2002 Oregon gubernatorial election

Last updated

2002 Oregon gubernatorial election
Flag of Oregon.svg
  1998 November 5, 2002 2006  
  Ted kulongoski.jpg Kevin Mannix.jpg
Nominee Ted Kulongoski Kevin Mannix
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote618,004581,785
Percentage49.0%46.2%

2002 Oregon gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
County results

Kulongoski:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%

Mannix:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%

Governor before election

John Kitzhaber
Democratic

Elected Governor

Ted Kulongoski
Democratic

The 2002 Oregon gubernatorial election took place on November 5, 2002. Incumbent Democratic Governor of Oregon John Kitzhaber was unable to seek a third consecutive term as governor, therefore creating an open seat. To replace him, former Oregon Supreme Court Associate Justice Ted Kulongoski won a crowded and competitive Democratic primary, while former State Representative Kevin Mannix emerged from an equally competitive Republican primary. The campaign between Kulongoski and Mannix, who were joined by Libertarian nominee Tom Cox, was close and went down to the wire. Ultimately, Kulongoski eked out a narrow margin of victory over Mannix, which was slightly smaller than Cox's total vote share, allowing Kulongoski to win what would be the first of two terms as governor. As of 2023, this is the last time that Oregon voted for a gubernatorial nominee and a U.S. Senate nominee of different political parties.

Contents

Democratic primary

Candidates

Campaign

Kulongoski obtained the endorsement of labor unions and the backing of governor Kitzhaber. A poll before the election showed Kulongoski at 40%, ahead of former State Treasurer Jim Hill at 23%, and Bev Stein at 19%. [1] Lesser known candidates standing in the Democratic primary included William Allen, campaigning on the belief that Oregon paid too much money to the federal government and should consider seceding, and Caleb Burns standing to reform Oregon's schools. [2]

Results

Results by county:
Ted Kulongoski
.mw-parser-output .legend{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .legend-color{display:inline-block;min-width:1.25em;height:1.25em;line-height:1.25;margin:1px 0;text-align:center;border:1px solid black;background-color:transparent;color:black}.mw-parser-output .legend-text{}
50-55%
45-50%
40-45%
35-40% 2002 Oregon gubernatorial election results map by county, Democratic primary.svg
Results by county:
Ted Kulongoski
  •   50–55%
      45–50%
      40–45%
      35–40%
Democratic Primary results [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Ted Kulongoski 170,799 48.21
Democratic Jim Hill92,29426.05
Democratic Bev Stein76,51721.60
Democratic William Peter Allen6,5821.86
Democratic Caleb Burns4,1671.18
Democratic Write-ins3,9251.11
Total votes354,284 100.00

Republican primary

Candidates

Results

Results by county:
Kevin Mannix
45-50%
40-45%
35-40%
30-35%
Jack Roberts
40-45%
35-40%
30-35%
Ron Saxton
45-50%
40-45%
35-40%
30-35% 2002 Oregon gubernatorial election results map by county, Republican primary.svg
Results by county:
Kevin Mannix
  •   45–50%
      40–45%
      35–40%
      30–35%
Jack Roberts
  •   40–45%
      35–40%
      30–35%
Ron Saxton
  •   45–50%
      40–45%
      35–40%
      30–35%
Republican primary results [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Kevin Mannix 117,194 35.24
Republican Jack Roberts98,00829.47
Republican Ron Saxton93,48428.11
Republican W. Ames Curtright10,9863.30
Republican Roger Weidner7,3952.22
Republican Lee R. Shindler2,2660.68
Republican Write-ins3,2420.97
Total votes332,575 100.00

General election

Campaign

Kulongoski focused on education, his support for gay rights and the Oregon Death with Dignity law. Mannix campaigned on his plans to cut taxes to stimulate the economy of Oregon and encouraging partnerships between businesses and colleges. Tom Cox for the Libertarian party and two write in candidates, Richard Alevizos and Gary Spanovich, also stood in the election. [4]

The departure of Kitzhaber, who had opposed plans to build a Columbia Gorge casino, was considered an opportunity for the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. [5] Tribes invested record amounts of money into Oregon politics in this race, including $40,000 supporting Kulongoski. [6] Kulongoski did not take a position on the issue during the campaign, but later became a supporter of the plan.

