Oregon incumbents lead congressional races

All seven incumbent members of Oregon’s congressional delegation are leading their respective races as of 8 p.m. Tuesday, with more than one million votes counted. The Associated Press has called the Senate race for Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley and the House races for Democratic Reps. Suzanne Bonamici and Maxine Dexter.

The state’s five Democratic U.S. representatives and one Republican representative hold the lead in every district. The tightest margin appears in the 5th Congressional District, where Democratic Rep. Janelle Bynum leads Deschutes County Commissioner Patti Adair by nearly 10 points. This district includes Linn County, most of Clackamas and Desches counties, and parts of Multnomah and Marion counties.

Bynum won the seat in 2024 by defeating Republican Lori Chavez-DeRemer. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday evening, Bynum stated that she does not take her odds for granted in this swing district. She said her goal was to defend the seat so Democrats could regain control of the House. Bynum noted the race was hard-fought, costing $37.5 million in the previous cycle, and that her team aimed to make the current contest less competitive.

Federal campaign finance records show Bynum raised more than $4.7 million for her second term, filed in early 2025. Adair’s campaign raised $680,000. The next closest race is in the 4th Congressional District, a rematch between Democratic Rep. Val Hoyle and Republican Monique DeSpain. Hoyle leads DeSpain by nearly 12 percentage points, having won the 2024 race by nearly 8 percentage points. The district covers the central and southern coast and includes the university towns of Eugene and Corvallis.

Sen. Merkley is defeating three challengers: Republican state Sen. David Brock Smith of Port Orford, Libertarian Gary Lyndon Dye, and Chris Henry, who ran as a Progressive and Pacific Green candidate. In the 1st Congressional District, which spans the North Coast and Portland, Rep. Bonamici had captured 70% of the vote. This district has the second highest proportion of registered Democratic voters in the state.

In the 2nd Congressional District, which borders Idaho, Republican Rep. Cliff Bentz leads Democratic challenger Chris Beck by 21 percentage points. Bentz had nearly 61% of the vote and appears headed for a fourth term. The district holds the highest percentage of registered Republican voters in Oregon.

The 3rd Congressional District, based in Portland, has the highest proportion of registered Democrats. Voters reelected Rep. Maxine Dexter to a second term, with more than 75% of the vote against Republican Loran Ayles. In the 6th Congressional District, which covers the Willamette Valley, Rep. Andrea Salinas leads Republican David Russ by nearly 16 percentage points. All candidates in these congressional races raised at least $19.6 million and spent $13.5 million according to the Federal Election Commission.