2012 Oregon elections

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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 several state ballot measures.

Contents

The primary elections were held on May 15, 2012. Both elections also included national races for President of the United States and five U.S. House Representatives. Numerous local jurisdictions — cities, counties, and regional government entities — held elections for various local offices and ballot measures on these days as well.

Federal

President of the United States

Democratic incumbent Barack Obama defeated his Republican opponent Mitt Romney in the national presidential election. In Oregon, the voters also chose Obama, giving him all of Oregon's 7 electoral votes. [1]

United States House of Representatives

All five of Oregon's seats in the United States House of Representatives were up for re-election in 2012. All five incumbents ran for and won re-election, including Democrat Suzanne Bonamici who won a special election in District 1 earlier in the year to replace Democrat David Wu.

Statewide

Attorney General

Incumbent Oregon Attorney General John Kroger, first elected in 2008, announced in October 2011 that he would not seek a second term, citing undisclosed medical issues. [2] In April 2012, he announced would resign his office in June to become president of Reed College. [3] On June 29, Democrat Ellen Rosenblum was sworn in as interim attorney general. [4] [5] Rosenblum, a former judge on the Oregon Court of Appeals, also defeated former U.S. Attorney Dwight Holton in the Democratic primary and will compete for a full term in November against Republican attorney James Buchal, who had a successful write-in campaign in the Republican primary. [6]

Democratic primary

Candidates
Results
Democratic Primary results [8]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Ellen Rosenblum 202,935 64.5
Democratic Dwight Holton 110,89135.3
Democratic write-ins 6570.2
Total votes305,545 100

Republican primary

Candidates

No Republican filed to run in the primary, but a few weeks before the primary election, party officials sent postcards to Republicans urging them to write in Portland lawyer James Buchal. Buchal qualified for the general election with more than half the more than 25,000 write-in votes cast. [6]

Results
Republican Primary results [8]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican James Buchal (write-in candidate) 12,816 50.4
Republican other write-ins12,62249.6
Total votes25,438 100

General election

Results by county Oregon Attorney General election results by county, 2012.svg
Results by county
Candidates
Polling
Poll sourceDate(s)
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		Ellen
Rosenblum (D)		James
Buchal (R)		Undecided
Public Policy Polling June 21–24, 2012686± 3.7%46%33%20%
Results
Official Results - November 2012 General Election [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Ellen Rosenblum 917,627 56.17
Republican James Buchal639,36339.14
Constitution James E. Leuenberger45,4512.78
Progressive Chris Henry28,1871.73
write-ins 2,9750.18
Total votes1,633,603 100

Secretary of State

Incumbent Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown, first elected in 2008, is seeking a second term. She defeated perennial candidate Paul Damian Wells in the Democratic primary and faces Republican orthopedic surgeon Knute Buehler in the general election. [11] Buehler was unopposed in the Republican primary and also won the Independent Party nomination. [12]

Democratic primary

Candidates
Results
Democratic Primary results [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Kate Brown 284,470 91.1
Democratic Paul Damian Wells26,1778.4
Democratic write-ins1,5100.5
Total votes312,157 100

Republican primary

Candidates
  • Knute Buehler, surgeon [13]
Results
Republican Primary results [8]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Knute Buehler 199,179 97.76
Republican write-ins 4,5582.24
Total votes203,737 100

Independent Party of Oregon

Oregon allows candidates to be cross-nominated by up to three political parties. The Independent Party of Oregon holds a month-long online primary to select which candidate receives their nomination. The party chose candidates in a number of legislative and local races but only one statewide race, secretary of state. [12]

Candidates
Results
Independent Party of Oregon primary results [15]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Knute Buehler 348 55.68
Democratic Kate Brown27744.32
Total votes625 100

General election

Results by county Oregon Secretary of State election results by county, 2012.svg
Results by county
Candidates
Polling
Poll sourceDate(s)
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		Kate
Brown (D)		Knute
Buehler (R, I)		Undecided
The Oregonian October 25–28, 2012405± 5%38%23%36%
DHM Research October 18–20, 2012500± 2.6%–4.4%43%37%15%
Public Policy Polling June 21–24, 2012686± 3.7%48%30%21%
Results
Oregon Secretary of State - General Election Results [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Kate Brown 863,656 51.28
Republican Knute Buehler727,60743.20
Pacific Green Seth Woolley44,2352.63
Libertarian Bruce Alexander Knight24,2731.44
Progressive Robert Wolfe21,7831.29
write-ins 2,5610.15
Total votes1,684,115 100

State Treasurer

Incumbent Oregon State Treasurer Ted Wheeler was appointed to the position in March 2010 following the death of Ben Westlund. Wheeler subsequently won a November 2010 special election to complete the remainder of Westlund's term. He is seeking re-election to a full term in 2012. [11] Tom Cox, a management consultant who ran for governor as the Libertarian nominee in 2002, won the Republican nomination as a write-in candidate. [6] [11]

