Oregon's 3rd Congressional District election, 2026

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Oregon's 3rd Congressional District
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: March 3, 2026
Primary: May 19, 2026 General: November 3, 2026
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voting in Oregon
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Democratic DDHQ and The Hill: Pending Inside Elections: Solid Democratic Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Democratic
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026
See also
Oregon's 3rd Congressional District U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th Oregon elections, 2026 U.S. Congress elections, 2026 U.S. Senate elections, 2026 U.S. House elections, 2026 Alabama U.S. House racesAlaska U.S. House raceArizona U.S. House racesArkansas U.S. House racesCalifornia U.S. House racesColorado U.S. House racesConnecticut U.S. House racesDelaware U.S. House raceFlorida U.S. House racesGeorgia U.S. House racesHawaii U.S. House racesIdaho U.S. House racesIllinois U.S. House racesIndiana U.S. House racesIowa U.S. House racesKansas U.S. House racesKentucky U.S. House racesLouisiana U.S. House racesMaine U.S. House racesMaryland U.S. House racesMassachusetts U.S. House racesMichigan U.S. House racesMinnesota U.S. House racesMississippi U.S. House racesMissouri U.S. House racesMontana U.S. House racesNebraska U.S. House racesNevada U.S. House racesNew Hampshire U.S. House racesNew Jersey U.S. House racesNew Mexico U.S. House racesNew York U.S. House racesNorth Carolina U.S. House racesNorth Dakota U.S. House raceOhio U.S. House racesOklahoma U.S. House racesOregon U.S. House racesPennsylvania U.S. House racesRhode Island U.S. House racesSouth Carolina U.S. House racesSouth Dakota U.S. House raceTennessee U.S. House racesTexas U.S. House racesUtah U.S. House racesVermont U.S. House raceVirginia U.S. House racesWashington U.S. House racesWest Virginia U.S. House racesWisconsin U.S. House racesWyoming U.S. House raceSubmit

All U.S. House districts, including the 3rd Congressional District of Oregon, are holding elections in 2026. The general election is November 3, 2026. To learn more about other elections on the ballot, click here.

Candidates and election results

Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:

• Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline
• Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies

Note: At this time, Ballotpedia is combining all declared candidates for this election into one list under a general election heading. As primary election dates are published, this information will be updated to separate general election candidates from primary candidates as appropriate.

General election

The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.

General election for U.S. House Oregon District 3

Incumbent Maxine Dexter and Jessica Salas are running in the general election for U.S. House Oregon District 3 on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Maxine Dexter (D)
		Jessica Salas (D)

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Jessica Salas

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "My name is Jessica Salas. I am a working-class candidate, former Taproom Manager and Beverage Director, and a mental health advocate. I have spent over 17 years in customer service and now work in accounting support. My politics are built on solidarity, dignity, and liberation. Through my experiences with sobriety, mental health recovery, and community organizing, I have seen how people come together when systems fail them. Those experiences taught me the power of compassion and the strength found in our shared struggles. My policy priorities are rooted in justice, affordability, and integrity. I am running for Congress because I believe our government should reflect the people it serves. Every person deserves the chance to live with stability, fairness, and hope, and I am ready to fight for that future."

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Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

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Justice: Everyone deserves fairness, safety, and equal opportunity. I will fight to reform systems that criminalize poverty, harm immigrants, and ignore working families. Justice means building a government that protects people, not profits, and ensures every voice is heard and valued.

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Affordability: No one should have to choose between rent, food, and healthcare. I will work to lower costs, raise wages, and expand access to childcare and housing so families can live with stability and dignity. Affordability is not a privilege. It is a right.

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Integrity: Public service should be rooted in honesty and accountability. I will not answer to corporations or billionaires, only to the people I represent. Integrity means showing up, telling the truth, and fighting for what is right, even when it’s hard.

Voting information

See also: Voting in Oregon

Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.

Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Survey responses from candidates in this race

Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Expand all | Collapse all

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Jessica Salas (D)

Justice:

Everyone deserves fairness, safety, and equal opportunity. I will fight to reform systems that criminalize poverty, harm immigrants, and ignore working families. Justice means building a government that protects people, not profits, and ensures every voice is heard and valued.

Affordability: No one should have to choose between rent, food, and healthcare. I will work to lower costs, raise wages, and expand access to childcare and housing so families can live with stability and dignity. Affordability is not a privilege. It is a right.

