Election 2024 voter guide: Oregon statewide and federal races
A breakdown of the federal and statewide races on the ballot in Oregon for the November 2024 General Election.
AP Photo/Jenny Kane
November 5 is Election Day in the U.S., and Portland voters will be asked to weigh in on an exceptionally long list of major races, from the battle between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump at the top of the ballot all the way down to the contenders for the 12 seats on the new Portland City Council at the bottom.
This guide includes a look at all the federal and statewide races that will be on the ballot in Oregon, along with a couple from Washington that are likely of interest to Portland-area voters. Up-to-date coverage of the current election can be found at KGW's main Elections page, including guides for nonpartisan races and the Portland City Council race coming later this week.
The information below comes from each candidate's website, Federal Election Commission filings or their statement published in the Oregon Voter's Pamphlet. Each candidate listing below includes a link to their campaign website, unless they appear to have no website.
U.S. President and Vice President
Candidates on the ballot:
- Democrat: Kamala Harris and Tim Walz
- Republican: Donald Trump and J.D. Vance
- Green: Jill Stein
- Libertarian: Chase Oliver
- Independent: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
What to know:
Trump and Vance are not listed in the state voter's pamphlet, but they will be on the ballot. Candidates who wish to appear in the pamphlet must submit a statement for publication and pay a fee, and the Trump campaign did not do so. The same thing happened in the May primary election.
Kennedy withdrew from the race in late August and endorsed Trump, and has since attempted to remove his own name from the ballot in battleground states.
Congress
U.S. Senate, Washington
Candidates on the ballot:
- Democrat: Maria Cantwell (incumbent)
- Republican: Raul Garcia
What to know:
There's only one U.S. Senate seat on the ballot in Washington this year and none in Oregon due to the Senate's six-year term length. U.S. Senator Patty Murray of Washington was last reelected in 2022, and U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley of Oregon were last reelected in 2022 and 2020, respectively, so all three of them are still midway through their terms.
Washington's 3rd Congressional District
Candidates on the ballot:
- Democrat: Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (incumbent)
- Republican: Joe Kent
What to know:
The 2024 race is a rematch between Gluesenkamp Perez and Kent, who first faced off in 2022 after they finished first and second in Washington's top-two primary, ousting former Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler. Gluesenkamp Perez narrowly won in the general election, flipping the purple district to the Democrats for the first time in over a decade.
RELATED: In debate, Gluesenkamp Perez and Kent make their arguments to voters in Washington's 3rd District
The 3rd District covers southwest Washington, including Vancouver and Clark County but also extending east to cover Skamania County, north through Cowlitz County and into part of Thurston County, and west out to the coast.
Oregon's 1st Congressional District
Candidates on the ballot:
- Democrat: Suzanne Bonamici (incumbent)
- Republican: Bob Todd
- Libertarian: Joe Christman
What to know:
Bonamici is an attorney who served in the Oregon House and then the state Senate before being elected to her first term in the federal seat in 2012. Todd is an unknown; his website includes little information about his occupational or political background other than stating he has run for Congress three times prior. Christman is a computer programmer.
The 1st District includes the northwestern corner of the state, extending west from Portland to the coast and encompassing Tillamook, Clatsop and Columbia counties.
Oregon's 2nd Congressional District
Candidates on the ballot:
- Republican: Cliff Bentz (incumbent)
- Democrat: Dan Ruby
- Constitution: Michael Stettler
What to know:
Bentz is a lawyer, farmer and rancher who previously served in the Oregon House and Senate before winning the 2020 election to succeed the retiring Rep. Greg Walden in the 2nd District. Ruby is a science teacher and small business owner, and Stettler is a communications analyst with a background in electrical construction.
The reliably red district includes nearly all of Oregon east of the Cascades, along with a large portion of southwestern Oregon including Medford and Grant's Pass, although stopping short of the coast.
Oregon's 3rd Congressional District
Candidates on the ballot:
- Democrat: Maxine Dexter
- Republican: Joanna Harbour
- Pacific Green: Joe Meyer
- Independent: David Walker
What to know:
The winner of this race will succeed Rep. Earl Blumenauer, who is set to retire at the end of his current term after holding the seat for nearly 30 years. Dexter is a pulmonary physician who served in the Oregon House from 2020 until earlier this year, and Harbour is an attorney and small business owner. Meyer is a math teacher and Walker is a nurse practitioner.
