Voters in Oregon cast ballots in key races in Tuesday’s primary including a gubernatorial race and a Senate race.
Oregon conducts its elections by mail, where registered voters receive a ballot by mail without requesting or applying for it. Ballots had to be received at any county elections office or official ballot drop site by 8 p.m. local time.
State significance
ABC News projects that Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek will handily win the Democratic primary for governor. Kotek is seeking a second term in a reliably blue state where Democrats have at times struggled to reconcile a statewide message with the progressive politics of Portland.
Republicans haven’t won the governorship in 40 years, but this year’s primary offers an unusually clear window into the future of the party.
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On the GOP side, the field includes David Medina, a far-right social media influencer who was pardoned after being charged in connection with the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol; Chris Dudley, a centrist former NBA player backed by the business community; and Christine Drazan and Ed Diehl, both of whom are social conservatives.
In the Senate race, Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley, who is seeking a fourth term, was projected to win his primary comfortably. Seven Republicans are facing off in the GOP primary.
All six of Oregon’s members of the House are seeking reelection. So far, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has named only Rep. Janelle Bynum to its “frontline” list of potentially vulnerable incumbents.
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