Former House Speaker Tina Kotek won the Democratic nomination for governor, defeating 15 other Democrats.
She'll face off against Christine Drazan, the former minority leader of the Oregon House.
Both candidates will face off against Betsy Johnson, a well-funded independent and former Democratic state senator, in the November 8 general election.
The current governor, Democrat Kate Brown, can't seek reelection because of term limits in the state.
The race and the stakes:
State Treasurer Tobias Read had been the frontrunner against Kotek in the race against against 13 other Democrats. Kotek and Read were the most well known candidates after lengthy careers in state politics.
An even more crowded field of 19 Republicans was also in the race.
The State Supreme Court in February rejected a bid by New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof to run on the ticket because he didn't meet Oregon's residency requirements.
Oregon is a solidly blue state when it comes to presidential elections, and a Republican hasn't won a gubernatorial race there since 1982. But Republicans, trying to benefit from national headwinds on issues such as high costs, education, and public safety, are hoping that voters might give them a shot this year.
In the weeks leading up to the race, Republicans Drazan and Bob Tiernan were frontrunners, according to a poll by Nelson Research.
Others leading in fundraising were Dr. Bud Pierce, an oncologist who previously ran for governor, and Sandy Mayor Stan Pulliam, who criticized Brown's COVID-19 mitigation measures and incorrectly called the 2020 presidential election "fraudulent" even though Oregon didn't change its voting rules in response to the pandemic.
Republicans are also aiming to capitalize on the vitriol against Brown, who implemented some of the longest and most sweeping COVID-19 restrictions of any state in the US. A recent poll from Morning Consult found that she was the most unpopular governor in America.
Managing the homelessness crisis in Oregon is among the top issues candidates are running on, and Republicans are blaming Democrats for failing to deliver on the issue after years of being in control of the state.
Meanwhile, issues on the Democratic ticket include the climate crisis and expanding care for people with addictions. This, after Oregon voters in 2020 passed a ballot that decriminalized possessing low amounts of illicit drugs, including heroin and meth.
In Oregon, which holds its elections entirely by mail, voter turnout is lagging compared to previous years, the Oregon Capital Chronicle reported. One week out from May 17, less than 10% of voters had cast their ballot.
