2006 Oregon gubernatorial election

2006 Oregon gubernatorial election

←  2002 November 7, 2006 2010  →

Nominee Ted Kulongoski Ron Saxton Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 699,786 589,748 Percentage 50.73% 42.75%

County results Kulongoski:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70% Saxton:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%

Governor before election Ted Kulongoski Democratic Elected Governor Ted Kulongoski Democratic

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 2026, this marks the last occasion in which the following counties have voted Democratic in a gubernatorial election: Clackamas, Columbia, Marion, and Wasco.

Democratic primary

Democratic primary results by county:

Ted Kulongoski

•   60–65%
    55–60%
    50–55%
    45–50%
    40–45%

Jim Hill

•   40–45%

Candidates

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

Results

Democratic Primary results ^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Ted Kulongoski (inc.)	170,944	53.56%
	Democratic	JJim Hill	92,439	28.96%
	Democratic	Pete Sorenson	51,346	16.09%
	Democratic	Scattering	4,448	1.39%
Total votes			319,177	100.00%

Republican primary

Republican primary results by county:

Ron Saxton

•   50–55%
    45–50%
    40–45%
    35–40%

Kevin Mannix

•   35–40%
    30–35%

Jason Atkinson

•   45–50%
    35–40%

Candidates

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

Results

Republican primary results ^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Ron Saxton	125,286	41.69%
	Republican	Kevin Mannix	89,553	29.80%
	Republican	Jason Atkinson	67,057	22.31%
	Republican	W. Ames Curtright	7,414	2.47%
	Republican	Gordon Leitch	3,100	1.03%
	Republican	William E. Spidal	2,537	0.84%
	Republican	David W. Beem	1,659	0.55%
	Republican	Bob Leonard Forthan	841	0.28%
	Republican	Scattering	3,107	1.03%
Total votes			300,554	100.00%

General election

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. ^[2] 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." ^[3] Constitution Party nominee Mary Starrett was widely perceived to win votes largely at the expense of Saxton's campaign. ^[4]

Predictions

Source	Ranking	As of
The Cook Political Report [5]	Tossup	November 6, 2006
Sabato's Crystal Ball [6]	Tilt D	November 6, 2006
Rothenberg Political Report [7]	Lean D	November 2, 2006
Real Clear Politics [8]	Lean D	November 6, 2006

Polling

Poll source	Date administered	Ted Kulongoski (D)	Ron Saxton (R)	Mary Starrett (C)	Richard Morley (L)	Joe Keating (G)
KATU/Oregonian [9]	October 31, 2006	45%	38%	6%	1%	1%
Rasmussen [10]	October 31, 2006	51%	44%	—	—	—
Riley Research [11]	October 25, 2006	47%	36%	4%	1%	1%
Riley Research [12]	October 3, 2006	37%	39%	2%	1%	1%
Rasmussen [13]	October 1, 2006	47%	42%	—	—	—
Rasmussen [14]	September 25, 2006	47%	38%	—	—	—
Zogby Interactive Poll [15]	September 11, 2006	47%	40%	5%	1%	—
Zogby Interactive Poll [15]	August 28, 2006	50%	44%	—	—	—
Rasmussen [16]	August 22, 2006	49%	35%	—	—	—
Rasmussen [17]	August 3, 2006	45%	35%	—	—	—
Zogby Interactive Poll [15]	July 24, 2006	49%	42%	—	—	—
Zogby Interactive Poll [15]	June 21, 2006	48%	40%	—	—	—
Rasmussen [18]	May 23, 2006	43%	41%	—	—	—
Zogby Interactive Poll [19]	March 22–27, 2006	46%	39%	—	—	—
Rasmussen [20]	February 27, 2006	47%	33%	—	—	—

Results

2006 Oregon gubernatorial election ^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Ted Kulongoski (inc.)	699,786	50.73%	+1.70%
	Republican	Ron Saxton	589,748	42.75%	−3.40%
	Constitution	Mary Starrett	50,229	3.64%
	Pacific Green	Joe Keating	20,030	1.45%
	Libertarian	Richard Morley	16,798	1.22%	−3.36%
	Write-in	Scattering	2,884	0.21%
Total votes			1,379,475	100.00%
Majority			110,038	7.98%
	Democratic hold		Swing	+5.10%

