I felt this way after the 2016 election, and I feeling it again now: I'm grateful that I live in Oregon, where the Trump red wave that soundly defeated Harris was more like a pink ripple.
According to the Cook Political Report, currently Harris' margin of victory in our state is 13.4% (54.9% for Harris, 41.5% for Trump). That's 2.7% less than the margin Biden beat Trump by in 2020. So Trump increased his vote share in Oregon, but only ten states had a lower increase in the Republican percentage of presidential votes.
Meaning, Oregon fared quite well (from the standpoint of a Democrat, which I am) in an election where nationally Trump gained about six points from his 2020 performance.
In a November 5 story, "Oregon election results follow usual pattern," Randy Stapilus of the Oregon Capital Chronicle summed things up:
Oregon had few surprises in the general election results that changed the political landscape very little.
Tracking closely with similar kinds of results in Washington state, the light blue Beaver state stuck with its usual voting patterns, careful to rarely edge over into landslides. In most cases, Portland remained deep blue and most of the eastern counties stayed deep red.
Taken as a whole, Oregon remained generally blue, even as much of the country was awash in red-tinged results.
The state Legislature will not be significantly changed by this election, even if a number of new faces will be taking their places in it.
Once again, all of the races for statewide elected officials ended up with Democratic victories. In the Secretary of State race, Tobias Read defeated Dennis Linthicum 54-42. In the State Treasurer race, Elizabeth Steiner defeated Brian Boquist 49-43. In the Attorney General race, Dan Rayfield defeated Will Lathrop 54-46.
Pleasingly, since I live in the 6th Congressional District, Democrat Andrea Salinas beat Mike Erickson again, 53-47. It also warmed my liberal heart to see Democrat Janelle Bynum snatch the 5th District out of Republican hands by defeating Lori Chavez-Deremer 48-45. It's likely that the GOP will maintain narrow control of the House of Representatives, but Oregon did its part to reduce the Republican margin.
I think the ballot measures turned out fine.
Measure 115 passed 54-46, so now the Oregon legislature can impeach statewide elected officials by a 2/3 vote. Measure 116 failed 53-47, which is mildly surprising, since I expected voters would prefer that an independent commission set the salary for certain officials rather than the legislature. Measure 117 failed 58-42, showing that ranked choice voting isn't popular statewide. Measure 118, which would have increased corporate taxes to give an annual payment to each Oregonian was even less popular, failing 78-22. Unionizing cannabis businesses got a boost when Measure 119 passed 56-44.
I was disappointed that Democratic Salem city councilor Virginia Stapleton lost to incumbent Republican Kevin Mannix 53-47 in the race for the state House District 21 seat. Probably her City Council support for the ill-fated employee payroll tax that was soundly rejected by Salem voters hurt her.
The national election results depressed me, while the Oregon results helped cheer me up. This wasn't exactly a wash, since I expected Harris to win and I also expected that Oregon would remain solidly Democratic. That made Harris' loss, which extended to her losing all seven of the swing states, more strongly disturbing than the amount of pleasure I got from Oregon doing what it usually does, vote blue.
Nonetheless, I've found some reasons to hope in the face of Trump's victory. Time will tell if I'm justified in that hope.
Oregon is ranked in the top 10 of dangerous U.S. states. And you know the details. But like most rich liberals who live in neighborhoods far from the drug and poverty and high crime initiatives you voted into law, all you care about is what affects you. All you care about is that your state is "blue." Talk about tribalism.
Posted by: sant64 | November 11, 2024 at 04:17 PM