Legislative Update

With the 2026 legislative session now concluded, attention is shifting to the ballot, the courts, and the 2026 election cycle. Below is a brief update on key developments.

Oregon Primary (May 19th) Candidate Filing Statistics and Information

March 10th was the deadline to file for the Primary Election.

In the Oregon House:
- Democratic incumbents running for re-election: 34.
- Republican incumbents running for re-election: 17.
In the Oregon Senate (only half the chamber up):
- Democratic incumbents running for re-election: 10.
- Republican incumbents running for re-election: 0. *Note: All republican incumbents are mid-term.

SENATORS UP FOR RE-ELECTION

Floyd Prozanski (D-Eugene)
James Manning (D-Junction City)
Sara Gelser Blouin (D-Corvallis)
Deb Patterson (D-Salem)
Courtney Neron Misslin (D-Wilsonville)
*Janeen Sollman (D-Hillsboro)
*Lisa Reynolds (D-Washington Co.)
Rob Wagner (D-Lake Oswego)
Mark Meek (D-Gladstone)
Kayse Jama (D-E. Portland)

*Contested Primary

SENATORS NOT RETURNING

Republican

Christine Drazan (Canby)
Cedric Hayden (Fall Creek)
Kim Thatcher (Keizer)
Suzanne Weber (Tillamook)

Democrat

Jeff Golden (Ashland)

REPRESENTATIVES UP FOR RE-ELECTION

Republican

Court Boice (Gold Beach)
Virgil Osborne (Roseburg)
*Dwayne Yunker (Grants Pass)
Alek Skarlatos (Canyonville)
Kim Wallan (Medford)
Darin Harbick (McKenzie Bridge)
Shelly Boshart Davis (Albany)
*Kevin Mannix (Salem)
Anna Scharf (Amity)
Lucetta Elmer (McMinnville)
Darcey Edwards (Banks)
Werner Reschke (Malin)
Emily McIntire (Eagle Point)
*Greg Smith (Heppner)
Bobby Levy (Echo)
Vikki Breese-Iverson (Prineville)
Mark Owens (Crane)

Democrat

Pam Marsh (Ashland)
Lisa Fragala (Eugene)
David Gomberg (Otis)
*Nancy Nathanson (Eugene)
*Julie Fahey (Eugene)
Sarah Finger McDonald (Corvallis)
Tom Andersen (Salem)
*Paul Evans (Monmouth)
Lesly Munoz (Woodburn)
Ben Bowman (Tigard)
Sue Rieke Smith (Wilsonville)
Dacia Grayber (SW Portland)
*Susan McLain (Forest Grove)
Nathan Sosa (Hillsboro)
Cyrus Javadi (Tillamook)
Shannon Jones Isadore (Portland)
Mari Watanabe (Portland)
*Farrah Chaichi (Beaverton)
Hai Pham (Hillsboro)
Jules Walters (West Linn)
*Daniel Nguyen (Lake Oswego)
April Dobson (Happy Valley)
*Mark Gamba (Milwaukie)
Rob Nosse (Portland)
*Tawna Sanchez (Portland)
Travis Nelson (Portland)
Thuy Tran (Portland)
Willy Chotzen (Portland)
Andrea Valderrama (Portland)
Lamar Wise (Portland)
Zach Hudson (Troutdale)
Ricki Ruiz (Gresham)
Emerson Levy (Bend)
*Jason Kropf (Bend)

*Contested Primary

REPRESENTATIVES NOT RETURNING

Republican

Boomer Wright (Coos Bay)
Rick Lewis (Silverton)

Democrat

John Lively (Springfield)
Ken Helm (Beaverton)
Annessa Hartman (Gladstone)

LEGISLATORS SEEKING NEW OFFICE

Candidate | Running for:

Rep. Jami Cate (R-Lebanon) | Senate District 6 - Formerly Cedric Hayden
Rep. Ed Diehl (R-Stayton) | Governor
Rep. Jeff Helfrich (R-Hood River) | Senate District 26 – Formerly Christine Drazan
Sen. David Brock Smith (R-Port Orford) | US Senator (Merkley)
Sen. Christine Drazan (R-Canby) | Governor

TRANSPORTATION

With the 2026 legislative session concluded, the transportation debate has shifted from the Capitol to the courts and longer-term planning efforts. Opponents of the transportation tax increases have filed multiple legal challenges to the Legislature’s decision to move the referendum to May, but have now faced additional setbacks in court, including rulings allowing the May election timeline to proceed and upholding voter pamphlet deadlines. At the same time, the Governor has convened a bipartisan workgroup to begin developing a longer-term transportation funding framework for 2027, which is expected to meet monthly beginning in April.

Gas tax proponents file federal suit over voters’ pamphlet deadlines

Opponents of Gas Tax Face Second Court Setback

Governor Kotek Convenes Experts to Chart Oregon’s Transportation Future

Oregon Gov. Kotek convenes leaders to tackle transportation funding