Results by county

County [21]	Ted Kulongoski Democratic		Kevin Mannix Republican		Mary Starrett Constitution		Joe Keating Green		Richard Morley Libertarian		Scattering Write-in		Margin		Total votes cast
	#	%	#	%	#	%	#	%	#	%	#	%	#	%
Baker	2,508	34.07%	4,338	58.93%	362	4.92%	71	0.96%	71	0.96%	11	0.15%	-1,830	-24.86%	7,361
Benton	20,661	58.69%	12,736	36.18%	559	1.59%	735	2.09%	456	1.30%	58	0.16%	7,925	22.51%	35,205
Clackamas	70,131	48.29%	65,795	45.30%	6,405	4.41%	1,373	0.95%	1,335	0.92%	198	0.14%	4,336	2.99%	145,237
Clatsop	7,936	53.12%	5,886	39.40%	666	4.46%	254	1.70%	181	1.21%	17	0.11%	2,050	13.72%	14,940
Columbia	9,291	47.89%	8,032	41.40%	1,577	8.13%	226	1.16%	238	1.23%	38	0.20%	1,259	6.49%	19,402
Coos	10,977	43.64%	12,103	48.12%	1,215	4.83%	416	1.65%	410	1.63%	31	0.12%	-1,126	-4.48%	25,152
Crook	2,518	30.14%	5,333	63.85%	313	3.75%	69	0.83%	98	1.17%	22	0.26%	-2,815	-33.70%	8,353
Curry	4,162	41.09%	5,332	52.64%	282	2.78%	165	1.63%	158	1.56%	31	0.31%	-1,170	-11.55%	10,130
Deschutes	23,631	40.85%	31,256	54.04%	1,368	2.37%	784	1.36%	682	1.18%	122	0.21%	-7,625	-13.18%	57,843
Douglas	15,123	35.49%	24,896	58.42%	1,384	3.25%	506	1.19%	639	1.50%	64	0.15%	9,773	22.93%	42,612
Gilliam	388	38.92%	535	53.66%	53	5.32%	5	0.50%	10	1.00%	6	0.60%	-147	-14.74%	997
Grant	783	23.26%	2,401	71.31%	118	3.50%	20	0.59%	39	1.16%	6	0.18%	-1,618	-48.05%	3,367
Harney	643	21.38%	2,186	72.70%	119	3.96%	15	0.50%	36	1.20%	8	0.27%	-1,543	-51.31%	3,007
Hood River	4,352	58.54%	2,554	34.36%	331	4.45%	124	1.67%	63	0.85%	10	0.13%	1,798	24.19%	7,434
Jackson	33,329	43.25%	39,055	50.68%	2,183	2.83%	1,281	1.66%	1,017	1.32%	192	0.25%	-5,726	-7.43%	77,057
Jefferson	2,776	41.38%	3,511	52.34%	278	4.14%	49	0.73%	81	1.21%	13	0.19%	-735	-10.96%	6,708
Josephine	11,900	36.39%	18,321	56.02%	1,398	4.27%	525	1.61%	474	1.45%	86	0.26%	-6,421	-19.63%	32,704
Klamath	6,592	27.85%	15,651	66.12%	823	3.48%	262	1.11%	304	1.28%	38	0.16%	-9,059	-38.27%	23,670
Lake	723	23.26%	2,156	69.37%	132	4.25%	32	1.03%	51	1.64%	14	0.45%	-1,433	-46.11%	3,108
Lane	81,550	58.31%	50,290	35.96%	2,895	2.07%	2,770	1.98%	1,920	1.37%	422	0.30%	31,260	22.35%	139,847
Lincoln	10,145	51.61%	8,072	41.06%	730	3.71%	420	2.14%	271	1.38%	20	0.10%	2,073	10.55%	19,658
Linn	15,588	39.13%	21,411	53.74%	1,769	4.44%	482	1.21%	518	1.30%	71	0.18%	-5,823	-14.62%	39,839
Malheur	2,357	29.10%	5,296	65.37%	273	3.37%	75	0.93%	94	1.16%	6	0.07%	-2,939	-36.28%	8,101
Marion	45,304	46.64%	44,474	45.79%	4,968	5.12%	1,083	1.12%	962	0.99%	335	0.34%	830	0.85%	97,126
Morrow	1,043	33.87%	1,797	58.36%	178	5.78%	23	0.75%	33	1.07%	5	0.16%	-754	-24.49%	3,079
Multnomah	177,797	68.44%	65,488	25.21%	8,022	3.09%	5,033	1.94%	3,010	1.16%	454	0.17%	112,309	43.23%	259,804
Polk	12,620	46.22%	12,643	46.30%	1,351	4.95%	312	1.14%	314	1.15%	64	0.23%	-23	-0.08%	27,304
Sherman	331	35.36%	529	56.52%	54	5.77%	10	1.07%	10	1.07%	2	0.21%	-198	-21.15%	936
Tillamook	5,356	49.42%	4,745	43.78%	473	4.36%	136	1.25%	109	1.01%	19	0.18%	611	5.64%	10,838
Umatilla	7,182	37.86%	10,554	55.64%	775	4.09%	193	1.02%	243	1.28%	22	0.12%	-3,372	-17.78%	18,969
Union	3,961	39.23%	5,473	54.20%	403	3.99%	128	1.27%	114	1.13%	19	0.19%	-1,512	-14.97%	10,098
Wallowa	1,253	32.99%	2,335	61.48%	112	2.95%	38	1.00%	57	1.50%	3	0.08%	-1,082	-28.49%	3,798
Wasco	4,307	47.00%	4,057	44.27%	547	5.97%	121	1.32%	117	1.28%	15	0.16%	250	2.73%	9,164
Washington	88,292	51.10%	73,907	42.77%	6,133	3.55%	1,954	1.13%	2,275	1.32%	222	0.13%	14,385	8.33%	172,783
Wheeler	233	31.74%	422	57.49%	52	7.08%	9	1.23%	13	1.77%	5	0.68%	-189	-25.75%	734
Yamhill	14,043	42.41%	16,178	48.86%	1,928	5.82%	331	1.00%	395	1.19%	235	0.71%	-2,135	-6.45%	33,110
Total	699,786	50.73%	589,748	42.75%	50,229	3.64%	20,030	1.45%	16,798	1.22%	2,884	0.21%	110,038	7.98%	1,379,475