Democratic primary

Candidates
Results
Democratic Primary results [18]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Ted Wheeler 272,278 99.50
Democratic write-ins 1,3650.50
Total votes273,643 100

Republican primary

Candidates

No Republican filed to run in the primary, but a few weeks before the primary election, party officials sent postcards to Republicans urging them to write in Tom Cox, who won 5% of the vote as the Libertarian candidate for governor in 2002. Cox won the majority of the more than 24,000 write-in votes to advance to the November general election. [6]

Results
Republican Primary results [18]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Tom Cox (write-in) 12,885 53.2
Republican other write-ins11,33746.8
Total votes24,222 100

General election

Results by county Oregon State Treasurer election results by county, 2012.svg
Results by county
Candidates
Polling
Poll sourceDate(s)
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		Ted
Wheeler (D)		Tom
Cox (R)		Undecided
Public Policy Polling June 21–24, 2012686± 3.7%46%34%19%
Results
Oregon State Treasurer - General Election Results [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Ted Wheeler 955,213 57.84
Republican Tom Cox609,98936.93
Progressive Cameron Whitten38,7622.36
Libertarian John Mahler30,0021.83
Constitution Michael Paul Marsh15,4150.94
write-ins 2,1810.13
Total votes1,643,350 100

Labor Commissioner

The Oregon Commissioner of Labor serves as the head of the state Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI), and is a nonpartisan position. Brad Avakian, a Democrat who has served as Commissioner since 2008, is running for re-election. [20] Republican state Senator Bruce Starr is challenging Avakian. [20]

General election

Results by county Oregon Commissioner of Labor election results by county, 2012.svg
Results by county
Candidates
Polling
Poll sourceDate(s)
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		Brad
Avakian (D)		Bruce
Starr (R)		Undecided
The Oregonian October 25–28, 2012405± 5%26%20%53%
DHM Research October 18–20, 2012500± 2.6%–4.4%22%19%60%
Public Policy Polling June 21–24, 2012686± 3.7%21%23%56%
Results
Oregon Commissioner of Labor and Industries - General Election Results [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Brad Avakian 681,987 52.53
Republican Bruce Starr 606,73546.73
write-ins 9,6160.74
Total votes1,298,338 100

Legislative

The Democrats had a 16–14 majority in the Oregon State Senate in the previous session. 16 of the 30 senate seats were up for election. In the Oregon House of Representatives, which was evenly split between Democrats and Republicans, all 60 seats were up for election. Democrats retained their 16–14 majority in the Senate, and took a 34–26 majority in the House. [22]

Ballot measures

Nine measures appeared on the November ballot. Two were legislative referrals, four were initiated constitutional amendments, and three were initiated state statutes. [23]

Measure 77

Results by county Oregon 2012 Measure 77.svg
Results by county

Referred by the legislature. Amends Constitution: Governor may declare "catastrophic disaster;" requires legislative session; authorizes suspending specified constitutional spending restrictions.

Measure 77
ChoiceVotes %
Check-71-128-204-brightblue.svg Yes957,64658.71
No673,46841.29
Total votes1,631,114100.00
Source: Oregon State Elections Division [10]

Measure 78

Results by county Oregon Ballot Measures Yes.svg
Results by county

Referred by the legislature. Amends Constitution: Changes constitutional language describing governmental system of separation of powers; makes grammatical and spelling changes.

Measure 78
ChoiceVotes %
Check-71-128-204-brightblue.svg Yes1,165,96371.77
No458,50928.23
Total votes1,624,472100.00
Source: Oregon State Elections Division [10]

Measure 79

Results by county Oregon 2012 Measure 79.svg
Results by county

Initiated constitutional amendment. Amends Constitution: Prohibits real estate transfer taxes, fees, other assessments, except those operative on December 31, 2009.

Measure 79
ChoiceVotes %
Check-71-128-204-brightblue.svg Yes976,58758.96
No679,71041.04
Total votes1,656,297100.00
Source: Oregon State Elections Division [10]

Measure 80

Results by county Oregon 2012 Measure 80.svg
Results by county

Initiated statute. Allows personal marijuana, hemp cultivation/use without license; commission to regulate commercial marijuana cultivation/sale.

Measure 80
ChoiceVotes %
Light brown x.svg No923,07153.25
Yes810,53846.75
Total votes1,733,609100.00
Source: Oregon State Elections Division [10]

Measure 81

Results by county Oregon Ballot Measures No.svg
Results by county

Initiated statute. Prohibits commercial non-tribal fishing with gillnets in Oregon "inland waters," allows use of seine nets.

Measure 82
ChoiceVotes %
Light brown x.svg No1,072,61465.38
Yes567,99634.62
Total votes1,640,610100.00
Source: Oregon State Elections Division [10]

Measure 82

Results by county Oregon Ballot Measures No.svg
Results by county

Initiated constitutional amendment. Amends Constitution: authorizes establishment of privately owned casinos; mandates percentage of revenues payable to dedicated state fund.

