Local elections saw a blue wave Nov. 3 that mirrored the national one, with Democratic and progressive candidates winning spots in the state Legislature, Eugene and Springfield city councils and more. Lane County saw a 4 percent higher turnout than the May primary, with 140,917 voters casting their ballots.
Nationally, the Democratic party won a majority in the House and Senate and secured victories in several gubernatorial races. Emboldened by the victories, Democrats say they will keep their promises of affordability and pursue accountability for the executive branch, with Oregon’s re-elected Rep. Val Hoyle confirming that she will sign impeachment articles for President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
In a closely watched race, incumbent Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek declared victory over Republican Christine Drazan, leading by 6.26 percentage points at press time Nov. 4. “When I came into office, I made some promises about the things that I would prioritize, and I’ve kept those promises,” Kotek said during an Oct. 8 interview with Eugene Weekly. “Focusing on getting more housing, on helping folks who are living outside, making sure addiction treatment is improved and working hard to turn the corner on the types of results we’re seeing in our schools.”
Also at press time, Heather Buch, Lane County commissioner for East Lane District 5, was holding onto her seat by 697 votes. Two weeks before the election, a story by Lookout Eugene–Springfield detailed allegations made in leaked documents that Steve Mokrohisky, county administrator, withheld financial information about CleanLane, the county’s waste-processing project, from the Board of Commissioners. The documents, authored by a former Lane County counsel, claimed CleanLane could expose the county to a liability of upwards of $300 million. Mokrohisky refuted the allegations in a video response and pointed to the timing of the leaked documents and story in the lead up to the election.
Jake Pelroy, Buch’s conservative opponent, was a spokesperson for garbage haulers opposing CleanLane.
Buch told the crowd at the Democratic election watch party that her top priorities for her next term are addressing “bread and butter” issues raised by constituents including access to health care, affordable housing and wildfire and emergency management services. “That’s where they want their energy placed and those are the things I care about,” Buch tells Eugene Weekly.
The race between Buch and Pelroy saw record breaking campaign donation numbers for a county commissioner race, with the number topping $1 million by the time polls closed.
In the only contested Eugene City Council race, progressive candidate Athena Aguiar defeated 19-year incumbent Mike Clark for the north Eugene Ward 5 position. “I feel like I’m supposed to be feeling euphoric right now, but I’m feeling like I have a lot of work to do,” Aguiar says.
Measure 20-388, the Eugene Clean Energy Fund, passed with 57.8 percent of the vote. The fund will place a 2 percent fee on the gross profits of corporations in Eugene that make over $1 billion nationally and over $500,000 locally. The funds generated by the fee will be used to fund clean energy and climate resiliency projects.
“It’s been really clear that our community has been ready for this,” Aya Cockram, co-chief petitioner, says. “We have a dedicated funding source for climate, and I just can’t wait to see what our community decides to do with these new resources.”
In Springfield, progressive candidate Callee Ackland won the nonpartisan position for Ward 4 City Council, and City Councilor and Democrat Kori Rodley beat incumbent Adam Wilson for the 7th House District. Rodley says she is excited to work on pushing for a universal childcare system in Oregon while at the same time “bringing the voices of all those people we talked to in Springfield to the Legislature.”
Republican Darin Harbick beat Democrat Amber Smith in the race for House District 12, encompassing eastern Lane County. Smith received a bump from the blue wave — she garnered more than 12,000 votes despite not campaigning or responding to several media requests.
At the federal level, Sen. Jeff Merkley secured a handy victory over Republican David Smith. Hoyle held onto her seat by 11.15 percentage points, beating Monique DeSpain, a former Air Force colonel. Now that the Democrats have the majority in both houses, Hoyle says, they need to take initiative and must “not be meek.”
“We have not been bold, and we protected a system that is not working for working people,” Hoyle says of her fellow Democrats. “It is why MAGA exists, because working people were not feeling represented. It is why we have such an active DSA and young people are saying, ‘What exactly is this party doing for my future?’”
Hoyle says in order to fulfill Democratic promises of affordability, the party must be proactive and stop pouring funds into things like Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Department of Defense and the war in Iran. She adds that her first priority is to govern and ensure affordability comes, but Democrats also “actually need to be a check and a balance to the executive branch.”
Election results are based on unofficial numbers released 11 pm Nov. 3. Final election results are certified by the Oregon Secretary of State Nov. 25.