State senator David Brock Smith secured victory in Oregon’s Republican U.S. Senate primary on Friday, marking the final major race decided from the state’s May 19 primary election.
Smith prevailed over six other Republican candidates and will now challenge Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley, the incumbent, in the November general election.
“This campaign is about putting Oregon first. Fighting for affordable living, safer communities, good-paying jobs, responsible government, and protecting the values that make our beloved state strong,” Smith declared in a statement. “This election is bigger than politics. It’s about restoring hope, opportunity, and accountability for every Oregonian.”
Merkley, who first took office in 2008, is considered to hold a relatively secure position given that Oregon voters haven’t chosen a Republican for U.S. Senate since 2002. His campaign team had not provided a response by Friday evening regarding Smith’s primary victory.
This outcome follows other major primary decisions announced on election night, including a gas tax ballot question and the Republican gubernatorial primary that established a November showdown for the state’s highest office.
Voters decisively defeated a ballot measure proposing to increase the state gas tax by 6 cents to 46 cents per gallon. The Democratic-controlled Legislature had approved this controversial gas tax hike along with additional fees last year to fund road repairs and address transportation budget shortfalls. Republicans subsequently organized a referendum drive to place the issue before voters for final determination.
Republican leaders celebrated the gas tax measure’s defeat after voters soundly rejected it. Democratic officials largely stayed quiet and didn’t mount organized support efforts as the Iran war drove gas prices higher. Several party members had predicted voter rejection of the measure leading up to the primary.
For governor, Republican state Sen. Christine Drazan won her party’s nomination from a crowded field of 14 contenders. She defeated rivals including another GOP legislator who had championed the gas tax referendum effort and a former NBA player.
Drazan’s win creates a repeat matchup with Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek, who secured her party’s nomination while seeking another term. In 2022, Drazan fell short against Kotek by more than 3 percentage points in a three-candidate race that featured an independent contender.
Kotek won her initial gubernatorial term that year following legislative service that included a record tenure as Oregon’s House speaker. She has clashed with the Trump administration, which attempted unsuccessfully to send National Guard troops to Portland last fall, citing protection of federal facilities and staff after demonstrations at the city’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building.
Kotek has also committed to addressing homelessness, mental health challenges, and educational concerns. However, despite approving funding and initiatives targeting these problems, the state continues experiencing increased homelessness and declining student achievement scores that remain below pre-pandemic benchmarks.
Drazan will probably focus on these challenges while confronting difficult odds: Oregon voters haven’t chosen a Republican governor in more than four decades.
In Oregon’s single competitive U.S. House race, Democratic incumbent Rep. Janelle Bynum secured her primary victory. County commissioner Patti Adair claimed the Republican nomination in that district and will attempt to reclaim the seat for the GOP. Republicans had flipped this seat in 2022 for the first time in many years before Bynum won it back for Democrats.
