The 2006 Oregon gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Democratic Governor Ted Kulongoski ran for a second and final term. He 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. As of , this marks the last occasion in which the following counties have voted Democratic in a gubernatorial election: Clackamas, Columbia, Marion, and Wasco.

Democratic primary

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

Republican primary

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

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. 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." Constitution Party nominee Mary Starrett was widely perceived to win votes largely at the expense of Saxton's campaign.

Predictions Source Ranking As of The Cook Political Report November 6, 2006 Sabato's Crystal Ball November 6, 2006 Rothenberg Political Report November 2, 2006 Real Clear Politics November 6, 2006

Polling Poll source Date administered Ted RonSaxton (R) MaryStarrett (C) RichardMorley (L) JoeKeating (G)KATU/OregonianKATU/Oregonian October 31, 2006 45% 38% 6% 1% 1%RasmussenRasmussen October 31, 2006 51% 44% — — —Riley ResearchRiley Research October 25, 2006 47% 36% 4% 1% 1%Riley ResearchRiley Research October 3, 2006 37% 39% 2% 1% 1%RasmussenRasmussen October 1, 2006 47% 42% — — —RasmussenRasmussen September 25, 2006 47% 38% — — —Zogby Interactive PollZogby Interactive Poll September 11, 2006 47% 40% 5% 1% —Zogby Interactive Poll August 28, 2006 50% 44% — — —RasmussenRasmussen August 22, 2006 49% 35% — — —RasmussenRasmussen August 3, 2006 45% 35% — — —Zogby Interactive Poll July 24, 2006 49% 42% — — —Zogby Interactive Poll June 21, 2006 48% 40% — — —RasmussenRasmussen May 23, 2006 43% 41% — — —Zogby Interactive PollZogby Interactive Poll March 22–27, 2006 46% 39% — — —RasmussenRasmussen February 27, 2006 47% 33% — — —

Results

Results by county County Ted KulongoskiDemocratic Kevin MannixRepublican Mary StarrettConstitution Joe KeatingGreen Richard MorleyLibertarian ScatteringWrite-in Margin Total votes cast # % # % # % # % # % # % # %Baker2,50834.07%4,33858.93%3624.92%710.96%710.96%110.15%-1,830-24.86%7,361Benton20,66158.69%12,73636.18%5591.59%7352.09%4561.30%580.16%7,92522.51%35,205Clackamas70,13148.29%65,79545.30%6,4054.41%1,3730.95%1,3350.92%1980.14%4,3362.99%145,237Clatsop7,93653.12%5,88639.40%6664.46%2541.70%1811.21%170.11%2,05013.72%14,940Columbia9,29147.89%8,03241.40%1,5778.13%2261.16%2381.23%380.20%1,2596.49%19,402Coos10,97743.64%12,10348.12%1,2154.83%4161.65%4101.63%310.12%-1,126-4.48%25,152Crook2,51830.14%5,33363.85%3133.75%690.83%981.17%220.26%-2,815-33.70%8,353Curry4,16241.09%5,33252.64%2822.78%1651.63%1581.56%310.31%-1,170-11.55%10,130Deschutes23,63140.85%31,25654.04%1,3682.37%7841.36%6821.18%1220.21%-7,625-13.18%57,843Douglas15,12335.49%24,89658.42%1,3843.25%5061.19%6391.50%640.15%-9,773-22.93%42,612Gilliam38838.92%53553.66%535.32%50.50%101.00%60.60%-147-14.74%997Grant78323.26%2,40171.31%1183.50%200.59%391.16%60.18%-1,618-48.05%3,367Harney64321.38%2,18672.70%1193.96%150.50%361.20%80.27%-1,543-51.31%3,007Hood River4,35258.54%2,55434.36%3314.45%1241.67%630.85%100.13%1,79824.19%7,434Jackson33,32943.25%39,05550.68%2,1832.83%1,2811.66%1,0171.32%1920.25%-5,726-7.43%77,057Jefferson2,77641.38%3,51152.34%2784.14%490.73%811.21%130.19%-735-10.96%6,708Josephine11,90036.39%18,32156.02%1,3984.27%5251.61%4741.45%860.26%-6,421-19.63%32,704Klamath6,59227.85%15,65166.12%8233.48%2621.11%3041.28%380.16%-9,059-38.27%23,670Lake72323.26%2,15669.37%1324.25%321.03%511.64%140.45%-1,433-46.11%3,108Lane81,55058.31%50,29035.96%2,8952.07%2,7701.98%1,9201.37%4220.30%31,26022.35%139,847Lincoln10,14551.61%8,07241.06%7303.71%4202.14%2711.38%200.10%2,07310.55%19,658Linn15,58839.13%21,41153.74%1,7694.44%4821.21%5181.30%710.18%-5,823-14.62%39,839Malheur2,35729.10%5,29665.37%2733.37%750.93%941.16%60.07%-2,939-36.28%8,101Marion45,30446.64%44,47445.79%4,9685.12%1,0831.12%9620.99%3350.34%8300.85%97,126Morrow1,04333.87%1,79758.36%1785.78%230.75%331.07%50.16%-754-24.49%3,079Multnomah177,79768.44%65,48825.21%8,0223.09%5,0331.94%3,0101.16%4540.17%112,30943.23%259,804Polk12,62046.22%12,64346.30%1,3514.95%3121.14%3141.15%640.23%-23-0.08%27,304Sherman33135.36%52956.52%545.77%101.07%101.07%20.21%-198-21.15%936Tillamook5,35649.42%4,74543.78%4734.36%1361.25%1091.01%190.18%6115.64%10,838Umatilla7,18237.86%10,55455.64%7754.09%1931.02%2431.28%220.12%-3,372-17.78%18,969Union3,96139.23%5,47354.20%4033.99%1281.27%1141.13%190.19%-1,512-14.97%10,098Wallowa1,25332.99%2,33561.48%1122.95%381.00%571.50%30.08%-1,082-28.49%3,798Wasco4,30747.00%4,05744.27%5475.97%1211.32%1171.28%150.16%2502.73%9,164Washington88,29251.10%73,90742.77%6,1333.55%1,9541.13%2,2751.32%2220.13%14,3858.33%172,783Wheeler23331.74%42257.49%527.08%91.23%131.77%50.68%-189-25.75%734Yamhill14,04342.41%16,17848.86%1,9285.82%3311.00%3951.19%2350.71%-2,135-6.45%33,110Total699,78650.73%589,74842.75%50,2293.64%20,0301.45%16,7981.22%2,8840.21%110,0387.98%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 2006 Oregon statewide elections 2006 United States gubernatorial elections List of governors of Oregon

References

Official campaigns websites Ted Kulongoski (D) for Governor Ron Saxton (R) for Governor