Everything you need to know about ranked-choice voting in one spot. Click to learn more!

Oregon state legislative special elections, 2020

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Ballotpedia Election Coverage Badge-smaller use.png
U.S. Senate • U.S. House • State executive offices • State Senate • State House • Special state legislative • Supreme court • Appellate courts • Local judges • State ballot measures • Local ballot measures • Municipal • Recalls • How to run for office
Flag of Oregon.png


2021 →
← 2019
2020 badge.png
2020 State Legislative
Special Elections
Special election information
Breakdown • Historical data • Elections by date
Special elections by state
Alabama • Alaska • Arkansas • California
Connecticut • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii
Illinois • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine
Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota
Mississippi • New Hampshire • New Jersey
New York • Oklahoma • Oregon
Pennsylvania • Rhode Island
South Carolina • Texas
Virginia • Washington
Special elections by territory
Puerto Rico
Other 2020 election coverage
Filing deadlines • Statewide elections
State legislative elections
Gubernatorial elections • Ballot measures

In 2020, one special election was called to fill a vacant seat in the Oregon State Senate.

Click here to read more about the special elections.

Senate special elections called:

How vacancies are filled in Oregon


If there is a vacancy in the Oregon State Legislature, the board of county commissioners representing the vacant seat must select a replacement. This can only be done when the Legislature is in session or when the vacancy happens more than 61 days before the next scheduled general election.[1] The board must select a person from the political party that last held the vacant seat. The board must consider three to five candidates, nominated by the local county party that last controlled the seat. A replacement must be selected within 30 days of the vacancy. Persons selected to fill vacancies serve until the second Monday in January following the general election.[2]

DocumentIcon.jpg See sources: Oregon Rev. Stat. §171.051


About the legislature

The Legislative Assembly is a bicameral consisting of an upper house, the Oregon State Senate, and a lower house, the Oregon House of Representatives. There are no term limits for either house in the Legislative Assembly.

The boxes below show the partisan composition of both chambers directly before and after the most recent general elections prior to 2020. For the most up-to-date numbers on partisan composition in this legislature, see here (Senate) and here (House).

Oregon State Senate
Party As of November 6, 2018 After November 7, 2018
     Democratic Party 17 18
     Republican Party 13 12
Total 30 30
Oregon House of Representatives
Party As of November 6, 2018 After November 7, 2018
     Democratic Party 35 38
     Republican Party 25 22
Total 60 60

Special elections

Click [show] to the right of the district name for more information:

November 3, 2020

Special elections throughout the country

See also: State legislative special elections, 2020

In 2020, 55 state legislative special elections were held in 26 states. Four special elections were canceled in New York due to the coronavirus pandemic. Between 2011 and 2019, an average of 77 special elections took place each year.

Breakdown of 2020 special elections

In 2020, special elections for state legislative positions were held for the following reasons:

  • 23 due to appointment, election, or the seeking of election to another position
  • 5 due to a resignation related to criminal charges[5]
  • 18 due to retirement
  • 13 due to the death of the incumbent

Impact of special elections on partisan composition

The partisan breakdown for the special elections was as follows:

The table below details how many seats changed parties as the result of a special election in 2020. The number on the left reflects how many vacant seats were originally held by each party, while the number on the right shows how many vacant seats each party won in the special elections. In elections between 2011 and 2019, either the Democratic Party or Republican Party saw an average net gain of four seats across the country. Between 2018 and 2019, Democrats had a net gain of six seats.

Note: This table reflects information for elections that were held and not the total number of vacant seats.

Partisan Change from Special Elections (2020)
Party As of Special Election After Special Election
     Democratic Party 21 27
     Republican Party 38 32
     Independent 0 0
Total 59 59

Flipped seats

In 2020, eight seats flipped as a result of state legislative special elections.

Seats flipped from D to R

Seats flipped from R to D


See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ OregonLaws, "Oregon Revised Laws," accessed February 15, 2021 (Statute 171.051, (1) (a)-(c))
  2. ↑ OregonLaws, "Oregon Revised Laws," accessed February 15, 2021 (Statute 171.051, (2)-(6))
  3. ↑ Oregon Public Broadcasting, "Oregon State Sen. Jackie Winters, Self-Described 'Fiscal Conservative With A Heart,' Dies," May 29, 2019
  4. ↑ Statesman Journal, "Denyc Boles selected to Oregon State Senate to fill seat of late Jackie Winters," accessed June 28, 2019
  5. ↑ Arkansas State Rep. Mickey Gates (R) was expelled by a vote of the House membership.
v • e
State legislatures
Legislatures
Alabama (H, S) · Alaska (H, S) · Arizona (H, S) · Arkansas (H, S) · California (A, S) · Colorado (H, S) · Connecticut (H, S) · Delaware (H, S) · Florida (H, S) · Georgia (H, S) · Hawaii (H, S) · Idaho (H, S) · Illinois (H, S) · Indiana (H, S) · Iowa (H, S) · Kansas (H, S) · Kentucky (H, S) · Louisiana (H, S) · Maine (H, S) · Maryland (H, S) · Massachusetts (H, S) · Michigan (H, S) · Minnesota (H, S) · Mississippi (H, S) · Missouri (H, S) · Montana (H, S) · Nebraska · Nevada (A, S) · New Hampshire (H, S) · New Jersey (GA, S) · New Mexico (H, S) · New York (A, S) · North Carolina (H, S) · North Dakota (H, S) · Ohio (H, S) · Oklahoma (H, S) · Oregon (H, S) · Pennsylvania (H, S) · Rhode Island (H, S) · South Carolina (H, S) · South Dakota (H, S) · Tennessee (H, S) · Texas (H, S) · Utah (H, S) · Vermont (H, S) · Virginia (H, S) · Washington (H, S) · West Virginia (H, S) · Wisconsin (A, S) · Wyoming (H, S)
SLP badge.png
2025
2024
2023
Historical elections
2022 •  2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011 • 2010 • 2009 • 2008 • 2007 • 2006 • 2005 • 2004 • 2003 • 2002 • 2001 • 2000
Features of
state legislatures
State senates
State houses
Leadership positions
Flag of Oregon
v • e
State of Oregon
Salem (capital)
Elections

What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures

Government

Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy

Retrieved from "https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Oregon_state_legislative_special_elections,_2020&oldid=8025119"