2022 primary elections in Oregon: What to know to register, vote, learn about candidates
There's not a presidential election in 2022, but voters still have plenty to turn out for, from seats in City Hall to the Oregon Capitol to Congress.
On May 17, voters across Marion and Polk counties will have a chance to weigh in on the U.S. Senate and U.S. House; Oregon races for governor, state representatives and senators; and seats on the boards of commissioners.
In some cases, voters will select party nominees. In others, they may narrow the field before the November election.
Salem residents will also vote on City Council seats.
Here's what you need to know about registering, voting and what will be on the primary ballot.
Check your voter registration
People can check their voter registration status at the state's My Vote page, bit.ly/or-check-voter-reg. My Vote also lets people quickly update their registration if they've moved, had a name change or want to update their political affiliation.
Oregon has closed primaries, meaning if you want to vote on a party's nomination, you need to identify as part of that political party. People who are unaffiliated with any political party still can vote on nonpartisan seats. Other than the Commissioner of the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries, state-level seats are partisan. All federal seats on the ballot are partisan.
People who aren't already registered to vote can register through My Vote or can download and fill out the voter registration form available at sos.oregon.gov/elections/Documents/SEL500.pdf then mail it to or drop it off at the county elections office at 555 Court Street NE in Salem. People also can register in person at the county elections office.
Voters should have received notification cards about their registration within the past week. The cards include the voter’s precinct, senate and representative districts based on the recent redistricting process.
New county commissioner districts will go into effect for the 2023 election cycle, and will not be reflected on the voter notification.
The deadline to register to vote is 11:59 p.m. April 26.
Seats on the ballot and who's running
There are multiple county and city seats up for election this year.
Marion County
Board of Commissioners
Two seats on the Board of Commissioners are up for election.
Position 1 is currently held by Republican Kevin Cameron. Cameron is running unchallenged for the Republican nomination. Andrew Dennis, a program analyst at Oregon Housing and Community Services, a state agency, is running unchallenged for the Democratic nomination.
Position 2 is currently held by Republican Colm Willis. Willis has filed for the Republican nomination and is unchallenged. Mark Wigg is running for the Democratic nomination and is unchallenged.
District Attorney
Incumbent Paige Clarkson is running for reelection.
Clarkson is being challenged by Spencer Todd, a public defender.
Other offices
Sam Brentano, a former county commissioner, has filed unchallenged to run for county treasurer. Current Justice of the Peace Justin Kidd has also filed to run for the office and is unchallenged.
Salem
City Council
There are four City Council wards on the ballot:
City Council Ward 2, south-central Salem.
City Council Ward 4, Salem's southernmost ward.
City Council Ward 6, northeast Salem.
City Council Ward 8, West Salem.
Seven people have filed for those seats:
Linda Nishioka, formerly director of facial plastic surgery at Willamette ENT and a member of Salem's Downtown Advisory Board, Riverfront Park Committee and Streetscape Committee, for City Council Ward 2.
Deanna Gwyn, a principal broker with Blum Real Estate and secretary with the Mid-Valley Association of Realtors, for City Council Ward 4.
Dynee Medlock, a network specialist, Apple technician and former board member of the South Gateway Neighborhood Association, for City Council Ward 4.
Julie Hoy, a musician, nonprofit leader and owner of Geppetto's Italian Restaurant, for City Council Ward 6.
Stacey Vieyra-Braendle, an occupational therapist and Pacific University adjunct faculty teacher, for City Council Ward 6.
Micki Varney, a salmon biologist, for City Council Ward 8.
Chris Cummings, a CEO for a local tech company, for City Council Ward 8.
Two people have also filed to run for mayor:
Chris Hoy, who currently serves as a city councilor and state representative.
Chane Griggs, who previously worked as the assistant director for the Oregon Department of Corrections and regional director for the Oregon Community Foundation and who has been involved in city planning commissions.
Polk County
County Commission
Two seats on the Board of Commissioners are up for election.
Position 2 is currently held by Craig Pope. Pope has filed for reelection and is being challenged by former Dallas city councilor Micky Garus.
Position 3 is currently held by Jeremy Gordon, who was appointed commissioner in August 2021 and is running for election. He is unchallenged.
State Legislature
Four state house and senate seats in the Salem area will have primary contests.
Senate District 11
Next January, for the first time since 1999, Salem will not be represented in the Oregon Senate by Senate President Peter Courtney. Five people are running, two Republicans and three Democrats.
Sen. Kim Thatcher, R-Keizer, will square off against small business owner Marcello De Cicco in the Republican primary.
