2006 Oregon gubernatorial election

The 2006 Oregon gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Democratic Governor of Oregon Ted Kulongoski ran for a second and final term as governor. Kulongoski faced several challengers in his primary, whom he dispatched to win his party's nomination a second time, while Republican nominee Ron Saxton, the former Chair of the Portland Public Schools Board and a candidate for governor in 2002 emerged from a crowded primary. Kulongoski and Saxton were initially going to be challenged in the general election by State Senator Ben Westlund, but Westlund withdrew his candidacy before the general election. There were multiple independent and third party challengers on the ballot as well. In a hard-fought campaign, Kulongoski won re-election by a surprisingly wide margin, winning his second term as governor.

As of 2023, this marks the last occasion in which the following counties have voted Democratic in a gubernatorial election: Clackamas, Columbia, Marion, and Wasco.

Democratic primary
[[File:Oregon Democratic gubernatorial primary results by county, 2006.svg|thumb|Democratic primary results by county: Ted Kulongoski

{{legend|#afb0ffff|50–55%}}{{legend|#cdcdffff|45–50%}}{{legend|#e1e1ffff|40–45%}} Jim Hill

{{legend|#b2ffb2ff|40–45%}}]]

Candidates

 * Ted Kulongoski, incumbent Governor of Oregon
 * Jim Hill, former Oregon State Treasurer, 2002 Democratic candidate for Governor of Oregon
 * Peter Sorenson, Lane County Commissioner

Republican primary
[[File:2006 Oregon gubernatorial election, Republican primary results map by county.svg|thumb|Republican primary results by county: Ron Saxton

{{legend|#f0676cff|50–55%}}{{legend|#f48d91ff|45–50%}}{{legend|#f8b3b6ff|40–45%}}{{legend|#ffcdcdff|35–40%}} Kevin Mannix

{{legend|#ffe48aff|35–40%}}{{legend|#fff29bff|30–35%}} Jason Atkinson

{{legend|#5bc75bff|45–50%}}{{legend|#98f998ff|35–40%}} ]]

Candidates

 * Ron Saxton, former Chair of the Portland Public Schools Board
 * Kevin Mannix, former Oregon State Representative, 2002 Republican nominee for Governor of Oregon
 * Jason Atkinson, Oregon State Senator
 * W. Ames Curtright
 * Gordon Leitch
 * William E. Spidal
 * David W. Beem
 * Bob Leonard Forthan, perennial candidate

Campaign
As the Democratic and Republican primaries intensified, State Senator Ben Westlund, a registered Republican, announced that he would run for governor as an independent. Though Westlund gathered the requisite signatures to be able to run, he eventually dropped out of the race in August, noting, "At the beginning of this campaign, I made a commitment to the people of Oregon, that I was in it to win it, and that I absolutely would not play a spoiler role." Constitution Party nominee Mary Starrett was widely perceived to win votes largely at the expense of Saxton's campaign.

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

 * Clackamas (largest city: Lake Oswego)
 * Marion (largest city: Salem)
 * Wasco (largest city: The Dalles)