Oregon Primary Election Just Around the Corner!

Posted by Pam Leavitt on April 19, 2026

The 2026 Oregon Legislative Session concluded just over a month ago, and attention has quickly shifted to the May 19 primary election, where several incumbents are now facing challengers. Additionally, the Republican primary to take on Tina Kotek is also heating up!

The common themes across the legislative primaries are taxes, public safety, schools, housing, and the cost of living. The field also suggests Republicans are trying to make gains in a handful of districts where they see a realistic opening, while Democrats are defending their edge in much of the state.  In Oregon, the primary determines each party’s nominees, so these legislative contests matter because they decide who will carry each party into November.

Recent Oregon Republican Primary Debate

The debate centered on familiar themes: criticism of Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek, calls for lower taxes and lighter regulation, and promises to improve schools, public safety, and forest management. The candidates argued that Oregon’s economy is hurting and that state government needs more accountability. They also emphasized making the state more business-friendly and reducing regulatory burdens.

What stood out:  Chris Dudley positioned himself as an outsider with business experience, while Christine Drazan cast herself as the strongest opponent to Kotek and the Democratic “machine.” Ed Diehl and Danielle Bethell also pressed their own business and leadership credentials.

Key Legislative Races

The key Oregon House and Senate primary races in 2026 are the ones with open seats or notable incumbent movement. Here are the main Oregon primary state legislative races to watch for the May 19 election:

• State Senate District 6 is one of the clearest Republican contests, with Rep. Jami Cate, Nicole de Graff, and Jack Tibbetts competing for the GOP nomination in a district Republicans are trying to hold.
• State Senate District 11 has a notable matchup on the Democratic side, where former state Rep. Teresa Alonso Leon and former Salem City Councilor Virginia Stapleton are competing, while former Republican state Rep. Tracy Cramer is unopposed in the GOP primary.
• State Senate District 16 is another crowded race, with former state Sen. Rachel Armitage, nurse Aaron Dickie, and tax consultant Jordan Gutierrez running for the Democratic nomination, and substitute teacher Courtney Bangs, business owner Tripp Dietrich, and retired aerospace engineer Frank Mansfield running for the Republican nomination.

• House races in the Portland area are also getting attention, especially several competitive seats including HD 38 where incumbent Daniel Nguyen. Daniel Nguyen continues to build a sizable war chest as he fends off a challenge from teacher John Wasielewski in the Democratic primary for HD 38 (Lake Oswego).

• State House District 11: Jami Cate is not seeking reelection because she is running for State Senate instead. That makes this an open-seat race and usually one of the more competitive primary contests.

• In HD 7 (Springfield), Springfield City Councilor Kori Rodley has picked up financial support from the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association and now has more cash on hand than her two opponents, Ky Fireside and K.C. Huffman.
• In HD 27 (Beaverton area), support for Beaverton city councilor Ashley Hartmeier-Prigg has ticked up substantially, with her campaign reporting more dollars than her opponent, Democratic socialist candidate Tammy Carpenter.

You can view a overview of all the races at Ballotpedia.org/Oregon_State_Legislature.org

Oregon will hold its statewide primary on May 19, 2026, and primary ballots are mailed on April 29^th!

Posted in Advocacy on the Move, Oregon Advocacy.