The 2010 Oregon gubernatorial election was held on Tuesday, , to elect the governor of Oregon to a four-year term beginning on . 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.

The Democratic candidate John Kitzhaber, who had previously served two terms as governor from 1995 to 2003, was elected to a third term, earning a narrow victory over Republican candidate Chris Dudley and two minor party candidates. Kitzhaber's election marked the first time in Oregon's history that a person has been elected to a third term as governor.

Oregon first used its new cross-nomination system, a form of fusion voting, in the 2010 general elections. In this system, a candidate for partisan public office can be nominated by up to three political parties. Kitzhaber was nominated by the Independent Party of Oregon in addition to the Democratic Party.

Almost every opinion poll throughout the election season showed a statistical tie between the two, state Republicans saw this election as the best chance to win the governorship since the last Republican governor, Victor Atiyeh, was re-elected in 1982. Once polls closed on election day, Dudley had led in early vote counts, but Kitzhaber narrowly won due to wide margins in Multnomah and Lane counties. However, this remains the closest Republicans have come to winning the governorship since that election.

Democratic primary

Candidates John Kitzhaber, former governor of Oregon Bill Bradbury, former Oregon secretary of state Roger Obrist

Polling Poll source Date administered John Kitzhaber Bill Bradbury UndecidedDavis, Hibbetts & MidghallDavis, Hibbetts & Midghall May 8–10, 2010 53% 23% 22%Survey USASurvey USA May 7–9, 2010 59% 25% 12%

Debate + 2010 Oregon gubernatorial election Democratic primary debate Date Host Moderator Link Democratic DemocraticKey: Participant  Absent  Not invited  Invited Withdrawn John Kitzhaber Bill Bradbury1 Apr. 30, 2010 City Club of Portland Ted Kaye YouTube

Results

Republican primary

Candidates Chris Dudley, former professional basketball player Allen Alley, businessman and deputy chief of staff to Governor Ted Kulongoski Clark Colvin, business executive William Ames Curtright Bob Forthan Darren Karr, small business owner John Lim, former Oregon State Senator and unsuccessful nominee for the U.S. Senate in 1998 Bill Sizemore, 1998 Republican nominee for Governor of Oregon Rex O. Watkins, real estate agent

Polling Poll source Date administered Chris Dudley Allen Alley John Lim Bill Sizemore UndecidedDavis, Hibbetts & Midghall May 8–10, 2010 33% 23% 8% 6% 24%Survey USA May 7–9, 2010 42% 24% 8% 8% 14%

Results

Independent Party primary Oregon first used its new cross nomination system, a form of fusion voting, in the 2010 general elections. In this system, a candidate for partisan public office can be nominated by up to three political parties. As a result, the Independent Party of Oregon did not file a candidate and instead chose to hold a month-long online primary in July. In doing so, it became the first political party in the United States to conduct a binding statewide primary election entirely over the Internet, and it was the largest nominating process ever held by an Oregon minor political party. Republican Chris Dudley did not apply for the Independent Party nomination by the required date, so he was not on the ballot, but he could be written in.

Candidates John Kitzhaber, former Governor of Oregon Jerry Wilson, businessman Richard Esterman, photographer

Results

General election

Candidates Chris Dudley (Republican), former professional basketball player John Kitzhaber (Democratic, Independent Party of Oregon), former Governor of Oregon Greg Kord (Constitution), industrial piping designer Wes Wagner (Libertarian), systems administrator

Campaign Following the primaries, the two leading candidates, Dudley and Kitzhaber, campaigned separately throughout the state for the summer. Despite attempts by both campaigns to arrange a debate, the candidates could only agree on a single debate on September 30. Through the end of September, the Dudley campaign had raised $5.6 million, more than twice as much as the Kitzhaber campaign.

Throughout the last few months of the campaign, opinion polls showed a tight race with the lead apparently changing frequently. Due to the closeness of the race, President Barack Obama, for whom Oregon voted by a 16-percent margin in 2008, stumped for Kitzhaber; then headlined a rally at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland on .