The Democratic race will be among Anthony Rosilez, executive director of the Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission; Eric Swenson, Woodburn mayor; and Richard Walsh, former Keizer city councilor.
House District 19
With current Rep. Raquel Moore-Green running for Senate, this race also is without an incumbent but is full of current and former elected politicians.
Only one Republican is running, former Salem city councilor TJ Sullivan.
Two current Salem city councilors are competing against each other in the Democratic primary — Tom Andersen and Jackie Leung. Rep. Brad Witt, who currently represents House District 31 northwest of Portland, will also join the mix.
House District 21
Five candidates are seeking the seat formerly held by Rep. Brian Clem, who announced his resignation from the House of Representatives in October. Salem City Councilor Chris Hoy was appointed to replace Clem, but does not live in the re-drawn district.
In the Republican primary, long-time Oregon politico Kevin Mannix is running against forklift operator Kyler McNaught.
Among the Democrats, the race is among small business owner and veteran Ramiro Navarro Jr., farm and outdoor store manager David McCall and financial analyst Robert Husseman.
House District 22
Two Republicans and two Democrats will compete to fill the seat vacated by State Rep. Teresa Alonso Leon and her campaign for Congress.
Accounts receivable clerk Karl Emmrich and senior education policy analyst Anthony Medina will face off in the Democratic primary. The Republican race will be between cybersecurity analyst Jim Lowder and former dental assistant Tracy Cramer.
The remaining seats in the greater Salem area won't have a contested primary on either side of the aisle:
Senate District 10
Democrat: Sen. Deb Patterson (incumbent).
Republican: Rep. Raquel Moore-Green.
House District 18
Republican: Rep. Rick Lewis (incumbent).
Democrat: Jesse Smith, former small business owner and part-time web developer.
House District 20
Democrat: Rep. Paul Evans (incumbent).
Republican: Dan Farrington, medical consulting business owner.
House District 23
Republican: Anna Scharf (incumbent).
Democrat: Elise Yarnell Hollamon, Newberg city councilor.
Oregon governor
More than 30 people have filed to run for governor and been determined eligible.
Republican candidates
Nearly 20 are seeking the Republican nomination.
Raymond Baldwin, from Clackamas County.
Bridget Barton, from Clackamas County.
Court Boice, who serves on the Curry County Board of Commissioners.
David Burch, from Marion County.
Reed Christensen, from Washington County.
Christine Drazan, who's currently serving as a state representative for part of Clackamas County and is the House minority leader.
Jessica Gomez, from Jackson County.
Nick Hess, from Washington County.
Tim McCloud, from Marion County.
Kerry McQuisten, the current mayor of Baker City in Baker County.
Brandon Merritt, from Deschutes County.
Bud Pierce, from Polk County.
John Presco, from Springfield.
Stan Pulliam, the current mayor of Sandy in Clackamas County.
Amber Richardson, from Jackson County.
Bill Sizemore, from Deschutes County.
Stefan Strek, from Eugene.
Marc Thielman, who resigned as superintendent of the Alsea School District to run for governor.
Bob Tiernan, a former state representative from Clackamas County.
Democratic candidates
More than a dozen are seeking the Democratic nomination:
David Beem, from Marion County.
Julian Bell, from Jackson County.
Wilson Bright, from Multnomah County.
George Carrillo, from Washington County.
Michael Cross, from Marion County.
Ifeanyichukwu Diru, from Washington County.
Peter Hall, a city councilor for Haines in Baker County.
Tina Kotek, who's served as a state representative for part of Multnomah County since 2007 and House Speaker since 2013; she resigned the posts to run.
Dave Lavinsky, from Deschutes County.
Keisha Lanell Merchant, from Benton County.
Tobias Read, a Washington County resident who's served as state treasurer since 2017.
Patrick E. Starnes, from Linn County.
John Sweeney, from Multnomah County.
Michael Trimble, from Multnomah County.
Genevieve Wilson, from Multnomah County.
Peter Winter, from Clackamas County.
BOLI Commissioner
Seven people have filed to lead the state agency in this nonpartisan race:
Aaron Baca, a small business owner from Washington County.
Brent Barker, a banker and small business owner from Washington County.
Cheri Helt, a business owner from Deschutes County.
Chris Henry, a union linehaul truck driver from Clackamas County.
Casey M. Kulla, a Yamhill County commissioner who was running for governor until recently.
Robert Neuman, a Baker County resident who describes himself as a general laborer.
Christina Stephenson, a civil rights attorney and small business owner from Washington County.
