Oregonians will have the chance to vote on key federal, statewide and local races and measures during the Nov. 5 national election, including contests for one of the most competitive seats in Congress, statewide races for the secretary of state, treasurer and attorney general and five significant statewide measures.
In Portland, voters will participate in an historic election, selecting a new mayor and 12 City Council members as the city ushers in a new form of city government.
Oregon counties will mail ballots by Oct. 22, and voters will have until Election Day to mail their ballots back or drop them off at an official dropbox. Voters have until Oct. 15 to register to vote.
You can register to vote, update your registration or simply check that you are a registered voter by going to oregonvotes.gov/myvote. Enter your first and last name and birthday and you’ll see whether your registration is current and which party, if any, you belong to.
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Below we’ve highlighted the key races that Oregon voters will decide this fall and included links to The Oregonian/OregonLive’s top coverage of this year’s candidates and ballot measures to help you make informed decisions. We will continue to update this page through Election Day with more information and links.
Lori Chavez-DeRemer, left, is fighting to hold onto one of the most closely contested seats in the U.S. House of Representatives this fall. Her challenger is Democrat Janelle Bynum, a business owner and state lawmaker.courtesy of campaigns
Voters in the Portland area will cast ballots in two of the most competitive races for Congress this fall.
In Congressional District 5, first-term Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer faces Democratic challenger Janelle Bynum, a four-term member of the state House, in a race that could help decide control of the U.S. House.
The district stretches from Southeast Portland to Bend. As of August, Democrats made up about 31% of the district’s 530,000 registered voters and Republicans made up about 27%. The Cook Political Report rates the race as a toss-up.
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Across the Columbia River from Portland, Democratic U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez will try to defend her seat against Donald Trump-endorsed Republican Joe Kent in a rematch of the 2022 race for Washington’s 3rd Congressional District, which spans the southwestern part of the state.
That race is also expected to be among the most competitive congressional races this fall, and is currently ranked as a toss-up by The Cook Political Report.
National Democratic and Republican groups are expected to spend big in both Washington’s 3rd and Oregon’s 5th districts.
Elsewhere in Oregon, Democratic U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas is facing businessman Mike Erickson in a rematch of the 2022 race for the 6th Congressional District, Democratic U.S. Rep Val Hoyle is trying to defend her 4th District seat against Air Force veteran Monique DeSpain and Democratic state Rep. Maxine Dexter is on track to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer in the 3rd District.
Former Oregon House Speaker Dan Rayfield, left, and former prosecutor Will Lathrop are competing to be Oregon’s next attorney general. Campaign photos
Oregon voters will pick a new secretary of state, attorney general and treasurer this fall.
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Democrats have controlled those statewide offices for years. Oregon voters have only elected a Republican to serve as secretary of state once since 1985. A Republican hasn’t served as state treasurer or attorney general since 1993.
The contest to replace Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum is expected to be the most competitive of the statewide races on the ballot this fall. The race pits former Democratic Oregon House Speaker Dan Rayfield against Will Lathrop, a former deputy district attorney in Marion and Yamhill counties. Both candidates have raised around $1 million for their campaigns, with Rayfield slightly ahead in fundraising as of mid-August.
In the secretary of state’s race, Democratic state Treasurer Tobias Read will face state Sen. Dennis Linthicum of Beatty, who is barred from seeking reelection to the Senate after participating in a 2023 walkout.
The next secretary of state will be tasked with restoring trust in the elected office, which has seen significant upheaval in recent years. Shemia Fagan, Oregon’s last elected secretary of state, resigned in May 2023 after it came to light that she had taken a $10,000 a month consulting gig with an affiliate of embattled marijuana company La Mota at a time when her office was auditing the cannabis industry.
In the treasurer’s race, Democratic state Sen. Elizabeth Steiner is taking on state Republican Sen. Brian Boquist, who is barred from seeking reelection in the Senate after participating in the 2023 walkout.
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And in the Legislature, key contests, including the race to replace former Republican Senate Minority Leader Tim Knopp, could help determine whether Democrats can reclaim their supermajority in the state House or Senate.
Portland City Hall is undergoing renovations as voters prepare to elect 12 members of the new City Council this fall. Beth Nakamura
Portland voters will select a new mayor and a dozen City Council members this fall in an historic election that will radically transform government and political power structures in Oregon’s most populous city.
The 2024 election comes two years after voters approved the revamp in 2022.
In November, Portland voters will elect a new mayor using a common form of single-winner ranked-choice voting that has been adopted in more than 40 U.S. cities. Under the new system of government, however, the mayor will hold less power in council proceedings, with no veto power and the ability to only cast a vote in the case of a council tie.
