2024 Oregon elections

A general election was held in the U.S. state of Oregon on November 5, 2024. Primary elections were held on May 21, 2024.

In the early hours of October 28 an incendiary device was placed in a ballot drop box in Portland damaging 3 ballots.[1]

Federal

President

United States House of Representatives

All six of Oregon's seats in the United States House of Representatives were up for re-election in 2024. These seats were represented by four Democrats and two Republicans prior to the election.

In Oregon's 5th district, Democratic state representative Janelle Bynum defeated incumbent Republican Lori Chavez-DeRemer, flipping the district.[2] Democratic state representative Maxine Dexter was elected to Oregon's 3rd district, replacing retiring Democratic representative Earl Blumenauer.[3] Incumbent representatives Suzanne Bonamici, Cliff Bentz, Val Hoyle, and Andrea Salinas all won reelection in their respective districts.

State offices

Secretary of state

After winning the election for Secretary of State in 2020, Democrat and former state legislator Shemia Fagan resigned from office on May 8, 2023, after revelations that she took a consulting job at a cannabis company while her office was auditing Oregon's marijuana industry, which many considered to be a conflict of interest. Cheryl Myers took office as acting Secretary of State while Governor Tina Kotek sought for another person to serve Fagan's remaining term. On June 28, 2023, Kotek announced former Portland city auditor LaVonne Griffin-Valade to serve the remaining term.[4]

In the May primary election, Oregon State Treasurer Tobias Read was nominated by the Democratic Party and State Senator Dennis Linthicum was nominated by the Republican Party. The Progressive Party and Pacific Green Party both nominated Dr. Nathalie Paravicini.

In the general election, Read was elected with 55% of the vote.[5]

Attorney general

Ellen Rosenblum, a Democrat and former judge on the Oregon Court of Appeals, was first elected in 2012, and was re-elected to the position in 2016 and 2020. Rosenblum has announced that she will not run for re-election.

In the May primary, Speaker of the House Dan Rayfield was nominated by the Democratic Party. The Republican Party nominated attorney Will Lathrop.

In the general election, Rayfield was elected with 54% of the vote.[5]

State treasurer

Democrat and former state legislator Tobias Read was elected to a second term in 2020. Read is running for Secretary of State.

In the May primary, State Senators Elizabeth Steiner and Brian Boquist were nominated by the Democratic and Republican Parties, respectively.

In the general election, Steiner was elected with a plurality of 49% of the vote.[5]

Legislature

All 60 seats in the Oregon House of Representatives and 15 of 30 seats in the Oregon State Senate were up for election in 2024.

In the general election, Democrats gained one seat in each chamber, enough for a three-fifths supermajority and the possibility of passing tax increases without Republican votes.[6][7]

Local elections

Portland

Incumbent Democratic mayor Ted Wheeler was eligible to run for re-election to a third term in office but decided not to run. Incumbent city auditor Simone Rede is eligible to run for re-election, and has stated her intention to do so. In addition, the Portland City Council was expanded from five seats to twelve (three each from one of four districts), all of which were elected for the first time.

The 2024 Portland elections were the first to use ranked-choice voting after it was instituted by the passage of a 2022 ballot measure.[8] All elected city positions were up for election, but will return to staggered rotation in subsequent elections. All seats are nonpartisan.

Ballot measures

Measure 115 would allow for the Legislature to impeach state elected officials.

Measure 116 would establish an Independent Public Service Compensation Commission to determine certain public officials' salaries.

Measure 117 would allow for ranked-choice elections for federal and most state offices, except for state legislature.

Measure 118 would require Oregon issue rebates to residents from surplus corporate tax revenue.

Measure 119 would require cannabis businesses to submit to the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission a signed labor peace agreement between the business and a labor organization with its licensure or renewal application.

References

  1. ^ Ortiz, Erik (October 28, 2024). "Ballot drop boxes set on fire in Portland, Ore., and Vancouver, Wash". NBC News. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  2. ^ Dole, Bryce (November 8, 2024). "Democrat Janelle Bynum flips Oregon's most high-profile US House district". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  3. ^ "Democrat Maxine Dexter wins Oregon's 3rd Congressional District". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Washington, D.C. Associated Press. November 6, 2024. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  4. ^ Warner, Gary A. (June 28, 2023). "Gov. Kotek appoints former Portland city auditor for Secretary of State". Oregon Capital Insider. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  5. ^ a b c "Oregon Election Live Results 2024". The New York Times. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
  6. ^ Edge, Sami (November 27, 2024). "Democrats win supermajority in Oregon House as Muรฑoz scores upset in Woodburn-area district". The Oregonian. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
  7. ^ Oregonian/OregonLive, Carlos Fuentes | The (November 10, 2024). "Oregon Democrats regain supermajority in state Senate but appear to fall short in House". oregonlive. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
  8. ^ Vaughn, Courtney (April 4, 2023). "Five Months Down, 20 to Go: Checking In on Portland's Charter Reform Makeover". Portland Mercury. Retrieved May 2, 2023.