The 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Oregon were held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012 to elect the five
U.S. representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
from the state of
Oregon
Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...
,
apportioned according to the
2010 United States Census
The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servi ...
. The elections coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices, including a quadrennial
presidential election
A presidential election is the election of any head of state whose official title is President.
Elections by country
Albania
The president of Albania is elected by the Assembly of Albania who are elected by the Albanian public.
Chile
The pre ...
. All five incumbents, four Democrats and one Republican, were re-elected to another term.
Primary elections for
Democrats and
Republicans were held on May 15, 2012; other parties had other nominating procedures. Several candidates received nominations for multiple parties, as permitted by Oregon law.
Overview
Redistricting
On June 29, 2011, members of the
Oregon Legislative Assembly reached an agreement on
redistricting all five of
Oregon's congressional districts
The U.S. state of Oregon has had six United States congressional districts since 2023, when the 6th district was created as a result of the 2020 census. The 5th district was added as a result of the 1980 census, and boundaries were redrawn followi ...
, as required by population changes from the
2010 Census. Among other changes,
Downtown Portland
Downtown Portland is the city center of Portland, Oregon, United States. It is on the west bank of the Willamette River in the northeastern corner of the southwest section of the city and where most of the city's high-rise buildings are found ...
was moved from District 1 to District 3; District 2 ceded more of the
Grants Pass
Grants Pass is the county seat of Josephine County, Oregon, United States. The city is located on Interstate 5 in Oregon, Interstate 5, northwest of Medford, Oregon, Medford, along the Rogue River (Oregon), Rogue River. The population was 39,189 ...
area to District 4; and District 5 was changed to include more of Clackamas County and only small parts of Multnomah County.
District 1
Oregon's 1st congressional district
Oregon's 1st congressional district is a congressional district located in the U.S state of Oregon. The district stretches from Portland's western suburbs and exurbs, to parts of the Oregon coast. The district includes the principal cities of ...
is represented by Democrat
Suzanne Bonamici
Suzanne Marie Bonamici ( ; born October 14, 1954) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Oregon's 1st congressional district, a seat she was first elected to in a 2012 special election. The district includes m ...
, the winner of a January 2012
special election
A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India, or a Zimni election (Urdu: ضمنی انتخاب, supplementary election) in Pakistan, is an election used to f ...
held after Representative
David Wu
David Wu (born April 8, 1955) is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 1999 to 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
As a child of immigrants from Taiwan, Wu was the first Taiwanese American to serve ...
resigned following allegations of an unwanted sexual encounter following the resolution of the
2011 U.S. debt ceiling crisis.
[
] The district has a
PVI of D+6.
Democratic primary
Candidates
=Nominee
=
*
Suzanne Bonamici
Suzanne Marie Bonamici ( ; born October 14, 1954) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Oregon's 1st congressional district, a seat she was first elected to in a 2012 special election. The district includes m ...
, incumbent U.S. Representative
=Declined
=
*
Brad Avakian
Brad Peter Avakian (born February 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as a Democrat in the Oregon House, the Oregon Senate, and as the state's nonpartisan elected Labor Commissioner.
He was appointed Labor Commissioner by Governor Ted ...
, state
Commissioner of Labor and Industries and candidate for this seat in
2012 (special)
*
Ryan Deckert, former state senator
*
Elizabeth Furse, former U.S. Representative
*
Greg Macpherson
Gregory Hector Macpherson (born May 3, 1950) is a Democratic politician in the US state of Oregon. From 2003 to 2009, he served as the state representative from District 38, which includes most of Lake Oswego and portions of southwestern Por ...
, former
state representative
*
Dan Saltzman
Dan Saltzman (born 1953/54) is a politician in the U.S. state of Oregon who served as a commissioner (city councilman) on the City Council of Portland in Portland, Oregon, from 1999 through the end of 2018. As of 2017, he had served longer on the ...
,
Portland
Portland most commonly refers to:
* Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States
* Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...
city commissioner
City commission government is a form of local government in the United States. In a city commission government, voters elect a small commission, typically of five to seven members, typically on a plurality-at-large voting basis.
These commissione ...
*
Brad Witt, state representative and candidate for this seat in
2012 (special)
Primary results
Republican primary
Candidates
=Nominee
=
*Delinda Morgan, vineyard owner
[
]
=Eliminated in primary
=
*Lisa Michaels, activist, cable host and candidate for this seat in 2012 (special)[
]
=Declined
=
*Rob Cornilles, sports marketing consultant and nominee for this seat in 2010 & 2012 (special)
*Rob Miller, businessman
*Bruce Starr
Bruce Starr (born January 12, 1969) is an American politician and businessman in Oregon. A Republican, he served two terms in the Oregon House of Representatives before winning election to the Oregon State Senate in 2002. There he joined his f ...
state senator
Results
General election
Results
District 2
Republican Greg Walden
Gregory Paul Walden (born January 10, 1957) is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 1999 to 2021. He is a Republican. Walden is the son of three-term Oregon State Representative Paul E. Walden. In October 2019 ...
has represented Oregon's 2nd congressional district
Oregon's 2nd congressional district is the largest of Oregon's six districts, and is the seventh largest district in the nation. It is the second-largest congressional district in the nation that does not cover an entire state. The district ...
since 1998 and is seeking re-election.[ The district has a PVI of R+10.
]
Republican primary
Candidates
=Nominee
=
*Greg Walden
Gregory Paul Walden (born January 10, 1957) is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 1999 to 2021. He is a Republican. Walden is the son of three-term Oregon State Representative Paul E. Walden. In October 2019 ...