The mayor will be tasked with choosing a new city administrator, subject to council approval. The city administrator and a half-dozen deputies will oversee the vast bureaucracy that Portland mayors of the past parceled out among their commissioner colleagues.
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Instead of electing five members to the City Council, voters will instead elect an expanded 12-person City Council whose members will come from four large geographic districts. Voters will use a less common form of ranked-choice voting that requires only 25% to win and is not used to choose council members in any other U.S. city to elect three city councilors from each geographic district.
Read more:
Portland’s sweeping overhaul of government, elections nears. No one knows what will unfold
How Portland elects its mayor is about to drastically change. Here are the promises — and pitfalls
Top strategists for Gonzalez, Rubio depart Portland mayoral campaigns to launch big money push for candidates
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Administrative law judge Vadim Mozyrsky and Disability Rights Oregon policy director Meghan Moyer will face off in November in a runoff for the Multnomah County District 1 seat.Courtesy of Campaign/The Oregonian/OregonLive
Former Portland Mayor Sam Adams will face Shannon Singleton, a trained social worker and former head of the Portland-Multnomah County Joint Office of Homeless Services, in a runoff to represent Multnomah County Commission District 2, which spans North and Northeast Portland.
The race pits a moderate, business friendly candidate in Adams against Singleton, an unwavering progressive, as the county’s normally low-key elected body — long dominated by left-leaning members — faces increased scrutiny and scorn.
In District 1, Multnomah County Commission candidates Meghan Moyer, the policy director at Disability Rights Oregon, and Vadim Mozyrsky, an adminstrative judge with the Social Security Administration, will compete for a second time this fall to represent Portland’s west side on the commission. The winner will succeed Commissioner Sharon Meieran, the most outspoken critic of Chair Jessica Vega Pederson on the board.
Former Clackamas County Sheriff Craig Roberts will take on incumbent Tootie Smith in a runoff for county chair in the Nov. 5 election. If reelected, Smith will be the first incumbent to win a race for chair since 2008.Courtesy of campaigns
Incumbent Clackamas County Chair Tootie Smith will face former Clackamas County Sheriff Craig Roberts in a runoff this fall. Roberts received more votes than Smith in the May primary, but failed to secure the more than 50% needed to win the chair seat outright, forcing the November runoff. The race could look very different with a much higher turnout expected in the 2024 general election than in the primary.
Embattled incumbent Clackamas County Commissioner Mark Shull is also facing a runoff this fall against small business owner Melissa Fireside.
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Oregon lawmakers referred to the ballot three of the five statewide measures that voters will weigh in on this fall. Dave Killen / The Oregonian
Oregon voters will see five statewide measures on their ballot this November.
Among the most contentious thus far is Measure 118, which would raise corporate taxes to give every Oregonian an estimated $1,600 per year. Proponents of Measure 118 say it would relieve some of the financial burden on low-income Oregonians and require large corporations to pay their fair share in taxes. But the measure has faced strong opposition from both Democrats and Republicans. A bipartisan group of nearly 50 lawmakers, more than 200 companies and business interest groups and Gov. Tina Kotek have all come out in opposition of the measure.
Measure 115 would amend the state Constitution to allow the Oregon Legislature with a two-thirds vote in each chamber to impeach statewide elected officials, including the governor, secretary of state, attorney general, treasurer and labor commissioner.
Measure 116 would establish an independent compensation commission that would determine the salaries of certain elected officials, including the governor, statewide elected officials, state lawmakers, judges and district attorneys.
Measure 117 would institute single-winner ranked-choice voting for future federal and statewide races. Alaska and Maine are currently the only two states that have fully implemented that system.
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Finally, Measure 119 would require owners of cannabis businesses to allow workers to unionize without interference.
The Oregonian/OregonLive Editorial Board will issue endorsements later this fall in select races in the 2024 election.
The University of Oregon’s Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to approve a $1.55 billion operating budget for the next fiscal year.
But they asked university leadership to return with an amended proposal by Dec. 15, when more details about future budget cuts will be known.
FILE — The Board of Trustees recently approved next year’s budget for the University of Oregon. The vote comes several weeks after the school’s president announced that he wants the university to reduce its annual budget as revenues and out-of-state enrollment decline.
Brian Bull / KLCC
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The vote comes several weeks after University of Oregon President Karl Scholz announced that he wants the school to reduce its annual budget by around $65 million.
At a trustees meeting Monday, Scholz said the estimated budget shortfall for next year is just around $23 million. But he said out-of-state enrollment is below historical norms for the second year in a row, and it’s unlikely to bounce back.
