Midterm Elections to be Held on November 6

The midterm elections are being held on November 6, across the United States. Midterms are the elections held in the middle of a presidential term. They are always important for the legislative branch. Often times the political party who controls the white house loses seats in the legislature.

This midterm is especially important because the margins in the U.S. Senate (51 Republicans-49 Democrats) and House (235 Republicans-193 Democrats) are particularly small. Currently, Congress is controlled by Republicans. The Democrats are hoping they can switch the House and the Senate, while the Republicans hope to remain the majority.

Historically voter turnout for midterm elections is much lower than voter turnout during presidential election years. The voters who do vote in midterms are typically older.

In Oregon the election is for governor, representatives for the Oregon House and Senate, and all five Oregon representatives to the U.S. House. There are also candidates for various other positions and a few controversial ballot measures.

There are six candidates in the Oregon governor’s race, which is already the most expensive governor’s race in Oregon history. The major candidates are Kate Brown, Democrat and the incumbent, and Knute Buehler, Republican. The other candidates are Patrick Starnes, Independent Party; Aaron Auer, Constitution Party; Nick Chen, Libertarian; and Chris Henry, Progressive Party.

“I’m running for another term because Oregon needs a governor they can trust. Someone who can bring people together and get things done,” Brown said in an interview last spring.

Brown has been governor since John Kitzhaber resigned in 2015. She won the Democratic nomination with 81.95% of the vote. Buehler is an Orthopedic surgeon and state representative. Buehler won the Republican nomination with 45.90% of the vote. If Buehler were to win he would be Oregon’s first Republican governor since 1987.

  “I attribute it mostly to my wife. Several years ago she told me that I either needed to stop complaining about all the problems that have developed in Oregon, or stand up and do something about them… After being in Salem for the past four years and having a front row seat to the mismanagement and seeing all the problems that Governor Brown has avoided, ignored and made worse, it was the time to run for governor.” Buehler said, on why he is running for governor.

According to a survey conducted by OPB, on October 11, Brown has the support of 40 percent of Oregonians, while Buehler has the support of 35 percent. Four percent of Oregonians say they support Starnes, and 17 percent are undecided. The rest are supporting the other candidates. The margin of error for this poll is 4.4 percentage points. Although Brown currently has the lead, due to the large number of undecided voters the governor’s seat could go to either of them.

One of the measures appearing on the Oregon ballot is Measure 105, which would repeal Oregon’s sanctuary law. Oregon’s 31-year-old sanctuary law limits local and state police enforcement of federal immigration policies. According to the OPB poll, 45 percent of voters are opposed to the repeal, while 32 percent support it.  

Another measure is Measure 106, which proposes a ban on state funding for abortion. Measure 106 would stop women with low incomes from getting abortions via the Oregon Health Plan, except in special cases. According to the OPB poll 31 percent of voters are in favor of this measure, while 50 percent are opposed.

Across the nation, politicians, celebrities and private citizens are urging young people, no matter which candidates they support, to vote in the midterms. Brown said “Your vote always makes a difference. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Politics is not a spectator sport.”