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

• Clackamas (largest city: Lake Oswego)
• Marion (largest city: Salem)
• Wasco (largest city: The Dalles)
• Washington (largest city: Hillsboro)

See also

• Oregon statewide elections, 2006
• 2006 United States gubernatorial elections
• List of Oregon Governors

References

1. "Official Results - May 16, 2006 Primary Election". Oregon Secretary of State.
3. "Ben Westlund Withdraws From Oregon Governor's Race". Salem-News.Com.
4. "KATU - Portland, Oregon - News - Radio talk show host Mary Starrett to run for governor". Archived from the original on December 14, 2006.
5. "2006 Governor Race Ratings for November 6, 2006" (PDF). The Cook Political Report. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 5, 2008. Retrieved October 1, 2006.
6. "Election Eve 2006: THE FINAL PREDICTIONS". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
7. "2006 Gubernatorial Ratings". Senate Ratings. The Rothenberg Political Report. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
8. "Election 2006". Real Clear Politics. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
9. KATU/Oregonian ^{[ permanent dead link ]}
10. Rasmussen
11. Riley Research Archived February 26, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
12. Riley Research Archived November 3, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
13. Rasmussen Archived October 12, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
14. Rasmussen
15. Zogby Interactive Poll
16. Rasmussen
17. Rasmussen Archived October 21, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
18. Rasmussen
19. Zogby Interactive Poll ^{[ permanent dead link ]}
20. Rasmussen
21. "Official Results - November 7, 2006 General Election". Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved April 12, 2026.

Official campaigns websites

• Ted Kulongoski (D) for Governor
• Ron Saxton (R) for Governor