WASHINGTON (AP) — Tuesday’s primary elections in Oregon will feature Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek facing nearly two dozen opponents as candidates compete for their party nominations across state and federal races. Additionally, voters will weigh in on a statewide ballot proposal to increase gas taxes for funding state road and bridge upgrades.
The primary elections are taking place within the broader context of national political trends, which typically influence midterm election years when voters often express dissatisfaction with the sitting president’s party through their ballots. Kotek has positioned President Donald Trump as a central opponent in her campaign messaging, while the vote on Measure 120 regarding increased vehicle fees and gas taxes for transportation infrastructure occurs amid rising fuel costs that have continued climbing since the Iran war began.
In her pursuit of a second term, Kotek confronts nine Democratic primary opponents. On the Republican side, 14 candidates are vying for the nomination, including Marion County Commissioner Danielle Bethell, state Rep. Ed Diehl, state Sen. Christine Drazan and financial planner and former NBA player Chris Dudley. Dudley previously sought the governor’s office in 2010, earning approximately 48% of votes in that year’s general election.
Current officeholders are also seeking reelection for U.S. Senate and all six U.S. House positions, with just one congressional member running unopposed for renomination.
Critical voting areas for both Democratic and Republican primaries include Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties surrounding Portland, plus Lane County where Eugene is located. Salem-based Marion County, Jackson County and Deschutes County also provide substantial vote totals in both parties’ primary contests.
In the 2010 gubernatorial primary, Dudley secured victory with 39% of votes against eight opponents. Among the most populated counties, he won Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas and Washington counties while finishing second in Lane County.
Key election details and data points that the AP Decision Team will track during vote counting include:
Oregon’s elections operate primarily through mail-in voting. Ballots submitted to drop boxes or county election offices must arrive by 8 p.m. local time, equivalent to 10 p.m. ET and 11 p.m. ET. Counties may extend their operating hours if desired. Nearly the entire state follows Pacific time, making the cutoff 11 p.m. ET in those regions. Areas observing Mountain time have a 10 p.m. ET deadline. Mailed ballots require an 8 p.m. local time postmark and must arrive by May 26 for counting.
The AP will report vote tallies and announce winners in competitive primaries for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, governor, state Senate and state House races, plus Measure 120 and the nonpartisan state labor commissioner contest.
Primary participation requires party registration matching the desired ballot. Democrats cannot vote in Republican primaries and vice versa. Independent or unaffiliated voters are excluded from both party primaries.
Oregon had approximately 3.1 million registered voters as of May 4, with roughly 988,000 registered Democrats and about 737,000 registered Republicans.
During the 2024 primaries, registered Democrats submitted between 420,000 and 456,000 votes across different races, while registered Republicans cast just under 300,000 votes.
The 2022 midterm primaries saw higher participation, with Democrats casting between 478,000 and 492,000 votes and Republicans submitting between 347,000 and 370,000 votes.
Mail-in voting has been Oregon’s standard practice since the 1990s. Voters can also use drop boxes and county election offices for ballot submission.
By Friday, nearly 513,000 ballots had been submitted for Tuesday’s election.
Given Oregon’s mail-in voting system, results arrive throughout election night and subsequent days. Several smaller counties report all or most Election Day voting results in their initial tallies.
During the 2024 presidential and state primary, the AP began reporting results at 11 p.m. ET when final polling locations closed. The night’s final update occurred at 5:11 a.m. ET with approximately 74% of total votes tallied.
The Associated Press avoids making projections and only declares winners when no possible scenario exists for trailing candidates to overcome their deficit. For uncalled races, the AP continues covering significant developments like candidate concessions or victory claims while clearly stating no winner has been declared and explaining the reasoning.
Oregon mandates automatic recounts for tied votes or margins of 0.2% or less of total votes. The AP may declare winners in recount-eligible races when determining the lead is too substantial for recounts or legal challenges to alter the outcome.
As of Tuesday, 168 days remain until the 2026 midterm elections.