Kulongoski campaigned using a motor home and his many visits to bowling alleys became a trademark of his campaign. [7] Early in the campaign Kulongoski held a large lead over Mannix in the polls but the gap narrowed as the election neared after Mannix put Kulongoski on the defensive. Mannix characterised Kulongoski as a strong tax and spender after he endorsed a proposed $313 million income tax rise to avoid cuts in education and other areas. [8] He also attacked Kulongoski for being soft on crime. [7] A poll in October showed Kulongoski at 45%, only 4 percent ahead of Mannix at 41%. [8]

Mannix conceded the election on 6 November 2002 after Kulongoski secured a decisive lead in the vote count. The Libertarian candidate Tom Cox claimed that he was responsible for Kulongoski's victory as his exit polls suggested he took twice as many Republican votes as Democratic votes. [9]

Predictions

SourceRankingAs of
The Cook Political Report [10] Lean DOctober 31, 2002
Sabato's Crystal Ball [11] Lean DNovember 4, 2002

Results

Oregon gubernatorial election, 2002 [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic Ted Kulongoski 618,004 49.03% -15.39%
Republican Kevin Mannix 581,78546.16%+16.15%
Libertarian Tom Cox57,7604.58%+2.77%
Write-ins2,9480.23%
Majority36,2192.87%-31.54%
Turnout 1,260,497
Democratic hold Swing

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ted Kulongoski</span> American judge and politician

Theodore Ralph Kulongoski is an American politician, judge, and lawyer who served as the 36th Governor of Oregon from 2003 to 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in both houses of the Oregon Legislative Assembly and also served as the state Insurance Commissioner. He was the Attorney General of Oregon from 1993 to 1997 and a justice of the Oregon Supreme Court from 1997 to 2001. Kulongoski has served in all three branches of the Oregon state government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1980 United States Senate elections</span>

The 1980 United States Senate elections were held on November 4, coinciding with Ronald Reagan's victory in the presidential election. The 34 Senate seats of Class 3 were contested in regular elections. Reagan's large margin of victory over incumbent Jimmy Carter gave a huge boost to Republican Senate candidates, allowing them to flip 12 Democratic seats and win control of the chamber for the first time since the end of the 83rd Congress in January 1955.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 United States gubernatorial elections</span>

United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 7, 2006, in 36 states and two territories. The elections coincided with the midterm elections of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Mannix</span> American politician (born 1949)

Kevin Leese Mannix is an American politician, business attorney, and former chairman of the Republican Party in the U.S. state of Oregon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 Oregon gubernatorial election</span> 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2002 United States gubernatorial elections</span>

United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 5, 2002, in 36 states and two territories. The Republicans won eight seats previously held by the Democrats, as well as the seat previously held by Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura, who was elected on the Reform Party ticket but had since renounced his party affiliation. The Democrats won 10 seats previously held by the Republicans, as well as the seat previously held by Maine governor Angus King, an independent. The elections were held concurrently with the other United States elections of 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 United States Senate election in Virginia</span> Election

The 2008 United States Senate election in Virginia was held on November 4, 2008. Incumbent Republican Senator John Warner decided to retire instead of seeking a sixth term. Former Governor Mark Warner (unrelated) won the open seat by more than 31 percentage points. Warner became the first Democrat to win this seat since 1966. This was also the first time since 1964 that the state voted simultaneously for a Democratic presidential candidate and a Democratic Senate candidate, having voted for Barack Obama in the presidential election, albeit by a far lesser margin. This was Virginia's first open-seat election since 1988. Mark Warner's inauguration marked the first time since Harry Flood Byrd Jr. left the Democratic Party to become an independent in 1970 where Democrats held both of Virginia's Senate seats.

Like many other U.S. states, the politics of Oregon largely concerns regional issues. Oregon leans Democratic as a state, with both U.S. senators from the Democratic party, as well as four out of Oregon's six U.S. Representatives. The Democratic candidate for president has won in Oregon in every election since 1988. Both houses of Oregon's legislative assembly have been under Democratic control since the 2012 elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Indiana gubernatorial election</span> Election for governor of the U.S. state Indiana

The 2008 Indiana gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 2008. Incumbent Republican nominee Mitch Daniels was challenged by Democratic nominee Jill Long Thompson and Libertarian nominee Andy Horning. Daniels easily won reelection, defeating Long Thompson by over 17 points. Despite Daniels' landslide victory, Barack Obama narrowly carried Indiana in the concurrent presidential election; the only Democratic candidate to do so since 1964.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 United States Senate election in Georgia</span>

The 2008 United States Senate election in Georgia took place on November 4, 2008. The run off election took place on December 2, 2008. Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss, first elected in 2002, sought re-election to his position as a United States Senator from Georgia. He was challenged by Democratic nominee Jim Martin and Libertarian nominee Allen Buckley. After a runoff election on December 2, Chambliss was elected.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 United States Senate election in Idaho</span> Election

The 2008 United States Senate election in Idaho was held on November 4, 2008. The primary elections were held on May 27. Incumbent Senator Larry Craig decided to retire instead of seeking a fourth term. Fellow Republican Jim Risch won the open seat.