Congressional District 5
Oregon's fifth congressional district includes some suburbs south of Portland, the Salem area and stretches south and eastward over the Cascades. Incumbent Kurt Schrader, a Democrat, will face Jamie McLeod-Skinner, of Terrebonne, who challenged former U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., prior to redistricting in 2018.
Five Republicans are running in that party's primary: Lori Chavez-DeRemer, formerly the mayor of Happy Valley; Jimmy Crumpacker, a Bend investor; John Di Paola, a retired doctor, of Wilsonville; Madison Oatman, a Bend mitigation technician for a restoration company; and Laurel Roses, a Mulino co-owner of a trucking company.
Congressional District 6
Oregon was granted a sixth congressional seat for the first time during the nationwide redistricting process last year, and 15 candidates have emerged to become its inaugural representative.
The new district encompasses Polk and Yamhill counties as well as portions of Marion County (including Salem), Clackamas County and Washington County.
Six are on the Republican side: Rep. Ron Noble of McMinnville; former Keizer city councilor Amy Ryan Courser; clean energy executive Nate Sandvig; former U.S. representative and state senator Jim Bunn; Dundee mayor David Russ; and U.S. Air Force veteran Angela Plowhead.
Among the Democrats, Rep. Teresa Alonso Leon of Woodburn, Rep. Andrea Salinas of Lake Oswego and former Multnomah County commissioner Loretta Smith are the candidates with the most government experience. But there are a host of well-funded, if inexperienced, candidates also vying for voters' approval.
Here are the top five candidates in the race when looking at funding, according to Federal Election Commission data. Campaign finance information for federal races is reported quarterly to the FEC; the next report will be on April 15.
Democrat Cody Reynolds, United States Army veteran — $2 million in campaign account (from a loan he made to himself).
Democrat Matt West, Intel development engineer —$620,000 in campaign account.
Sandvig — $185,000 in campaign account.
Salinas — $180,000 in campaign account.
Smith — $175,000 in campaign account.
US Senate
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat, is seeking reelection.
He faces two primary challengers:
William E. Barlow III, from Yamhill County.
Brent Thompson, from Curry County.
More than half a dozen Republicans are seeking the party nomination to run in November:
Jason Beebe, the current mayor of Prineville in Crook County.
Chris Christensen, a Washington County resident who ran for the First Congressional District in 2020.
Robert M. Fleming, from Multnomah County.
Darin Harbick, a business owner from Lane County whose name people might recognize from Harbick's Country Inn.
Sam Palmer, a commissioner in Grant County.
Jo Rae Perkins, from Linn County.
Ibra A Taher, a Eugene resident who describes himself as a self-employed philosophy teacher.
Ballot measures
There are four ballot measures in Marion County so far:
Measure 24-460, regarding whether the city of Sublimity should continue to put fluoride in its water supply.
Measure 24-461, regarding whether the city of Donald should assess residents to pay for police services.
Measure 24-462, regarding whether the city of Aurora should issue bonds for water system improvements and construction projects.
Measure 24-463, regarding whether Gervais School District No. 1 should issue bonds for school construction, improvement and repair projects.
What district are you voting in?
All Marion and Polk County residents vote for U.S. Senate and for statewide offices like governor and BOLI Commissioner. Marion and Polk county commissioners are elected countywide.
State legislators are elected by district. To see which district you live in, go to oregonlegislature.gov/findyourlegislator/leg-districts.html, which is valid through 2022 and has links to redistricting information.
Salem residents can find their ward at cityofsalem.net/Pages/ward-map.aspx.
Getting a ballot and voting
Active registered voters will receive an official ballot in the mail to complete and return. Ballots are being mailed out April 28.
People can mail ballots back or drop them off at an official dropbox, which opens April 28. Dropbox locations will be available at sos.oregon.gov/voting/Pages/drop-box-locator.aspx 20 days before the election.
Ballots must be received or mailed with a valid postmark by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Get more information on elections
Oregon residents are expected to receive pamphlets with information on ballot measures and candidates two to three weeks before the election to give them time to research what's on the ballot.
There's also more information on voting and elections available on various webpages:
Marion County: co.marion.or.us/CO/elections
Polk County: co.polk.or.us/microsite/elections
Salem: cityofsalem.net/pages/run-for-elected-city-office.aspx
Contact city government watchdog Megan Banta at mbanta@registerguard.com. Follow her on Twitter @MeganBanta_1. Salem reporters Whitney Woodworth, Connor Radnovich and Claire Withycombe contributed reporting.
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Oregon primary election 2022: Register, vote, learn about candidates
