Oregon state legislative Democratic primaries, 2018

Elections in Oregon, 2018

• General election: Nov. 6
• Voter registration deadline: Oct. 16
• Early voting: N/A
• Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6

• Online registration: Yes
• Same-day registration: N/A (all-mail elections)
• Voter ID: N/A
• Poll times: N/A

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2018 Oregon State Legislature elections
General	November 6, 2018
Primary	May 15, 2018

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There were at least two progressive challenges against longtime incumbents in the Democratic state Senate primaries on May 15, 2018. Motivated by the issues of housing, the environment, and abolishing the Electoral College, progressives ran against Senate President Peter Courtney and state Sen. Rod Monroe. Courtney survived his challenge, but Monroe was defeated.

There was at least one mainline Democrat vs. conservative Democrat showdown in the Democratic state House primaries. In the race for the House District 32 seat being vacated by Deborah Boone (D), Tiffiny Mitchell, who was supported by party leaders, defeated Tim Josi, who was supported by the logging and agriculture industries.

For information about the Republican primary elections in Oregon, click here.

The general election was on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was March 6, 2018. In the state Senate, 15 of 30 seats were up for election. In the state House, all 60 seats were up for election.

HIGHLIGHTS

As of December 2017, Oregon was one of seven Democratic trifectas. A state government trifecta is a term used to describe a single-party government where one political party holds the governor's office and a majority in both chambers of the state legislature. To find out more about state government trifectas, click here.

Battleground races

Ballotpedia identified battleground races in the 2018 Oregon state legislative Democratic primary elections. These primaries had the potential to be more competitive than other races and could have led to changes in the membership of the Republican caucus or had an impact on general election races.

To determine the Oregon state legislative Democratic primary battleground races in 2018, Ballotpedia examined races that fit one or more of the three factors listed below:

1. Identified by the media as a notable primary election.
2. One or more of the candidates received a notable endorsement.
3. The primary was known to be competitive based on past results or because it was a rematch of a primary that was competitive in the past.

Senate battlegrounds

Senate District 11

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

Yes

What made this a battleground race?

Senate President Peter Courtney drew a challenge from Joyce Judy due to his opposition to progressive legislation on healthcare, environmental policy, and electing the U.S. president via the national popular vote. The group National Popular Vote launched a $100,000 anti-Courtney campaign in December 2017. The group argued for an interstate compact that, if enough states joined, would allow for the selection of the U.S. president through the popular vote, not the Electoral College.

Oregon State Senate, District 11 Democratic Primary, 2018
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Peter Courtney Incumbent	64.05%	4,830
Joyce Judy	35.33%	2,664
Write-in votes	0.62%	47
Total Votes		7,541
Source: Oregon Secretary of State, "May 15, 2018, Primary Election Abstract of Votes," accessed July 26, 2018

Senate District 24

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

Yes

What made this a battleground race?

Although state Sen. Rod Monroe was first elected 1976 and usually supported Democratic priorities, his views on housing policy drew him two primary challengers. Former state Rep. Shemia Fagan and Unite Oregon Executive Director Kayse Jama disagreed with Monroe, a landlord, on his opposition to rent controls and his support for no cause evictions. Monroe was backed by developers and the real estate industry, while Fagan was supported by unions and trial lawyers. Some progressives feared Jama could split the anti-Monroe voters and allow him to win re-election.

Oregon State Senate, District 24 Democratic Primary, 2018
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Shemia Fagan	61.88%	6,628
Rod Monroe Incumbent	20.08%	2,151
Kayse Jama	17.79%	1,906
Write-in votes	0.24%	26
Total Votes		10,711
Source: Oregon Secretary of State, "May 15, 2018, Primary Election Abstract of Votes," accessed July 26, 2018

House battlegrounds

House District 32

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

No

What made this a battleground race?

Three Democrats battled to replace Deborah Boone and represent the coastal area west of Portland. Child welfare worker Tiffiny Mitchell was backed by environmental groups and Democratic lawmakers. She wanted to raise corporate taxes to pay for social services and charge the state’s largest greenhouse gas producers for their emissions. Her ideological opposite was former state Rep. and Tillamook County Commissioner Tim Josi. He described himself as a conservative Democrat who party leaders opposed. He was backed by logging, agricultural, and grocery companies. Energy contractor and municipal judge Jon Orr was running on a similar platform as Mitchell. A candidate primarily funded by small donations, he said that outside groups were trying to influence the race.

