Oregon Senate
Filing Deadline: March 11, 2008 • Primary Date: May 20, 2008 • General Election: Nov. 4, 2008Incumbent
Gordon Smith (R)
First elected in 1996; seeking third full term; Gordon was nominated with 85% of the vote in a two-way primary.
Campaign Web siteOfficial Web site
Almanac profile
NRSC profile
Challenger
Jeff Merkley (D)
Merkley, Oregon's Speaker of the House, was nominated with 45% of the vote in a six-way primary.
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Race Ranking: 7
For one of the closest Senate races in the country, there hasn't been much public polling conducted here over the past month. But even in Gordon Smith's own poll, he's held to 45%, and he seems to be trailing slightly in most others. Given the sizeable victory that Barack Obama will probably win in this state, a Smith win would be something of a minor upset at this point.
Ad Spotlight
- Jeff Merkley for Senate: "Deserve Better" (10/16/08)
- Jeff Merkley For Senate: "Senior Senator" (10/15/08)
- National Republican Senatorial Committee: "More Tax Merkley" (10/10/08)
- Gordon Smith For Senate: "Matthew" (10/7/08)
- Jeff Merkley For Senate: "Breaks" (10/7/08)
Previous Election Results
| 2002 General | Total Votes | Percent | Expenditures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gordon Smith (R) | 712,287 | 56% | $5,651,098 |
| Bill Bradbury (D) | 501,898 | 40% | $2,104,194 |
| 2002 Primary | Total Votes | Percent | Expenditures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gordon Smith (R) | unopposed |
| 1996 General | Total Votes | Percent | Expenditures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gordon Smith (R) | 677,336 | 50% | $3,527,252 |
| Tom Bruggere (D) | 624,370 | 46% | $3,301,736 |
Hotline Coverage
Check out the Hotline's coverage of the Oregon senate race.
Race Rankings
Based on likelihood of seat switching party control. Updated: 10/31.
1.
Virginia
(Open-R)2.
New Mexico
(Open-R)3.
Colorado
(Open-R)4.
N.H.
(Sununu-R)5.
Alaska
(Stevens-R)6.
North Carolina
(Dole-R)7.
Oregon
(Smith-R)8.
Minnesota
(Coleman-R)9.
Georgia
(Chambliss-R)10.
Louisiana
(Landrieu-D)11.
Mississippi
(Wicker-R)12.
Kentucky
(McConnell-R)13.
Maine
(Collins-R)14.
Texas
(Cornyn-R)15.
New Jersey
(Lautenberg-D)
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