The Independent Party of Oregon (IPO) is a centrist political party in the U.S. state of Oregon with more than 140,000 registrants since its inception in January 2007. The IPO is Oregon's third-largest political party and the first political party other than the Democratic Party and Republican Party to be recognized by the state of Oregon as a major political party.

In the first decade of the 2000s, the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs sought to build a casino in the Columbia River Gorge. They ended their pursuit of the project in 2013. They considered various sites, as early as 1999; the most extensive plan called for a 60-acre (24 ha) facility with 250 hotel rooms in Cascade Locks, Oregon. The proposed site is within the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, and adjacent to a federally designated wilderness area, but within the city limits of Cascade Locks..

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 United States presidential election in Oregon</span> Election in Oregon

The 2008 United States presidential election in Oregon took place on November 4, 2008, and was part of the 2008 United States presidential election. Voters chose seven representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Oregon gubernatorial election</span> Election

The 2010 Oregon gubernatorial election was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 to elect the Governor of Oregon to a four-year term beginning on January 10, 2011. The incumbent governor, Democrat Ted Kulongoski, was ineligible to run due to term limits barring him from being elected to more than two consecutive terms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 United States Senate election in Oregon</span> Election

The 2010 United States Senate election in Oregon was held on November 2, 2010 alongside other elections to the United States Senate in other states, as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Ron Wyden won re-election to a third full term by a landslide margin of 18 points, despite the national Republican midterm wave. As of 2022, this is the only senate election since 1998 in which Deschutes County has not supported the Democratic candidate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1980 United States Senate election in Oregon</span> Election

The 1980 Oregon United States Senate election was held on November 4, 1980 to select the U.S. Senator from the state of Oregon. Republican candidate Bob Packwood was re-elected to a third term, defeating Democratic state senator Ted Kulongoski and Libertarian Tonie Nathan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 Oregon elections</span>

On November 6, 2012, the U.S. state of Oregon held statewide general elections for four statewide offices, both houses of the Oregon Legislative Assembly, and several state ballot measures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Oregon gubernatorial election</span> Election

The 2014 Oregon gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 2014, to elect the Governor of Oregon, concurrently with other elections in Oregon and across the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Oregon gubernatorial election</span> Election for governor of Oregon

The 2022 Oregon gubernatorial election took place on November 8, 2022, to elect the governor of Oregon. Incumbent Kate Brown took office when fellow Democrat John Kitzhaber resigned on February 18, 2015. She won the subsequent 2016 special election a full term in 2018. Due to term limits, she was unable to run again in 2022.

References

  1. "GOP, Dems See Chance at Oregon Governor's Spot". Fox News Channel . May 18, 2002. Retrieved May 20, 2008.
  2. "Five 'other' candidates are running". Oregon Daily Emerald . May 9, 2002. Archived from the original on May 27, 2008. Retrieved May 20, 2008.
  3. 1 2 Content Manager WebDrawer – 2002 Primary Election Official Results
  4. "Governor race heats up". Oregon Daily Emerald . September 23, 2002. Retrieved May 20, 2008.[ permanent dead link ]
  5. Jim Lynch (November 21, 2002). "Silence of Oregon's Governor Elect Adds Fuel to Fight over Casino". Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News. The Oregonian. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012.
  6. Jim Lynch (January 15, 2003). "Native American Tribes Invest Record Cash in Oregon Politics". Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News. The Oregonian. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012.
  7. 1 2 Benedetto, Richard (November 11, 2002). "Blue-collar campaign allows lawyer to bowl over challenger". USA Today . Retrieved May 20, 2008.
  8. 1 2 "Seeming Shoo-In Finds Himself Fighting". Fox News Channel . October 23, 2002. Retrieved May 20, 2008.
  9. "Mannix concedes in race for governor". Oregon Daily Emerald . November 7, 2002. Archived from the original on July 9, 2007. Retrieved May 21, 2008.
  10. "Governor Updated October 31, 2002 | The Cook Political Report". The Cook Political Report. October 31, 2002. Archived from the original on December 8, 2002. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  11. "Governors Races". www.centerforpolitics.org. November 4, 2002. Archived from the original on December 12, 2002. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  12. Content Manager WebDrawer – 2002 General Election Official Results