Oregon Democratic primary, 2008
Encyclopedia
The 2008 Oregon Democratic primary was a mail-only primary
in the U.S. state of Oregon
. Ballots were mailed to registered Democratic
voters between May 2 and May 6, 2008. To be counted, all ballots had to have been received by county elections offices by 8:00 p.m. PDT
on May 20, 2008. It was a closed primary and voters had to have registered as Democrats by April 29, 2008 to be eligible to vote in any of the partisan
races.
At the time of the election there were 868,371 registered Democratic voters; 73.56% of them voted in this election.
, there were two candidates on the Oregon ballot: Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama
.
. Of these, 52 pledged delegates were allocated proportionally to one of the Democratic Presidential candidates in the primary. (The delegates themselves, along with nine alternates, were elected at a later date.)
The 52 pledged delegates were allocated as follows:
Oregon also had 13 unpledged superdelegates, all of whom endorsed Obama (though Kulongoski and Hooley originally endorsed Clinton in the primaries):
addressed a rally in Tom McCall Waterfront Park
in Portland
, with a crowd estimated at 72,000 (60,000 inside the gates and another 12,000 outside). This crowd was the largest ever to greet Obama, surpassing his previous record of 35,000 people in Pennsylvania. It was also likely the largest-ever political rally in Oregon, surpassing the John Kerry
rally in 2004, which drew 50,000. Large, media-attracting rallies and meetings such as this were noted to make a substantial difference in electorate enthusiasm and volunteer sign-ups for both Democratic Party potential candidates.
National pledged delegates determined: 52
as their nominee for the United States Senate
seat held by Republican
Gordon Smith. Steve Novick
finished a close second.
. Democratic incumbents David Wu
, Earl Blumenauer
, and Peter DeFazio
won their party's nomination and state senator Kurt Schrader
won the Democratic nomination for the seat held by the retiring Darlene Hooley
. Democrat Noah Lemas was unopposed to run for the seat currently held by Republican Greg Walden
.
Secretary of State
, state senator Kate Brown
defeated Rick Metsger
, Vicki Walker
, and Paul Damian Wells.
In the race for Attorney General
, John Kroger
defeated Greg Macpherson
. In the race for Treasurer
, Ben Westlund
was unopposed for the Democratic nomination.
were up for election. Democrats nominated candidates in 12 Senate districts for the general election.
were up for election. Democrats nominated candidates in 56 House districts for the general election, including one successful write-in candidate.
Postal voting
Postal voting describes the method of voting in an election whereby ballot papers are distributed or returned by post to electors, in contrast to electors voting in person at a polling station or electronically via an electronic voting system....
in the U.S. state of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. Ballots were mailed to registered Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
voters between May 2 and May 6, 2008. To be counted, all ballots had to have been received by county elections offices by 8:00 p.m. PDT
Pacific Time Zone
The Pacific Time Zone observes standard time by subtracting eight hours from Coordinated Universal Time . The clock time in this zone is based on the mean solar time of the 120th meridian west of the Greenwich Observatory. During daylight saving time, its time offset is UTC-7.In the United States...
on May 20, 2008. It was a closed primary and voters had to have registered as Democrats by April 29, 2008 to be eligible to vote in any of the partisan
Partisan (political)
In politics, a partisan is a committed member of a political party. In multi-party systems, the term is widely understood to carry a negative connotation - referring to those who wholly support their party's policies and are perhaps even reluctant to acknowledge correctness on the part of their...
races.
At the time of the election there were 868,371 registered Democratic voters; 73.56% of them voted in this election.
Presidential race
In the race for the Democratic nominee for President of the United StatesPresident of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, there were two candidates on the Oregon ballot: Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
.
Delegates
Oregon had a total of 65 delegates at the 2008 Democratic National Convention2008 Democratic National Convention
The United States 2008 Democratic National Convention was a quadrennial presidential nominating convention of the Democratic Party where it adopted its national platform and officially nominated its candidates for President and Vice President of the United States. The convention was held in Denver,...
. Of these, 52 pledged delegates were allocated proportionally to one of the Democratic Presidential candidates in the primary. (The delegates themselves, along with nine alternates, were elected at a later date.)
The 52 pledged delegates were allocated as follows:
- Oregon's 1st congressional districtOregon's 1st congressional districtOregon's 1st congressional district consists of the northwest corner of Oregon. It includes Clatsop, Columbia, Washington, and Yamhill counties, and southwest Portland, part of Multnomah County, which belonged to the 3rd district before the 2002 redistricting....
: 7 - Oregon's 2nd congressional districtOregon's 2nd congressional districtOregon's 2nd congressional district is the largest of Oregon's five districts, and is the seventh largest district in the nation. The district covers roughly two-thirds of the state, east of the Willamette Valley...
: 5 - Oregon's 3rd congressional districtOregon's 3rd congressional districtOregon's 3rd congressional district covers most of Multnomah County, including Portland east of the Willamette River, Gresham, and Troutdale. It also includes the northern part of Clackamas County, including Milwaukie. Parts of northwest Portland also lie within the district...
