May 19

Total Number: 14

To Watch:
Measure 57: Drugs Would make possession of less than one ounce of marijuana a Class C misdemeanor.

Measure 59: Campaign Finance
Would mandate that no public funds could be spent to collect or assist in the collection of political funds.

Measure 60: Elections
Would require vote by mail in biennial primary and general elections.

Measure 61: Crime
Repeat Offenders Initiative would impose tougher sentences on criminals who repeatedly violate major criminal laws, including crimes for killing people while driving while intoxicated.

Measure 62: Fair Elections
Would require the disclosure of political contributions over $500 and the disclosure of paid political advertising.

Measure 64: Environmental Protection
Would make it more difficult to cut timber.

Measure 66: Lottery Funds
Dedicates some lottery funding to parks, beaches, habitat and watershed protection.

Measure 67: Medical Marijuana
Would allow Oregonians with debilitating medical conditions to use marijuana without fear of penalty. Marijuana would be treated like medicines.

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PARTY CONTROL

Governor: Democrat
U.S. Senate: 1 Democrat, 1 Republican
U.S. House of Representatives: 4 Democrats, 1 Republican
State Senate: 10 Democrats, 20 Republicans
State House of Representatives: 29 Democrats, 31 Republicans

Senate: 15 seats up
House: All 60 seats up

State Projected Voting Age Population: 2,411,000 (1996)
Registered Voters: (as of 6/98) 1,923,557

7

Clinton won in 1996; Clinton in 1992; Dukakis in 1988; Reagan in 1984; Reagan in 1980; Ford in 1976; Nixon in 1972; Nixon in 1968; Johnson in 1964; Nixon in 1960.

LAST TIME VOTED DEMOCRATIC FOR PRESIDENT: 1996

PRESIDENTIAL VOTE IN 1996:

Clinton 47%
Dole 39%
Perot 9%
Other 5%

PRESIDENTIAL VOTE IN 1992:

Clinton 43%
Bush 33%
Perot 24%

PRESIDENTIAL VOTE IN 1988:

Dukakis 51%
Bush 47%

PRESIDENTIAL VOTE IN 1984:

Reagan 56%
Mondale 44%

PRESIDENTIAL VOTE IN 1980:

Reagan 48%
Carter 39%
Anderson 10%

1992:

• President
• Senate
• Other Issues

1994:

• Governor
• Other Issues

1996:

• President
• Senate

Historical voter turnout as a percentage of the voting age population 1996-1960

Population: 3,204,000 (1996)
(% of voting age population)

White: 93.6%
African American: 1.4%
Asian: 2.3%
Native American: 1.2%
Other/Undeclared: 1.5%

Persons of Hispanic origin account for 3.3% of the voting population (from 1990 Census)

State Capital: Salem
State Nickname: Beaver State

Oregon's larger towns, including Portland, Eugene and Corvallis, are enclaves of high-tech industry, university students and environmentalists. From loggers in the Cascade Mountains to millworkers in towns like Roseburg ("Timber Capital of the Nation") and in eastern Oregon, folks tend to be more conservative, thus fueling the ongoing "lumberwars" and keeping the state's delegation to the House divided. The traditional Republican dominance in this state has shifted: Four of the five representatives are Democrats, and the senators are split. In 1996, Oregon had two open Senate seat contests, one in January to replace Bob Packwood (R) and one in the fall to replace Mark Hatfield (R), who retired after 30 years. Packwood resigned after the Senate Ethics Committee recommended his expulsion in the fall of 1995. Both Hatfield and Packwood were moderate Republicans. Gov. John Kitzhaber (D), a physician, is credited for bringing the health care reform debate not only to the state's, but to the national forefront in the early 1990's. If Kitzhaber wins reelection in 1998, he would be the first governor reelected in the state since 1982.

NOTE: External sites will open in a new browser window.

Government:

Oregon Secretary of State Home Page
http://www.sos.state.or.us/
Oregon Elections Division
http://www.sos.state.or.us/elections/elechp.htm
Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber's Home Page
http://www.governor.state.or.us/governor.html
Oregon State Senate
http://www.leg.state.or.us/senate.html
Oregon State House of Representatives
http://www.leg.state.or.us/house.html

News Media:

State Newspapers

Oregonian (Portland)

General Interest:

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