Newspaper endorsements

Newspaper Endorsement The Oregonian (Portland) John Kitzhaber Willamette Week (Portland) John Kitzhaber Portland Tribune John Kitzhaber The Register-Guard (Eugene) John Kitzhaber Statesman Journal (Salem) Chris Dudley Mail Tribune (Medford) John Kitzhaber The Bulletin (Bend) Chris Dudley East Oregonian (Pendleton) John Kitzhaber The Lake Oswego Review John Kitzhaber The News-Review (Roseburg) John Kitzhaber The Outlook (Gresham) John Kitzhaber The Daily Astorian John Kitzhaber Corvallis Gazette-Times John Kitzhaber News-Register (McMinnville) Chris Dudley The Sandy Post John Kitzhaber Beaverton Valley Times John Kitzhaber West Linn Tidings John Kitzhaber

Predictions Source Ranking As of Cook Political Report October 14, 2010 Rothenberg October 28, 2010 RealClearPolitics November 1, 2010 Sabato's Crystal Ball October 28, 2010 CQ Politics October 28, 2010

Polling Poll source Date(s) administered Margin of error JohnKitzhaber (D) ChrisDudley (R) Other candidate(s) UndecidedDavis & HibbittsDavis & Hibbitts October 30–31, 2010 ± 3.1% 46% 43%Survey USASurvey USA October 23–28, 2010 ± 4.2% 48% 41% 2% 8%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports October 25, 2010 ± 4.0% 46% 49% 3% 3%HibbittsHibbitts October 24–25, 2010 ± 4.4% 42% 45% 2% 12%Elway ResearchElway Research October 18–19, 2010 ± 4.4% 45% 44% 3% 5%Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling October 16–17, 2010 ± 2.8% 48% 47% 5%Survey USASurvey USA October 12–14, 2010 ± 3.9% 46% 45% 4% 5%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports October 10, 2010 ± 4.0% 48% 46% 3% 4%Survey USASurvey USA September 12–14, 2010 ± 4.2% 43% 49% 5% 3%Riley ResearchRiley Research August 31 – September 9, 2010 ± 5.0% 40% 39% 5% 16%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports September 8, 2010 ± 4.0% 44% 49% 2% 5%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports August 22, 2010 ± 4.0% 44% 45% 3% 8%Grove InsightGrove Insight August 18–21, 2010 ± 4.0% 44% 35% 4% 14%Survey USASurvey USA July 25–27, 2010 ± 4.2% 44% 46% 7% 4%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports July 26, 2010 ± 4.0% 44% 47% 5% 4%Magellan StrategiesMagellan Strategies June 28, 2010 ± 3.2% 40% 41% 10% 9%Davis, Hibbits and MidghallDavis, Hibbits and Midghall June 21, 2010 unk 41% 41% 6% 12%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports June 17, 2010 ± 4.5% 45% 47% 4% 4%Survey USASurvey USA June 7–9, 2010 ± 4.2% 40% 47% 6% 7%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports May 20, 2010 ± 4.5% 44% 45% 4% 6%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports April 26, 2010 ± 4.0% 41% 41% 4% 4%Moore InsightMoore Insight February 20–21, 2010 ± 4.0% 45% 33% 21%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports February 17, 2010 ± 4.5% 42% 36% 7% 15%

Results

By county Dudley won 29 of Oregon's 36 counties. Kitzhaber won seven, including Multnomah County by a 43% margin of victory.

