Disclaimer: The Author of this article has endorsed Sarah Finger McDonald, Maxine Dexter, Lori Chavez DeRemer, and Liz Irish

For the past month, campaigning has been in full swing for the Oregon primaries. Many Corvallis incumbents decided not to run for reelection to their offices. Some set eyes on bigger titles while others chose retirement.

Incumbent House District 16 Representative Dan Rayfield, who is also the House Speaker, filed his candidacy for Oregon’s Attorney General, leaving Corvallis’s seat in the House vacant.

Rayfield won the Democratic nomination against Shaina Maxey Pomerantz by a margin of 55%. Rayfield has served as House District 16’s Representative since 2015 and as Speaker of the House for the past two legislative sessions. Shaina Maxey Pomerantz is a former civil rights investigator for the Bureau of Labor and Industries. Pomerantz received a $425,000 settlement from BOLI in December from a racial discrimination lawsuit. She previously was a law clerk with the Portland City Attorney’s office and now serves as executive director of RACE TALKS, a Portland-based nonprofit. Rayfield will face off against former Marion and Yamhill County Deputy District Attorney Will Lathrop, who easily won the Republican nomination.

Benton County Commissioner Xan Augerot chose not to seek reelection. Two candidates filed for the Democratic nomination and none for the Republican nomination. Civil servant and moderate Liz Irish garnered Senator Wyden’s endorsement. City Councilor and Benton County Democrats Chair Gabe Shepard, a progressive, received larger support from the Corvallis base. The Crescent Crier can project Gabe Shepard to win the race. With 11,294 votes tallied, Shepard leads with 62.07% to Irish’s 37.61%. This comes as a disappointment to Corvallis moderates as the Corvallis Advocate-endorsed Irish will not be progressing to the general election. Shepard will proceed to the November election unopposed. This is not the last we will see of Shepard’s bowtie and red goatee persona.

Incumbent Democrat Congresswoman Val Hoyle ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination for Congressional District 4. Retired Colonel Monique DeSpain clinched the Republican nomination with 58.24% of the vote to Amy Ryan Courser’s 40.89%. DeSpain is a retired Air Force veteran, attorney, and advocate for government transparency and reform. DeSpain is endorsed by Speaker Mike Johnson, Tom Emmer, Steve Scalise, and other national Republican leaders. Amy Ryan Courser is a 5th generation Oregonian, the President of ARC Consulting, and the founder of Women Across America PAC. She is a published author, international speaker, and political advocate. Courser also serves on Keizer City Council and self-identifies as a Reagan Republican. DeSpain will face Hoyle in November. The margin in 2022 was 52.3% left-leaning to 47.7% right-leaning. This is a target district for the RNC and GOP, as shown through their involvement.

An even larger target seat for Republicans is our neighbor, Congressional District 5. Incumbent Lori Chavez-DeRemer ran unopposed for the Republican nomination. DeRemer was mayor of Happy Valley and ranked 29th most bipartisan member of Congress, the most out of Oregon’s congressional delegation. The Democratic primary was a dramatic race attracting the DNC’s involvement. Jamie McLeod-Skinner, who primaried the district’s moderate Democrat representative Kurt Schrader and lost in the general against Chavez-DeRemer, lost to State Representative Janelle Bynum. Bynum was bankrolled by the DCC, the Democrat Party’s fundraising wing. Bynum received support from national Democratic leadership like House Speaker Hakeem Jeffries and state leaders like Governor Tina Kotek, former Governors Barbara Roberts and Kate Brown, as well as almost every Democratic state official and state legislator. Bynum is the only candidate who has beaten Chavez-DeRemer in races for the state legislature. Bynum single-handedly defeated McLeod-Skinner 68.23% to 31.13%.

The last congressional district of interest is District 3 where longtime Representative Earl Blumenauer decided not to run for reelection. Oregon state Rep. Maxine Dexter is poised to become the Democratic nominee, garnering 50% of the votes, likely securing her a seat in Congress next year. In a primary marked by significant national funding, the critical care doctor and two-term state legislator led substantially in early results over her main rivals, former Multnomah County Commissioner Susheela Jayapal and Gresham City Councilor Eddy Morales, for the state’s 3rd Congressional District.

Democrats have a strong registration advantage in the district, which spans from Portland’s east side to Hood River. Dexter, currently living outside the district, plans to move back across the Willamette River after the election. “Let us celebrate and enjoy now, because tomorrow we are going to get back to work,” she said on Tuesday night. “This is a make-or-break moment to protect our democracy. We do not have a moment to waste.” Initially, Dexter was not the frontrunner, entering the race later than Morales and Jayapal and lacking significant name recognition or political connections. Jayapal was seen as an early favorite partly due to her sister, Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal from Seattle.

Dexter overcame early fundraising challenges with significant support from 314 Action Fund, a national super PAC backing science-background candidates, which spent over $2.2 million on her behalf. Additionally, a mystery super PAC, Voters for Responsive Government, spent more than $3.2 million on ads against Jayapal. Speculation linked this group to the pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC, a connection partly confirmed by Dexter’s receipt of donations from AIPAC supporters. The 314 Action Fund disclosed that funding came from donors like Mike Bloomberg and Robert Granieri, who support various causes, including Israel. Jayapal, disappointed by the results and heavy spending against her, criticized the influence of money in politics at her election night event. Blumenauer echoed this concern, stating that Dexter could have won independently but was overshadowed by special interest money.

Jayapal and Dexter shared similar views on Gaza, advocating for a long-term, negotiated cease-fire ensuring hostages’ release and security in the region. Morales, having traveled to Israel, was less vocal on the issue and did not provide a detailed position on Gaza. Joanna Harbour, a lawyer and entrepreneur, was leading the Republican primary.

Statewide and congressional elections were a win for moderates, while Corvallis and Benton County chose the most progressive candidates on the slate. November will no doubt see a win for Oregon Democrats with the most crucial races being the Fifth and Fourth Congressional Districts.