Oregon state legislative Republican primaries, 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
| 2018 Oregon State Legislature elections | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General | November 6, 2018 |
| Primary | May 15, 2018 |
| 2018 elections | |
|---|---|
| Choose a chamber below: | |
The Republican primary elections for the seats in the Oregon State Senate and the Oregon House of Representatives were on May 15, 2018. For information about the Democratic 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.
Incumbents who did not advance to the general election
Retiring incumbents
Five Republican state House incumbents did not seek re-election in 2018:[1]
- Sal Esquivel (District 6)
- Andy Olson (District 15)
- Bill Kennemer (District 39)
- Gene Whisnant (District 53)
- Knute Buehler District 54)
One Republican state Senate incumbent did not seek re-election in 2018:
- Alan DeBoer (District 3)
Competitiveness
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 law allows parties to decide whether unaffiliated voters can vote in their primaries. As of December 2025, both major parties utilized a closed primary process where only registered party members may participate.[2]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Poll times
Registration requirements
Voter ID requirements
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 is an all-mail voting state. A ballot and voter pamphlet are automatically mailed to each registered voter two to three weeks prior to each statewide election. A return envelope is included that may be returned by business reply mail at no cost to the voter. Completed ballots must either be returned by mail and postmarked by Election Day or returned in person at an official dropbox by the close of polls on Election Day.[3][4]
According to the Oregon Secretary of State's website, "Students attending an out-of-state college or voters traveling during an election can still receive a ballot. Fill out the Absentee Ballot Request Form and return it to the county elections office, or update online using My Vote."[5]
See also
- Oregon state legislative Democratic primaries, 2018
- Oregon House of Representatives elections, 2018
- Oregon State Senate elections, 2018
- Oregon State Legislature
- Oregon elections, 2018
Footnotes
- ↑ Incumbent Gary Leif lost the Republican primary to Dallas Heard in District 2, but Leif was nominated to the ballot after Heard withdrew from the race.
- ↑ Oregon Laws, "Or. Rev. Stat. § 254.365," accessed December 3, 2025
- ↑ Oregon Secretary of State, "Frequently Asked Questions," accessed December 3, 2025
- ↑ Deschutes County Clerk's Office, "How much postage is required to mail my ballot back?" accessed December 3, 2025
- ↑ Oregon Secretary of State, “Voting in Oregon,” accessed December 3, 2025
