District 2, Shannon Singleton, a trained social worker and former head of the Portland-Multnomah County Joint Office of Homeless Services, defeatedformer Portland Mayor Sam Adams. The county district spans North and Northeast Portland.

Singleton had captured 53% ofthe voteto Adams 46%, preliminary results tallied at 8 p.m. Tuesday showed.

Longtime social worker and housing advocate Shannon Singleton and former Portland Mayor Sam Adams are vying for a seat on the Multnomah County Commission.Courtesy of Campaigns

Clackamas County Board of Commissioners

Incumbent Clackamas County Chair Tootie Smithlost her bidto keep her seat in a runoff against former Clackamas County Sheriff Craig Roberts.

In the May primary, Roberts received more votes than Smith but failed to reach more than 50% to win the chair seat outright. The race ended up looking different with a much higher turnout expected in the 2024 general election than in the primary.

Small business owner Melissa Fireside beatthe embattled incumbent Clackamas County CommissionerMark Shull.

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