: 9 - Oregon's 4th congressional districtOregon's 4th congressional districtOregon's 4th congressional district represents the southern half of Oregon's coastal counties, including Coos, Curry, Douglas, Lane, and Linn counties and most of Benton and Josephine counties...
: 7 - Oregon's 5th congressional districtOregon's 5th congressional districtOregon's 5th congressional district represents Oregon's central coast through Salem, north to the southern Portland suburbs, and east to the summit of Mount Hood. It includes Lincoln, Marion, Polk, and Tillamook counties, most of Clackamas County, and part of Benton and Multnomah counties...
: 6 - At-large: 12
- Pledged superdelegates: 6
Oregon also had 13 unpledged superdelegates, all of whom endorsed Obama (though Kulongoski and Hooley originally endorsed Clinton in the primaries):
- Governor Ted KulongoskiTed KulongoskiTheodore R. "Ted" Kulongoski is an American politician, who served as the 36th Governor of Oregon. A Democrat, he has served in both houses of the Oregon Legislative Assembly, as the state Insurance Commissioner, the Attorney General, and an Associate Justice on the Oregon Supreme Court.-Early...
- U.S. Senator Ron WydenRon WydenRonald Lee "Ron" Wyden is the senior U.S. Senator for Oregon, serving since 1996, and a member of the Democratic Party. He previously served in the United States House of Representatives from 1981 to 1996....
- Congressman David WuDavid WuDavid Wu is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 1999 to 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party.The district includes most of Portland west of the Willamette River, as well as all of Yamhill, Columbia, Clatsop, and Washington Counties...
- Congressman Earl BlumenauerEarl BlumenauerEarl Blumenauer is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1996. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes most of Portland east of the Willamette River. A native of Portland, he previously spent over 20 years as a public official representing the city.-Early...
- Congressman Peter DeFazioPeter DeFazioPeter Anthony DeFazio is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1987. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes Eugene, Springfield, Roseburg and part of Corvallis. As Oregon's most senior member of Congress, he is the dean of Oregon's House of Representatives delegation...
- Congresswoman Darlene HooleyDarlene HooleyDarlene Kay Olson Hooley is a former Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Oregon who represented the state's . A native of North Dakota, she spent eight years teaching high school before entering politics when she was elected to the West Linn, Oregon city council in 1975...
- Secretary of State Bill BradburyBill BradburyBill Bradbury is an American politician from the U.S. state of Oregon. A native of Illinois, he grew up in Chicago and Pennsylvania before moving to the West Coast where he worked in broadcast journalism before running for public office. Democrat, he served as Oregon Secretary of State from 1999...
(by association with the Democratic Association of Secretaries of State) - DNCDemocratic National CommitteeThe Democratic National Committee is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis. While it is responsible for overseeing the process of writing a platform every four years, the DNC's central focus is on campaign and political activity in support...
member Frank Dixon - DNC member Jenny Greenleaf
- DNC member Wayne Kinney
- DNC member Gail Rasmussen
- DNC member and DPODemocratic Party of OregonThe Democratic Party of Oregon, based in Portland, is the official Oregon affiliate of the United States Democratic Party. It is recognized by the state of Oregon as a major political party, along with the Oregon Republican Party...
chair Meredith Wood Smith - Former Governor Barbara RobertsBarbara RobertsBarbara Kay Roberts is an American politician from the state of Oregon. A native of the state, she served as the 34th Governor of Oregon from 1991 to 1995. She is the first and, to date, only woman to be elected to that office. A Democrat, Roberts was also the first woman to serve as majority...
(unpledged delegate, elected at the state Democratic convention on June 21)
Polling
| Source | Date | Clinton | Obama | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SurveyUSA | May 16–May 18, 2008 | 42% | 55% | 2% | 1% |
| Suffolk | May 15–May 17, 2008 | 41% | 45% | -- | 8% |
| American Research Group | May 14–May 15, 2008 | 45% | 50% | -- | 5% |
| Public Policy Polling (D) | May 10–May 11, 2008 | 39% | 53% | -- | 7% |
| SurveyUSA | May 9–May 11, 2008 | 43% | 54% | 2% | 2% |
| Davis, Hibbitts & Midghall | May 8–May 10, 2008 | 35% | 55% | -- | 10% |
| Rasmussen Reports | May 1, 2008 | 39% | 51% | -- | 10% |
| SurveyUSA | April 28–April 30, 2008 | 44% | 50% | 2% | 4% |
| SurveyUSA | April 4–April 6, 2008 | 42% | 52% | 4% | 3% |
| Riley Research Poll | January 21–January 29, 2008 | 36% | 28% | 18% | 13% |
May 18 Obama rally
On May 18, 2008, Barack ObamaBarack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
addressed a rally in Tom McCall Waterfront Park
Tom McCall Waterfront Park
Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Park is a park located on the west bank of the Willamette River in downtown Portland, Oregon. It is , comprising 16 tax lots owned by the City of Portland....
in Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, with a crowd estimated at 72,000 (60,000 inside the gates and another 12,000 outside). This crowd was the largest ever to greet Obama, surpassing his previous record of 35,000 people in Pennsylvania. It was also likely the largest-ever political rally in Oregon, surpassing the John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
rally in 2004, which drew 50,000. Large, media-attracting rallies and meetings such as this were noted to make a substantial difference in electorate enthusiasm and volunteer sign-ups for both Democratic Party potential candidates.
