Oregon 2024 Primary Results

It’s been an interesting Democratic primary: For U.S. president, Joe Biden won with 87.3 % of the vote, 5.7% write-ins, and 7.0% for Marianne Williamson. Donald Trump won 92.% of the vote, 8% write-ins. Almost 5% opted for a write-in candidate, nearly double the rate in recent elections.

Here are noteworthy results so far:

U.S. House District 1

Suzanne BonamiciSuzanne Bonamici handily won the nomination, with 91% of votes as of this morning. She faced token opposition from Intel engineer Jamil Ahmad, whose platform is that military aid to Israel violates the constitutional separation between church and state.

U.S. House District 3

In the dependably blue district retiring Rep. Earl Blumenauer has held since 1996, the Democratic nominee is widely seen as a shoe-in for the office. Last night, former Multnomah County Commissioner Susheela Jayapal conceded to state Rep. Maxine Dexter, who as of press date had 51% of the vote to Jayapal's 28%.

“I want to congratulate Representative Maxine Dexter for winning the Democratic primary for Oregon's Third Congressional District,” Blumenauer, who did not issue an endorsement in this race, said. “Maxine has proven herself to be a serious and effective legislator. I am confident she'll take this success with her to Washington, D.C. I look forward to partnering with her to ensure our district is well-served when she is elected in November. There is a lot of work to do on behalf of our community.”

“I am so proud of running a campaign in which people who have never before felt included, did,” Jayapal said. “A campaign in which those who have felt on the margins weren’t just at the table – (they) were running the table. A campaign powered by over 5,600 donations, most of whom were grassroots donors who contributed what they had to help me raise over $1 million – and we did it the hard way, with donors by and large from this district.”

Maxine DexterThis particular campaign was rocked by large cash contributions from a couple political action committees that seemed to favor Dexter.

The 314 Action Fund’s purported mission is to support candidates with a background in science, which would explain its donations to pulmonologist Dexter – although the $2.2 million in contributions to the race in House District 3 is significantly more than the $474,000 314 PAC donated to Janelle Bynum’s campaign in District 5. Byum holds an undergrad degree in engineering. Because of legal deadlines, May contributors were not disclosed prior to the election. Jayapal and fellow candidate, Gresham City Councilor Eddy Morales, alleged the PAC was a front for far-right donors, but both were unable to provide proof at a recent press conference.

Dexter did disavow a second PAC, Voters for Responsive Government, as a “newly founded dark money group,” distancing herself from the more than $2 million in attack ads the PAC funded against Jayapal. Although Voters for Responsive Government is legitimately registered, the timing of recent spending means the group has not had to divulge its donors yet.

“This race showed so clearly why we need to have real campaign finance reform that allows for public financing,” Jayapal said after her concession. “Outside super PACs came in and spent an unprecedented $6 million, even timing their contributions so that they wouldn’t have to show who was trying to buy this election until well after the votes were cast. While we weren’t able to change that fact this time around, I remain committed to working to make our elections truly democratic. There is so much work to be done. And I will continue that work.”

U.S. House District 5

Janelle BynumJanelle Bynum received 69% of the vote to Jamie McLeod-Skinner’s 31%. Bynum will now run against current Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, who she beat twice in state races.

“There is so much at stake in this election and we have a choice between a democracy that works for folks here in Oregon, or the dysfunction in congress that works for no one,” Bynum said. “Our district cannot afford two more years of an extreme enabler like Lori Chavez-DeRemer, who has gone along with the chaos of her far-right party and proven herself to be a part of the problem in DC at a time when our families need answers more than ever. In Congress, I’ll work to address our growing housing crisis, create good-paying jobs, and bring federal resources home where they belong. And unlike Lori Chavez-DeRemer, I will do everything I can to protect and expand abortion access for Oregon women. The fight for our families and our future starts now – and I’m ready to lead.”

An election official gathers vote-by-mail ballots from inside a dropbox outside the Multnomah County elections office on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

Tobias Read

Secretary of State

With 70%, former state treasurer Tobias Read bested state Sen. James Manning, a member of the BIPOC Caucus, who received 21%.

Dan Rayfield

Attorney General

Oregon Rep. Dan Rayfield (D-Corvallis) secured the nomination with 76%.

Elizabeth Steiner

State Treasurer

Oregon Sen. Elizabeth Steiner (D-Portland) easily secured the Democratic nomination with 78%.

Multnomah County District Attorney 

As of press time, Nathan Vasquez leads his supervisor, Mike Schmidt, by just under nine percentage points with 54%.

Shannon Singleton

County Commission, District 2

With 45% of the vote, social worker and progressive candidate Shannon Singleton is likely headed to a run-off with either former mayor Sam Adams (currently 24%) or local business owner and hotelier Jessie Burke (23%).