2016 Oregon gubernatorial special election

The 2016 Oregon gubernatorial special election took place on November 8, 2016, to elect the Governor of Oregon, concurrently with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as elections for the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, other gubernatorial elections and various state and local elections.

The election determined who would fill the remaining two years of the term of Democratic governor John Kitzhaber, who was re-elected in 2014 and resigned in February 2015. Incumbent Democratic governor Kate Brown, who as Oregon Secretary of State succeeded to the governorship, ran for election to the office. In primary elections held on May 17, Brown easily captured the Democratic nomination, and the Republicans picked Salem oncologist Bud Pierce.

Brown won the election and became the first openly LGBT person elected to a term as governor in U.S. history. This election was the first time since 1990 that a woman was elected Governor of Oregon.

Declared

 * Julian Bell, critical care and pulmonary medicine specialist
 * Kate Brown, incumbent governor
 * Chet Chance, professional driver
 * Kevin M. Forsythe, Walmart employee
 * Steve Johnson, health worker
 * Dave Stauffer, environmental engineer

Declined

 * Brad Avakian, State Labor Commissioner (running for secretary of state)
 * Tina Kotek, Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives
 * Ted Wheeler, state treasurer (running for Mayor of Portland)

Results
[[File:Oregon gubernatorial Democratic primary results by county, 2016.svg|thumb|Results by county: {{legend|#7996E2|Brown}}

{{legend|#6674DE|60–70%}}

{{legend|#584CDE|70–80%}}

{{legend|#3933E5|80–90%}} ]]

Declared

 * Allen Alley, former chairman of the Oregon Republican Party, nominee for Oregon State Treasurer in 2008 and candidate for governor in 2010
 * Bruce Cuff, real estate broker and candidate for governor in 2014
 * Bob Forthan, perennial candidate
 * Bob Niemeyer, engineering company owner and candidate for OR-01 in 2014
 * Bud Pierce, physician

Declined

 * Shane Bemis, Mayor of Gresham
 * Knute Buehler, state representative and nominee for secretary of state in 2012
 * Sid Leiken, Lane County Commissioner, former mayor of Springfield and candidate for Oregon's 4th congressional district in 2010 (running for secretary of state)
 * Julie Parrish, state representative
 * Dennis Richardson, former state representative and nominee for governor in 2014 (running for secretary of state)
 * Sherrie Sprenger, state representative
 * Monica Wehby, pediatric neurosurgeon and nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2014

Results
[[File:Oregon gubernatorial Republican primary results by county, 2016.svg|thumb|Results by county: {{legend|#e27f7f|Pierce}}

{{legend|#FFC8CD|30–40%}}

{{legend|#FFB2B2|40–50%}}

{{legend|#E27F7F|50–60%}}

{{legend|#D75D5D|60–70%}} {{legend|#ff9955|Alley}}

{{legend|#ffcca9|30–40%}}

{{legend|#ffb580|40–50%}}]]

Independent Party primary
The Independent Party of Oregon officially qualified as a major party on August 17, 2015.

Declared

 * Patrick Barney
 * Cliff Thomason, realtor

Declined

 * Betsy Johnson, Democratic state senator

Minor parties

 * Aaron Donald Auer (Constitution Party), candidate for governor in 2014
 * James Foster (Libertarian Party), candidate for OR-01 in 2014

Debates

 * Complete video of debate, October 13, 2016 - C-SPAN
 * Complete video of debate, October 20, 2016 - C-SPAN

Polling

 * Aggregate polls

→ Indicates an internal poll conducted on behalf of Bud Pierce.


 * with Allen Alley


 * with Shane Bemis


 * with Dennis Richardson

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

 * Tillamook (largest city: Tillamook)

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

 * Clatsop (largest city: Astoria)

Results by congressional district
Brown won 3 of the state's 5 congressional districts. Pierce won the other two, including one that elected a Democrat.