2016 Oregon gubernatorial special election

The 2016 Oregon gubernatorial special election took place on November 8, 2016, to elect the Governor of Oregon, concurrently with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as elections for the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, other gubernatorial elections and various state and local elections.

The election determined who would fill the remaining two years of the term of Democratic governor John Kitzhaber, who was re-elected in 2014 and resigned in February 2015. Incumbent Democratic governor Kate Brown, who as Oregon Secretary of State succeeded to the governorship, ran for election to the office. In primary elections held on May 17, Brown easily captured the Democratic nomination, and the Republicans picked Salem oncologist Bud Pierce.

Brown won the election and became the first openly LGBT person elected to a term as governor in U.S. history. This election was the first time since 1990 that a woman was elected Governor of Oregon.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Declared

• Julian Bell, critical care and pulmonary medicine specialist
• Kate Brown, incumbent governor
• Chet Chance, professional driver
• Kevin M. Forsythe, Walmart employee
• Steve Johnson, health worker
• Dave Stauffer, environmental engineer

Declined

• Brad Avakian, State Labor Commissioner (running for secretary of state)
• Tina Kotek, Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives
• Ted Wheeler, state treasurer (running for Mayor of Portland)

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

Declared

• Allen Alley, former chairman of the Oregon Republican Party, nominee for Oregon State Treasurer in 2008 and candidate for governor in 2010
• Bruce Cuff, real estate broker and candidate for governor in 2014
• Bob Forthan, perennial candidate
• Bob Niemeyer, engineering company owner and candidate for OR-01 in 2014
• Bud Pierce, physician

Declined

• Shane Bemis, Mayor of Gresham
• Knute Buehler, state representative and nominee for secretary of state in 2012
• Sid Leiken, Lane County Commissioner, former mayor of Springfield and candidate for Oregon's 4th congressional district in 2010 (running for secretary of state)
• Julie Parrish, state representative
• Dennis Richardson, former state representative and nominee for governor in 2014 (running for secretary of state)
• Sherrie Sprenger, state representative
• Monica Wehby, pediatric neurosurgeon and nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2014

Polling

Results

Independent Party primary

The Independent Party of Oregon officially qualified as a major party on August 17, 2015.

Candidates

Declared

• Patrick Barney
• Cliff Thomason, realtor

Declined

• Betsy Johnson, Democratic state senator

Results

Minor parties

• Aaron Donald Auer (Constitution Party), candidate for governor in 2014
• James Foster (Libertarian Party), candidate for OR-01 in 2014

General election

Debates

• Complete video of debate, October 13, 2016 - C-SPAN
• Complete video of debate, October 20, 2016 - C-SPAN

Predictions

Polling

Aggregate polls

→ Indicates an internal poll conducted on behalf of Bud Pierce.

Results

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

• Tillamook (largest city: Tillamook)

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

• Clatsop (largest city: Astoria)

Results by congressional district

Brown won 3 of the state's 5 congressional districts. Pierce won the other two, including one that elected a Democrat.

Notes

References

External links

Nominees

• Aaron Donald Auer (C) for Governor Archived 2016-08-16 at the Wayback Machine
• Kate Brown (D) for Governor
• James Foster (L) for Governor
• Bud Pierce (R) for Governor
• Cliff Thomason (I) for Governor Archived 2016-05-04 at the Wayback Machine

Primary candidates

• Julian Bell (D) for Governor
• Steve Johnson (D) for Governor
• Chet Chance (D) for Governor
• Allen Alley (R) for Governor Archived 2016-04-05 at the Wayback Machine
• Bob Niemeyer (R) for Governor
• Patrick Barney (I) for Governor