“One year can be an aberration. Two years is a pattern,” said Scholz. “And I believe we have to treat it as a new reality.”
Scholz said in May that discussions about the budget would happen over a six-month period. He said no final decisions about cuts would be made over this summer.
On Monday, UO Senate President Dyana Mason told trustees that the Senate had approved a new process to allow for community feedback in the cost-cutting process.
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Mason said the provost will work with the deans on budget proposals, finding “clear rationale” for why programs are considered for elimination.
The provost would then bring those proposals to the Senate Committee for Academic Modifications—which includes staff, faculty and students—for feedback.
Once the plans are nearly finalized, the Senate could then hold a period for public comment.
Mason told trustees that a six-month timeline is better than the three months that frustrated some staff last year, but she recommended taking however much time is necessary.
“The worst situation would be rushing forward to make decisions without appropriate evidence, data, feedback from the people that are most in the know about the impact on our students,” said Mason.
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UO’s Board of Trustees Chair Steve Holwerda said that every week that university delays the decisions could cost them millions of dollars.
Nathan Wilk is a reporter with the KLCC newsroom.This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
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Oregon’s juvenile justice system has been reshaped in recent years by a sweeping reform law that changed how the state handles minors accused of serious crimes.
Senate Bill 1008, which took effect in 2020, ended automatic transfers of juveniles into adult court and eliminated life without parole sentences for juveniles. The law also created “second-look” hearings and established parole eligibility after 15 years for certain offenders who committed crimes before turning 18.
To help explain the law and its impact, KVAL’s Frannie Pedersen put together a timeline video tracing the history of Senate Bill 1008, from the passage of Measure 11 in 1994 to the reforms that later reshaped Oregon’s juvenile justice system.
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The video breaks down how the law changed, why lawmakers pushed for reform, and how SB 1008 continues to influence Oregon’s justice system today. Viewers can watch the full video for a detailed timeline and explanation of the changes.
PORTLAND, Ore. — A New Jersey man was sentenced to federal prison last Friday for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon.
Mark T. Eager, 34, was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release.
“This defendant showed a blatant disregard for human life by trafficking fentanyl across the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Bradford. “My office will continue to pursue those who profit from poisoning our communities, and we will use every available resource and partnership to combat fentanyl trafficking and keep Oregonians safe.”
“This investigation brought together law enforcement agencies from across the nation,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Seattle acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “Homeland Security Investigations special agents from Portland, Newark, and Houston contributed to the case, along with the Portland Police Bureau and HIDTA HIT officers, who were instrumental in identifying Eager. His 11-year sentence sends a clear message: no matter where you are in the country or the world, if you attempt to sell narcotics online to Americans, we will find you.”
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“Fentanyl trafficking poses a grave threat to communities across the United States, and Homeland Security Investigations is committed to working with our partners to disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks responsible,” said HSI Houston Special Agent in Charge Lucia Cabral-DeArmas. “This case demonstrates the power of interagency collaboration under the Homeland Security Task Force initiative, leveraging resources from across the country to hold traffickers accountable and protect the American people. We will continue to pursue those who endanger lives through the distribution of dangerous synthetic opioids, and we remain steadfast in our mission to safeguard our communities from the violence and instability caused by transnational criminal organizations.”
“By following this offender’s digital trail, Homeland Security Investigations and our law enforcement partners nationwide executed federal search warrants, dismantled an active dark web fentanyl packaging operation and recovered deadly amounts of fentanyl, thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency, and a trove of electronic devices and packaging materials,” said HSI Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas. “This case is a powerful example of how coordinated, data-driven investigations can disrupt dangerous networks and help protect our communities from lethal synthetic opioids.”
According to court documents, from November 2023 through June 2024, Eager and his co-conspirator sold fentanyl on the Dark Net and Telegram. Eager operated as the vendor WRSEH10 and marketed the fentanyl as “China White Synthetic Heroin.”
In June 2024, HSI agents executed search warrants on two residences associated with Eager in Kearny, New Jersey, and seized over 360 grams of powdered fentanyl, counterfeit M30 pills, drug ledgers, cellular phones, two computers, and drug packaging consistent with three deliveries that were sent to Oregon.
On September 4, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a four-count indictment charging Eager with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl.
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On February 4, 2026, Eager pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
HSI Portland and HSI Houston investigated this case with assistance from HSI Newark, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Interdiction Task Force (HIT). Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Kerin prosecuted the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey assisted the U.S. Attorney’s in Oregon in obtaining the search warrants that were executed in Kearny.