Integrity:

Public service should be rooted in honesty and accountability. I will not answer to corporations or billionaires, only to the people I represent. Integrity means showing up, telling the truth, and fighting for what is right, even when it’s hard.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Jessica Salas (D)

I am passionate about policies that strengthen working families and create stability for all. My priorities include affordable housing, accessible healthcare, mental health support, and immigration reform. I believe in accountability and in ensuring corporations and billionaires pay their fair share. My goal is to build a government rooted in justice, affordability, and integrity that truly serves the people.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Jessica Salas (D)

Integrity, empathy, and accountability are essential. An elected official must listen to their community, act transparently, and serve without personal or corporate interest. Leadership means standing with the people, not above them, and making decisions rooted in compassion and fairness.

What legacy would you like to leave?

Jessica Salas (D)

I want to leave a legacy of compassion and accountability. I hope to show that politics can be people-centered, transparent, and deeply human. My goal is to inspire others, especially those who never saw themselves in politics, to know their voice matters and their story has power.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

Jessica Salas (D)

Experience can be helpful, but it should not be a requirement. Our democracy benefits when people from all backgrounds have a seat at the table. Workers, parents, teachers, and community organizers understand the challenges that everyday people face. Lived experience brings empathy, perspective, and accountability that career politicians often overlook.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Jessica Salas (D)

The growing gap between the rich and the poor is our greatest challenge. Housing, healthcare, and climate instability are pushing families to the edge while corporations profit. We must rebuild trust in government through transparency, compassion, and economic justice for all.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

Jessica Salas (D)

I support term limits. Public service should be about representing the people, not building lifelong careers in politics. Term limits help prevent corruption, reduce the influence of special interests, and create space for new voices and ideas. Our government works best when it reflects the diversity and lived experiences of the people it serves.

What is an accomplishment that you are proud of?

Jessica Salas (D)

I am most proud of the community I have helped build and the connections I’ve made across different perspectives and experiences. Bringing people together through compassion and shared purpose has been one of the most meaningful parts of my life. I am also proud of creating Hasta La Raíz, a space that uplifts stories of resilience, healing, and solidarity. It represents everything I believe in about community, justice, and collective growth.

You can ask candidates in this race to fill out the survey by clicking their names below:

• Maxine Dexter

Campaign finance

Name	Party	Receipts*	Disbursements**	Cash on hand	Date
Maxine Dexter	Democratic Party	$515,211	$365,769	$171,929	As of September 30, 2025
Jessica Salas	Democratic Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2026. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC). * According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." ** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election. *** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.

General election race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

• Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
• Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
• Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.
• Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.

Race ratings: Oregon's 3rd Congressional District election, 2026
Race tracker	Race ratings
	12/9/2025	12/2/2025	11/25/2025	11/18/2025
The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter	Solid Democratic	Solid Democratic	Solid Democratic	Solid Democratic
Decision Desk HQ and The Hill	Pending	Pending	Pending	Pending
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales	Solid Democratic	Solid Democratic	Solid Democratic	Solid Democratic
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball	Safe Democratic	Safe Democratic	Safe Democratic	Safe Democratic
Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week.

Ballot access

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in Oregon in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Oregon, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2026
State	Office	Party	Signatures required	Filing fee	Filing deadline	Source
Oregon	U.S. House	Major party	The lesser of either 1,000 signatures or 2% of the number of votes cast in the district for the candidates of that major political party for presidential electors at the last presidential election.	$150	Incumbents: 3/3/2026, New candidates: 3/10/2026	Source
Oregon	U.S. House	Unaffiliated	Number of signatures equal to 1% of the number of votes cast in the district for president	N/A	Incumbents: 3/3/2026, New candidates: 3/10/2026	Source

District history

The section below details election results for this office in elections dating back to 2020.

District analysis

This section will contain facts and figures related to this district's elections when those are available.

See also

Oregon	2026 primaries	2026 U.S. Congress elections
Oregon congressional delegation Voting in Oregon Oregon elections: 2026 • 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018	Democratic primary battlegrounds Republican primary battlegrounds U.S. Senate Democratic primaries U.S. Senate Republican primaries U.S. House Democratic primaries U.S. House Republican primaries	U.S. Congress elections U.S. Senate elections U.S. House elections Special elections Ballot access

External links

• Search Google News for this topic

Footnotes

[show]

Oregon's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Jeff Merkley (D)

Ron Wyden (D)

Representatives

District 1

Suzanne Bonamici (D)

District 2

Cliff Bentz (R)

District 3

Maxine Dexter (D)

District 4

Val Hoyle (D)

District 5

Janelle Bynum (D)

District 6

Andrea Salinas (D)

Democratic Party (7)

Republican Party (1)

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