County John KitzhaberDemocratic Chris DudleyRepublican Greg KordConstitution Wes WagnerLibertarian Write-in Margin Total Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes %Baker1,94926.8%4,81668.1%1872.6%1662.3%210.3%-2,867-39.40%7,276Benton21,49859.4%13,76738.0%3991.1%4481.2%770.2%7,73121.36%36,189Clackamas69,25044.3%83,51653.4%1,6861.1%1,5471.0%2880.2%-14,266-9.13%156,287Clatsop7,65451.3%6,79245.5%1961.3%1661.6%370.2%8625.78%14,913Columbia8,97344.4%10,30251.0%4932.4%3681.8%540.3%-1,329-6.58%20,190Coos10,45641.3%13,65253.9%6182.4%5832.3%340.1%-3,196-12.61%25,343Crook2,31426.1%6,23170.3%1521.7%1441.6%210.2%-3,917-44.20%8,862Curry3,98638.8%5,76156.0%2752.7%2452.4%140.1%-1,775-17.26%10,281Deschutes24,28938.1%37,70659.1%8611.3%8151.3%1120.2%-13,417-21.04%63,783Douglas14,07232.5%27,43863.3%9522.2%8071.9%660.2%-13,366-30.84%43,335Gilliam30832.0%62064.4%252.6%70.7%20.2%-312-32.43%962Grant74921.6%2,57674.3%862.5%501.4%80.2%-1,827-52.67%3,469Harney80023.8%2,43672.3%762.3%481.4%80.2%-1,636-48.57%3,368Hood River4,77856.7%3,43440.7%951.1%1031.2%170.2%1,34415.95%8,427Jackson32,36041.7%42,71555.0%1,3891.8%1,1171.4%1090.1%-10,355-13.33%77,690Jefferson2,13232.3%4,24064.2%1101.7%1101.7%100.2%-2,108-31.93%6,602Josephine11,55834.7%20,02560.2%1,0183.1%6461.9%430.1%-8,467-25.43%33,290Klamath5,82025.1%16,29570.4%5602.4%4281.8%550.2%-10,475-45.23%23,158Lake65821.0%2,32374.2%802.6%642.0%60.3%-1,665-53.18%3,131Lane81,73157.0%57,39440.0%1,8551.3%2,0451.4%4880.3%24,33716.96%143,513Lincoln10,48453.0%8,54043.2%3471.8%3892.0%310.2%1,9449.82%19,791Linn14,46634.8%25,37061.1%8982.2%7081.7%1100.3%-10,904-26.24%41,552Malheur1,88424.4%5,44070.4%2463.2%1572.0%50.1%-3,556-45.99%7,732Marion44,79544.4%53,17752.7%1,5301.5%1,1921.2%2420.2%-8,382-8.30%100,936Morrow85026.8%2,18468.8%872.7%481.5%60.2%-1,334-42.02%3,175Multnomah198,15770.6%76,91527.4%2,1490.8%2,8791.0%7500.3%121,24243.17%280,850Polk12,89943.4%15,96653.7%4561.5%3361.1%670.2%-3,067-10.32%29,724Sherman23826.3%63470.1%151.7%171.9%10.1%-496-54.81%905Tillamook5,07246.0%5,60450.8%1631.5%1731.6%190.2%-532-4.82%11,031Umatilla6,32132.1%12,57463.8%4412.2%3201.6%470.2%-6,253-31.74%19,703Union3,36631.6%6,86964.5%2212.1%1651.5%310.3%-3,503-32.89%10,652Wallowa1,08828.6%2,58167.9%792.1%431.1%90.2%-1,493-39.29%3,800Wasco4,02443.2%4,93853.1%1611.7%1561.7%270.3%-914-9.82%9,306Washington92,81149.6%89,92648.1%1,9771.1%1,9831.1%3360.2%2,8851.54%187,033Wheeler21628.6%50066.3%222.9%152.0%10.1%-284-37.67%754Yamhill14,51939.7%20,89357.2%5701.6%4921.3%610.2%-6,374-17.45%36,535

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican Clackamas (largest city: Lake Oswego) Columbia (largest city: St. Helens) Marion (largest city: Salem) Tillamook (largest city: Tillamook) Wasco (largest city: The Dalles)

See also 2010 Oregon state elections 2010 United States gubernatorial elections Governor of Oregon List of governors of Oregon

References

External links Oregon Governor Candidates at Project Vote Smart Campaign contributions for 2010 Oregon Governor from Follow the Money Oregon Governor 2010 from OurCampaigns.com

Election 2010: Oregon Governor from Rasmussen Reports 2010 Oregon Governor Race from Real Clear Politics 2010 Oregon Governor's Race from CQ Politics Race Profile in The New York Times Official campaign websites (Archived) John Kitzhaber for Governor (D) Chris Dudley for Governor (R)