Measure 82
ChoiceVotes %
Light brown x.svg No1,226,33171.65
Yes485,24028.35
Total votes1,711,571100.00
Source: Oregon State Elections Division [10]

Measure 83

Results by county Oregon Ballot Measures No.svg
Results by county

Initiated statute. Authorizes privately owned Wood Village Casino at the closed Multnomah Greyhound Park; mandates percentage of revenues payable to dedicated state fund.

Measure 83
ChoiceVotes %
Light brown x.svg No1,207,50870.71
Yes500,12329.29
Total votes1,707,631100.00
Source: Oregon State Elections Division [10]

Measure 84

Results by county Oregon 2012 Measure 84.svg
Results by county

Initiated statute. Phases out existing inheritance taxes on large estates, and all taxes on intra-family property transfers.

Measure 84
ChoiceVotes %
Light brown x.svg No912,54154.04
Yes776,14345.96
Total votes1,688,684100.00
Source: Oregon State Elections Division [10]

Measure 85

Results by county Oregon 2012 Measure 85.svg
Results by county

Initiated constitutional amendment. Amends Constitution: allocates corporate income/excise tax "kicker" refund to additionally fund K–12 public education.

Measure 85
ChoiceVotes %
Check-71-128-204-brightblue.svg Yes1,007,12259.96
No672,58640.04
Total votes1,679,708100.00
Source: Oregon State Elections Division [10]

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Oregon elections</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Oregon</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ellen Rosenblum</span> American politician

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Oregon elections</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knute Buehler</span> American physician and politician

Knute Carl Buehler is an American physician and politician who served as the Oregon State Representative for the 54th district from 2015 until January 2019. He was the Republican nominee for Governor of Oregon in the 2018 election, losing to incumbent Democrat Kate Brown. In 2021, he stated that he had left the Republican Party, citing the state party's response to the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol as his primary motivation. Buehler is no longer registered with any political party.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Oregon elections</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Oregon Attorney General election</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Oregon State Treasurer election</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 Oregon Secretary of State election</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Oregon elections</span> Elections held in Oregon in 2022

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References

  1. ↑ "Hales wins mayor race; Obama wins presidency". OregonLive. The Oregonian. November 7, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
  2. ↑ Har, Jamie (October 18, 2011). "John Kroger cites 'significant but not life threatening medical condition' for opting out of 2012 AG race". The Oregonian . Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  3. ↑ Graves, Bill (April 24, 2012). "Reed College chooses Oregon Attorney General John Kroger as new president". The Oregonian . Retrieved May 3, 2018.
  4. ↑ Cole, Michelle (June 6, 2012). "Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber names Ellen Rosenblum as interim attorney general". The Oregonian . Retrieved June 27, 2012. Lock-green.svg
  5. ↑ Har, Janie (June 29, 2012). "AG handoff, timber payments, OLCC and tsunami debris is coming: Oregon Politics Roundup". The Oregonian. Retrieved June 29, 2012.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Mapes, Jeff (June 6, 2012). "Oregon Republicans now have candidates for attorney general and treasurer, courtesy of write-in votes". The Oregonian . Retrieved June 29, 2012.
  7. 1 2 "Candidate Filings, Attorney General". Oregon Secretary of State . Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  8. 1 2 3 "Official Results: May 15, 2012 Primary Election". Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved June 29, 2012.
  9. 1 2 "Candidate Filings, Attorney General". Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved June 29, 2012.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "November 6, 2012, General Election Abstract of Votes". Oregon Elections Division. Retrieved December 5, 2012.
  11. 1 2 3 Mapes, Jeff (May 15, 2012). "Kate Brown, Knute Buehler to face off in November for Oregon secretary of state (2012 primary election)". The Oregonian . Retrieved June 27, 2012.
  12. 1 2 Mapes, Jeff Mapes, The Oregonian (July 18, 2012). "Knute Buehler wins Independent Party nod, as do several Oregon House Democratic candidates". The Oregonian. Retrieved July 18, 2012.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. 1 2 3 "Candidate Filings, Secretary of State". Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  14. ↑ "May 15, 2012 Primary Election: Secretary of State Official Election Results". Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  15. ↑ "Primary election results". Independent Party of Oregon. Archived from the original on October 2, 2012. Retrieved July 18, 2012.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 "Candidate Filings, Secretary of State". Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved June 29, 2012.
  17. ↑ "Candidate Filings, State Treasurer". Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  18. 1 2 "May 15, 2012 Primary Election: State Treasurer Official Election Results". Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved June 29, 2012.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 "Candidate Filings, State Treasurer". Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved June 29, 2012.
  20. 1 2 Mapes, Jeff (February 2, 2012). "After bruising congressional loss, Brad Avakian kicks off re-election race for labor commissioner". The Oregonian . Retrieved June 27, 2012.
  21. 1 2 "Candidate Filings, State Treasurer". Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved June 29, 2012.
  22. ↑ "2012 Election Results: Oregon Legislature". OregonLive.com. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
  23. ↑ Elections Division (August 2, 2010). "2012 Measure Assignment". Oregon Secretary of State . Retrieved October 2, 2012.
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