Oregon won’t have the only governor in the U.S. with a goatee after all. Gov. Kate Brown will keep her job for the next four years, winning 49 percent to Knute Buehler’s 44 percent.
The 2018 midterm election brought out high numbers in turnout: 62 percent, according to the Secretary of State. The high turnout didn’t just vote for Democrats higher up on the ballot. Besides re-electing Brown and Rep. Peter DeFazio, the down-ticket races felt a Democratic Party wave as well. This includes the technically nonpartisan Lane County Board of Commissioners and keeping outgoing state Rep. Phil Barnhart’s seat in the Democratic Party.
Heather Buch, who defeated appointed Commissioner Gary Williams 56 to 44 percent, will join Joe Berney (who defeated Commissioner Sid Leiken in May 2018) and Pete Sorenson to flip what has been perceived as a conservative Board of Commissioners to a more progressive majority.
In an election night address to supporters, Buch said she hopes her win will encourage more women to run for elected office.
She added to Eugene Weekly that she feels honored to be one of many women elected to office tonight.
In the legislative race, Barnhart told EW that he was impressed that Marty Wilde won the district by such a large margin because House District 11 is essentially a swing district.
Despite timber-fueled negative ads from Wilde’s opponent, Mark Herbert, Wilde won 56 to 44 percent.
Wilde’s win helps the Democratic Party gain a supermajority in the Oregon House of Representatives according to unofficial election results from Oregon Secretary of State. The Democratic Party now has three-fifths control of the House, making it easier to pass revenue increases.
This election was also a big one for Lane County in terms of race. State Sen. James Manning is now the first black man to be elected in Lane County to the Oregon Legislature. Both Republicans and Democrats can claim this historical moment since Manning ran with the endorsement of both parties. He was appointed to his Senate seat when former state Sen. Chris Edwards stepped down in 2016.
State Sens. Floyd Prozanski and Lee Beyer won their re-elections. Prozanski defeated Scott Rohter, 60 to 37 percent and Beyer beat Robert Schwartz 60 to 39 percent.
Other results include Measure 102 passing, and Oregonians rejecting Measures 103, 104, 105 and 106.
The Eugene School District school bond that will lead to a new North Eugene High School, among other district improvements, was approved as was Springfield’s $10 million road bond.
However, election reform will have to wait in Lane County. Score Then Automatic Reform (STAR), which was funded mostly by Mark Frohnmayer of Arcimoto, was rejected by 52 percent of voters.
A Note From the Publisher
Dear Readers,
The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.
That’s because of you!
Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.
Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.
We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.
And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.
None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.
As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.
Thank you for standing with us!
Publisher
Eugene Weekly
P.S. If you’d like to talk about supporting EW, I’d love to hear from you!
jody@eugeneweekly.com
(541) 484-0519
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