A long, hard fought campaign for Oregon ballot measures and political candidates is finally over. Here is a list of some of the winners and losers.
(SALEM, Ore.) - A number of measures were up in front of Oregon voters in the November 4th Election. Voters chose to increase penalties against criminals including more mandatory minimum sentences. They voted against a controversial plan to disregard teacher seniority, and they decided not to limit how long a student can be taught in a foreign language.
Voters decided that 15% of lottery proceeds will not be going toward public safety fund for crime prevention, investigation and prosecution. They elected to creates an unlimited deduction for federal income taxes on individual taxpayers Oregon income-tax returns.
It has been a long campaign leading up to this day and many important decisions were made. The election of Barack Obama to the Presidency has been the center of the emerging news from the 2008 Elections but there is also a great deal of news in Oregon.
Here are the unofficial statewide returns on Oregon's November 4th 2008 State Ballot Measures:
MEASURE 54: Amends Constitution: Standardized voting eligibility for school board elections with other states and local elections.
WinnerYes Votes 674,247 71.83%No Votes 264,399 28.17%
MEASURE 55: Amends Constitution: Changes operative date of redistricting plans; allows affected legislators to finish term in original district.
WinnerYes Votes 711,658 77.08%No Votes 211,621 22.92%
MEASURE 56: Amends Constitution: Provides that May and November property tax elections are decided by majority of voters voting.
WinnerYes Votes 529,949 54.95%No Votes 434,425 45.05%
MEASURE 57: Increases sentences for drug trafficking, theft against elderly and specified repeat property and identity theft crimes; requires addiction treatment for certain offenders.
WinnerYes Votes 597,590 61.04%No Votes 381,463 38.96%
MEASURE 58: Prohibits teaching public school student in language other than English for more than two years.
DefeatedYes Votes 462,005 46.95%No Votes 521,968 53.05%
MEASURE 59: Creates an unlimited deduction for federal income taxes on individual taxpayers Oregon income-tax returns
DefeatedYes Votes 372,094 38.45%No Votes 595,519 61.55%
MEASURE 60: Teacher “classroom performance,” not seniority, determines pay raises; “most qualified” teachers retained, regardless of seniority.
DefeatedYes Votes 395,152 39.96%No Votes 593,688 60.04%
MEASURE 61: Creates mandatory minimum prison sentences for certain theft, identity theft, forgery, drug and burglary crimes.
WinnerYes Votes 501,553 50.91%No Votes 483,583 49.09%
MEASURE 62: Amends Constitution: Allocates 15% of lottery proceeds to public safety fund for crime prevention, investigation, prosecution.
DefeatedYes Votes 395,521 40.68%No Votes 576,720 59.32%
MEASURE 63: Exempts specified property owners from building permit requirements for improvements valued at/under 35,000 dollars.
DefeatedYes Votes 458,695 47.04%No Votes 516,375 52.96%
MEASURE 64: Penalizes person, entity for using funds collected with “public resource” for “political purpose”.
WinnerYes Votes 492,587 51.24%No Votes 468,747 48.76%
MEASURE 65: Changes general election nomination processes for major/minor party, independent candidates for most partisan offices.
DefeatedYes Votes 317,519 34.28%No Votes 608,855 65.72%
Candidate Results
Oregon had a number of races for various offices including Senate, Congress, Secretary of State, State Treasurer and Attorney General. Here are election results for Oregon's Congressional races and state offices:
It appeared initially that Republican Gordon Smith had won the race over Democrat Jeff Merkley in the Senate. Once the votes in largely Democratic Multnomah County were tallied, it became clear that Merkley was the winner in the race. Dave Brownlow of the Constitution party received 55,000 votes which accounted for 5.56% of the statewide voting population. There were 2,666 write-in Votes which was 0.27% of the tallied vote. 989,538 Oregonians participated in the voting process.
In the race for Representative in Congress, 1st District
Joel Haugen (Independent) 38,291 17.89%Chris Henry (Pacific Green) 4,040 1.89%Scott Semrau (Constitution) 8,868 4.14%David Wu (Democrat) 154,885 72.35%H Joe Tabor (Libertarian) 6,691 3.13%Write-in Votes 1,309 0.61%
Representative in Congress, 2nd District
Richard D Hake (Constitution) 4,141 1.69%Tristin Mock (Pacific Green) 6,346 2.58%Greg Walden (Republican) 169,955 69.17%Noah Lemas (Democrat) 64,847 26.39%Write-in Votes 432 0.18%
Representative in Congress, 3rd District
Michael Meo (Pacific Green) 4,994 3.69%Earl Blumenauer (Democrat) 102,076 75.52%Delia Lopez (Republican) 27,847 20.60%Write-in Votes 247 0.18%
Representative in Congress, 4th District
Jaynee Germond (Constitution) 26,294 14.10%Mike Beilstein (Pacific Green) 7,297 3.91%Peter A DeFazio (Democrat) 151,515 81.25%Write-in Votes 1,382 0.74%
Representative in Congress, 5th District
Kurt Schrader (Democrat) 96,114 56.46%Mike Erickson (Republican) 62,049 36.45%Steve Milligan (Libertarian) 2,427 1.43%Sean Bates (Independent) 3,473 2.04%Douglas Patterson (Constitution) 3,097 1.82%Alex Polikoff (Pacific Green) 2,535 1.49%Write-in Votes 538 0.32%
Secretary of State
Kate Brown (Democrat) 487,847 50.34%
Seth Alan Woolley (Pacific Green) 26,164 2.70%Rick Dancer (Republican) 453,884 46.84%Write-in Votes 1,209 0.12%
State Treasurer
Allen Alley (Republican) 434,687 46.06%Michael Marsh (Constitution) 31,010 3.29%Ben Westlund (Democrat) 476,358 50.48%Write-in Votes 1,585 0.17%
Attorney General
John R Kroger (Democrat) 626,599 73.09%J Ashlee Albies (Working Families) 91,056 10.62%Walter F (Walt) Brown (Pacific Green) 40,038 4.67%James E Leuenberger (Constitution) 96,337 11.24%Write-in Votes 3,283 0.38%
Oregon Election Results for 2008 Signify ChangeSalem-News.com