Election 2006

Oregon Election Results

By Dan Richardson, 11-07-06

UPDATED, 11-7

These results are initial, people, but it looks like Ted has pulled out the win. The Oregon Secretary of State’s office has voters supporting incumbent Ted Kulongoski (D) for governor over Ron Saxton (R), by 54 to 40 percent.

This is as of 8:45 p.m., Tuesday, with 291,583 votes cast.

Oregon’s election results won’t be official for some days — but, check out how the commentators and informed observers predicted the results (they guessed Kulongoski would beat Saxton handily). That’s right, it’s the 2006 Oregon Punditology Challenge!

Oh, you want election results? They’ll be available beginning at 8:05 p.m., here.

Other early results show a sweep...by area incumbents in the major races.

Rep. Greg Walden (R) beating challenger Carol Voisin (D) by 2-to-1, to return for yet another term in Congress. (The district includes all of eastern and southern Oregon, but neither Hood River nor Wasco County results had been reported as of 8:35 p.m.)

State Senator Rick Metsger (D), representing the Hood River area, appears to be fending off Carol York by a healthy margin of 63-36 percent.

Patti Smith (R) likewise seems to have won re-election over Suzanne VanOrman (D), with 54 to 46 percent of the vote.

Only nearer The Dalles does a Gorge-area upset seem to be playing out: incumbent John H. Dallum (R) has, as of 8:40, captured only 45 percent of the vote; challenger Jim Gilbertson (D) is up, with 55 percent.

As for ballot measures, the most significant ones are:

Measure 39 (eminent domain protections), passing 66-34 percent.

Measure 43 (parental notification), failing 44-56.

Measure 44 (drug prescription program), passing 78-22.

Measure 45 (term limits), failing, 41-59.

Measure 48 (spending cap), failing 29-71.

Besides the Secretary of State’s page (linked above), the Oregonian has a comprehensive “Elections Central” page worth a Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning visit.

The blogosphere will be hot with post-election rants and jeers for days to come. For some of the more thoughtful comments from the blogosphere, and region-wide observations, check out Ridenbaugh Press.

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