Oregon House of Representatives, District 32 Democratic Primary, 2018
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Tiffiny Mitchell	41.65%	3,309
John Orr	29.24%	2,323
Tim Josi	28.71%	2,281
Write-in votes	0.39%	31
Total Votes		7,944
Source: Oregon Secretary of State, "May 15, 2018, Primary Election Abstract of Votes," accessed July 26, 2018

Incumbents who did not advance to the general election

Retiring incumbents

Two Democratic state House incumbents did not seek re-election in 2018:

• Phil Barnhart (District 11)
• Deborah Boone (District 32)

Incumbents defeated

One Democratic state Senate incumbent was defeated in his primary:

• Rod Monroe (District 24)

Competitiveness

See also: 2018 primary election competitiveness in state and federal government and Oregon state legislative Republican primaries, 2018

There were 8 open seats in 2018, which was less than the 18 open seats in 2016 and the 16 open seats in 2014. The 13 contested Democratic primaries was up from 11 in 2016 and 7 in 2014. The 12 contested Republican primaries was up from 10 in 2016 but down from 13 in 2014. The 159 candidates running was up from 156 in 2016 and 148 in 2014.

Year	Total seats	Open seats	Total candidates	Democratic primaries contested	Republican primaries contested	Total contested	Incumbents contested in primaries	Total incumbents contested in primaries
2018	76	8	159	13	12	16.4%	9	13.2%
2016	75	18	156	11	10	14.0%	4	7.0%
2014	76	16	148	7	13	13.2%	5	8.3%

Partisan control

The tables below show the partisan breakdowns of the Oregon House of Representatives and the Oregon State Senate as of July 2018:

Oregon House of Representatives

Party		As of July 2018
	Democratic Party	35
	Republican Party	25
	Vacancies	0
Total		60

Oregon State Senate

Party		As of July 2018
	Democratic Party	17
	Republican Party	13
	Vacancies	0
Total		30

Voter information

How the primary works

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Oregon generally utilizes a closed primary process. The selection of a party's candidates in an election is limited to registered party members for presidential and legislative elections.

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Poll times

Oregon is an all-mail voting state. Each county provides privacy booths that voters can use to mark their ballot. County clerks' offices are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. local time on Election Day. Oregon is divided between the Mountain and Pacific time zones.

Registration requirements

Check your voter registration status here.

To register to vote in Oregon, one must be a resident of Oregon, a United States citizen, and at least 16 years old. Voters must be at least 18 years old by the day of the election in order to receive a ballot. Potential voters can register online or by mailing in a voter registration form to your county election office. The deadline to register is 21 days before the election.

Automatic registration

Oregon implemented automatic voter registration in 2016. For more information, click here.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Oregon has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

Oregon does not allow same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements

To register to vote in Oregon, you must be a resident of the state.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Oregon does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, a voter who knowingly falsely registers "can be fined up to $125,000 and/or imprisoned for up to 5 years."

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment. Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. One state, Ohio, requires proof of citizenship only when registering to vote at a Bureau of Motor Vehicles facility. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The Oregon Secretary of State’s Office allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting this website.

Voter ID requirements

The federal Help America Vote Act requires that individuals in all 50 states who register to vote by mail and who have not voted previously in a federal election in their state must provide either their driver's license or a paycheck, bank statement, current utility bill, or government document showing their name and address. Individuals voting by mail must include a copy of one of those documents with their absentee/mail-in ballot.

These requirements do not apply if an individual submitted a copy of their identification, their driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number when registering to vote. Oregon is an all-mail voting state. When registering to vote, voters must provide their driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number.

If voters are unable to provide this information, they can provide a copy of another form of acceptable identification that shows their name and current address. Examples of an acceptable form of identification include a valid photo ID, paycheck stub, utility bill, bank statement, government document, or proof of eligibility under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act or the Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act.

Early voting

Since it is an all-mail voting state, Oregon permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.

Absentee voting

Oregon conducts what are commonly referred to as all-mail elections. In Oregon, voting is conducted primarily, although not necessarily exclusively, by mail. Election officials automatically distribute mail-in ballots to eligible electors.

See also

• Oregon state legislative Republican primaries, 2018
• Oregon House of Representatives elections, 2018
• Oregon State Senate elections, 2018
• Oregon State Legislature
• Oregon elections, 2018