, incumbent U.S. Representative[
]
Primary results
Democratic primary
Candidates
=Nominee
=
*Joyce Segers, businesswoman, writer and nominee for this seat in 2010[
]
=Eliminated in primary
=
*John Sweeney, activist[
]
Results
General election
Results
District 3
Democrat Earl Blumenauer
Earl Francis Blumenauer ( ; born August 16, 1948) is an American lawyer, author, and politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 1996. The district includes most of Portland east of the Willamette River.
A member of the Democrat ...
has represented Oregon's 3rd congressional district
Oregon's 3rd congressional district covers most of Multnomah County, including Gresham, Troutdale, and most of Portland east of the Willamette River (parts of Northwest and Southwest Portland lie in the 1st and 5th districts). It also in ...
since 1996 and is seeking re-election.[ The district is the most Democratic-leaning district in the state, with a PVI of D+21.
]
Democratic primary
Candidates
=Nominee
=
* Earl Blumenauer
Earl Francis Blumenauer ( ; born August 16, 1948) is an American lawyer, author, and politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 1996. The district includes most of Portland east of the Willamette River.
A member of the Democrat ...
, incumbent U.S. Representative[
]
Primary results
Republican primary
Candidates
=Nominee
=
*Ronald Green, bus operator[
]
=Eliminated in primary
=
*Delia Lopez, real estate investor[
]
Results
General election
Results
District 4
Oregon's 4th congressional district
Oregon's 4th congressional district represents the southern half of Oregon's coastal counties, including Coos, Curry, Douglas, Lane, and Benton counties and most of Linn and Josephine counties. It is centered around the state's two colleg ...
has been represented by Democrat Peter DeFazio
Peter Anthony DeFazio (; born May 27, 1947) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for , serving since 1987. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes Eugene, Springfield, Corvallis, Roseburg, Coos B ...
since 1987 and he is seeking re-election.[ The district has a PVI of D+2.
]
Democratic primary
Candidates
=Nominee
=
* Peter DeFazio
Peter Anthony DeFazio (; born May 27, 1947) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for , serving since 1987. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes Eugene, Springfield, Corvallis, Roseburg, Coos B ...
, incumbent U.S. Representative[
]
=Eliminated in primary
=
* Matthew Robinson, nuclear engineering graduate student and son of Arthur B. Robinson[
]
Results
Republican primary
Candidates
=Nominee
=
* Arthur B. Robinson, chemist and nominee for this seat in 2010[
]
Results
General election
Endorsements
Results
District 5
Democratic incumbent Kurt Schrader
Walter Kurt Schrader (born October 19, 1951) is an American politician and veterinarian serving as the U.S. representative for since 2009. His district covered most of Oregon's central coast, plus Salem, and many of Portland's southern suburb ...
has represented Oregon's 5th congressional district
Oregon's 5th congressional district represents Oregon's central coast through Salem, north to the southern Portland suburbs – including a sliver of Portland itself – and east to the summit of Mount Hood. It includes Lincoln, Mari ...
since 2008 and is running for re-election in what is often considered to be the most competitive district in the state.[ In fact, the district has an even PVI.
]
Democratic primary
Candidates
=Nominee
=
* Kurt Schrader
Walter Kurt Schrader (born October 19, 1951) is an American politician and veterinarian serving as the U.S. representative for since 2009. His district covered most of Oregon's central coast, plus Salem, and many of Portland's southern suburb ...
, incumbent U.S. Representative[
]
Primary results
Republican primary
Candidates
=Nominee
=
*Fred Thompson, retired timber executive and candidate for this seat in 2010[
]
=Eliminated in primary
=
*Karen Bowerman, business consultant and retired college administrator[
]
=Declined
=
*Scott Bruun
Lorentz Scott Bruun ( ; born May 3, 1966) is an American Republican politician from the US state of Oregon. He served in the Oregon House of Representatives representing District 37, which encompasses some of the southern suburbs of Portland, Or ...
, former state representative and nominee for this seat in 2010
*Chris Dudley
Christen Guilford Dudley (born February 22, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player and politician. He played 886 games across 16 seasons in the NBA for the Cleveland Cavaliers, New Jersey Nets, Portland Trail Blazers, New ...
, former professional basketball player and nominee for Governor in 2010
Results
General election
Endorsements
Predictions
Results
See also
* Oregon's 1st congressional district special election, 2012
A 2012 special election in Oregon's 1st congressional district was held on January 31, 2012, to fill a seat in the U.S. Congress for Oregon's 1st congressional district, following the resignation of Representative David Wu. Primary elections wer ...
* United States House of Representatives elections, 2012
The 2012 United States House of Representatives elections were held on November 6, 2012. It coincided with the reelection of President Barack Obama. Elections were held for all 435 seats representing the 50 U.S. states and also for the delegate ...
* United States presidential election in Oregon, 2012
The 2012 United States presidential election in Oregon took place on November 6, 2012, as part of the 2012 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. Oregon voters chose seven elector ...
* Oregon state elections, 2012
On November 6, 2012, the U.S. state of Oregon held statewide general elections for four statewide offices ( secretary of state, attorney general, treasurer, and commissioner of labor), both houses of the Oregon Legislative Assembly, and severa ...
References
External links
Elections Division
at the Oregon Secretary of State
United States House of Representatives elections in Oregon, 2012
at Ballotpedia
Oregon U.S. House
from OurCampaigns.com
Campaign contributions for U.S. Congressional races in Oregon
from OpenSecrets
OpenSecrets is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that tracks data on campaign finance and lobbying. It was created from a merger of the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) and the National Institute on Money in Politics (NIMP) ...
Outside spending
at the Sunlight Foundation
{{United States elections, 2012
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...
Oregon
Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...
House