RELATED: Maxine Dexter projected to win Democratic primary election for Oregon's 3rd Congressional District
The 3rd District includes most of Multnomah County east of the Willamette River and extends out to Hood River. The district's deep-blue status made for a hotly contested Democratic primary earlier this year, with Dexter emerging from a crowded field that included former Multnomah County Commissioner Susheela Jayapal and Gresham City Councilor Eddy Morales.
Oregon's 4th Congressional District
Candidates on the ballot:
- Democrat: Val Hoyle (incumbent)
- Republican: Monique DeSpain
- Pacific Green: Justin Filip
What to know:
Val Hoyle first won the seat in 2022, succeeding the retiring Rep. Peter DeFazio. She previously served as Oregon Labor Commissioner and a member of the Oregon House. DeSpain is an attorney and retired U.S. Air Force colonel, and Filip is a teacher and university program manager.
The district includes most of the Oregon coast from Lincoln City on south, and also extends east to include Eugene, Roseburg, and the southwestern portion of the Willamette Valley.
Oregon's 5th Congressional District
Candidates on the ballot:
- Republican: Lori Chavez-DeRemer (incumbent)
- Democrat: Janelle Bynum
- Libertarian: Sonja Feintech
- Independent: Brett Smith
What to know:
Chavez-DeRemer has a business background and previously served as mayor of Happy Valley. Bynum is a restaurateur and has served in the Oregon House since 2017. Feintech is a farm consultant and Smith is a small business owner. Bynum and Chavez DeRemer have faced off twice before in Oregon House races; Bynum narrowly won both times.
The 5th District was represented for years by moderate Democrat Kurt Schrader, but redistricting after the 2020 census shook things up, moving the district's borders east to exclude Salem and add Bend. Schrader was subsequently ousted by primary challenger Jamie McLeod-Skinner in 2022, but Chavez-DeRemer won the seat in the General Election.
Oregon's 6th Congressional District
Candidates on the ballot:
- Democrat: Andrea Salinas (incumbent)
- Republican: Mike Erickson
What to know:
Salinas is a political consultant who previously served in the Oregon House before winning the 6th District seat in 2022. Erickson is a small business owner who previously ran for the same seat in 2022 and narrowly lost, making the 2024 election a rematch.
The 6th District was created after Oregon picked up an additional seat following the 2020 Census. It includes Salem and extends west toward the coast, taking over some of the area that previously fell in the 5th District, although it also extends further north than the old 5th District, encompassing Tualatin, Tigard and part of Beaverton.
Oregon Secretary of State
Candidates on the ballot:
- Democrat: Tobias Read
- Republican: Dennis Linthicum
- Pacific Green: Nathalie Paravicini
What to know:
Read has served for the past 8 years as Oregon State Treasurer, after previously serving in the Oregon House. Linthicum has a background in engineering and currently serves in the Oregon State Senate, though he was disqualified from running for reelection in 2024 to his participation in the 2023 walkout. Paravicini is a naturopathic doctor.
The Oregon Secretary of State's office has had a turbulent recent history, with no fewer than six people holding the position in the past decade due to a scandal-driven resignation, a death in office and a promotion stemming from a separate resignation. Current Secretary LaVonne Griffin-Valade is an appointee serving out the rest of former Secretary Shemia Fagan's term.
Oregon State Treasurer
Candidates on the ballot:
- Democrat: Elizabeth Steiner
- Republican: Brian Boquist
- Working Families: Mary King
What to know:
The winner will succeed Read, who is prevented by term limits from running for State Treasurer again. Steiner is a physician and Boquist is an army veteran and business owner; both currently serve in the Oregon State Senate. Mary King is an economics professor.
Like Linthicum, Boquist is barred by state law from seeking reelection in the Oregon Senate this year due to his participation in the 2023 walkout. He was also the subject of a legislative complaint over threatening comments during another walkout in 2019.
Oregon Attorney General
Candidates on the ballot:
- Democrat: Dan Rayfield
- Republican: Will Lanthrop
What to know:
Rayfield is an attorney and member of the Oregon State House. He served as House Speaker from 2022 until earlier this year, succeeding longtime speaker Tina Kotek when she was elected Governor. Lanthrop is an attorney who has previously worked as a deputy district attorney in Marion and Yamhill counties, then at National District Attorneys Association and the International Justice Mission in Uganda.
The winner will succeed current Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, a Democrat, who has opted not to seek reelection.