Results
Primary date: May 20, 2008National pledged delegates determined: 52
| Oregon Democratic presidential primary, 2008 Official Results |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Delegates |
| Barack Obama Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in... |
375,385 | 58.52% | 31 |
| Hillary Clinton | 259,825 | 40.50% | 21 |
| Write-in | 6,289 | 0.98% | 0 |
| Total | 638,790 | 100.00% | 52 |
U.S. Senate
Oregon Democrats selected speaker of the Oregon House Jeff MerkleyJeff Merkley
Jeffrey Alan "Jeff" Merkley is the junior United States Senator from Oregon. A member of the Democratic Party, Merkley was a five-term member of the Oregon Legislative Assembly representing House District 47, located in eastern Multnomah County within the Portland city limits...
as their nominee for the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
seat held by Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Gordon Smith. Steve Novick
Steve Novick
Steven Novick is a political activist in Oregon and a former environmental lawyer. He ran for the Democratic Party's nomination for the United States Senate in 2008 for the Senate seat then held by Republican Gordon Smith, but narrowly lost to Oregon House speaker Jeff Merkley, who went on to...
finished a close second.
Polling
| Source | Date | Goberman | Loera | Merkley | Neville | Novick | Obrist | Other/ Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SurveyUSA | May 16–May 18, 2008 | 2% | 2% | 34% | 7% | 37% | 2% | 17% |
| SurveyUSA | May 9–May 11, 2008 | 2% | 2% | 31% | 11% | 27% | 2% | 24% |
| Davis, Hibbitts & Midghall | May 8–May 10, 2008 | 1% | 1% | 21% | 0% | 26% | 3% | 43% |
| SurveyUSA | April 28–April 30, 2008 | 2% | 2% | 28% | 8% | 30% | 4% | 26% |
| SurveyUSA | April 4–April 6, 2008 | 3% | 6% | 11% | 12% | 23% | 5% | 40% |
U.S. House of Representatives
Oregon Democrats selected the Democratic candidates to run for election in each of Oregon's five congressional districts in the United States House of RepresentativesUnited States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
. Democratic incumbents David Wu
David Wu
David Wu is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 1999 to 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party.The district includes most of Portland west of the Willamette River, as well as all of Yamhill, Columbia, Clatsop, and Washington Counties...
, Earl Blumenauer
Earl Blumenauer
Earl Blumenauer is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1996. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes most of Portland east of the Willamette River. A native of Portland, he previously spent over 20 years as a public official representing the city.-Early...
, and Peter DeFazio
Peter DeFazio
Peter Anthony DeFazio is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1987. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes Eugene, Springfield, Roseburg and part of Corvallis. As Oregon's most senior member of Congress, he is the dean of Oregon's House of Representatives delegation...
won their party's nomination and state senator Kurt Schrader
Kurt Schrader
Kurt Schrader is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Democratic Party. He previously served in both houses of the Oregon Legislative Assembly.-Early life, education, and early career:...
won the Democratic nomination for the seat held by the retiring Darlene Hooley
Darlene Hooley
Darlene Kay Olson Hooley is a former Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Oregon who represented the state's . A native of North Dakota, she spent eight years teaching high school before entering politics when she was elected to the West Linn, Oregon city council in 1975...
. Democrat Noah Lemas was unopposed to run for the seat currently held by Republican Greg Walden
Greg Walden
Gregory Paul Walden is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1999. He is a member of the Republican Party.The district covers more than two-thirds of the state . He is the son of Paul E...
.
Statewide offices
This election determined the Democratic candidate for several statewide offices. In the race forSecretary of State
Oregon Secretary of State
The Secretary of State of Oregon, an elected constitutional officer within the executive branch of government of the U.S. state of Oregon, is first in line of succession to the Governor. The duties of office are: auditor of public accounts, chief elections officer, and administrator of public...
, state senator Kate Brown
Kate Brown (politician)
Kate Brown is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party, She is the current Oregon Secretary of State and was elected to that office in the 2008 elections. Prior to becoming Secretary of State, Brown served in the Oregon State Senate representing Oregon's 21st senate district,...
defeated Rick Metsger
Rick Metsger
Richard Thomas "Rick" Metsger is a Democratic politician in the US state of Oregon who served in the Oregon State Senate from 1999 to 2011. He and was also a candidate for Oregon Secretary of State and Oregon State Treasurer...
, Vicki Walker
Vicki Walker
Vicki Lynn Walker is an American politician and administrator from Oregon. She is the Oregon State Director for Rural Development with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. A member of the Democratic Party, Walker previously served in both houses of the Oregon Legislature and briefly served as chair...
, and Paul Damian Wells.
In the race for Attorney General
Oregon Attorney General
The Oregon Attorney General is a statutory office within the executive branch of the state of Oregon, and serves as the chief legal officer of the state, heading its Department of Justice with its six operating divisions. The Attorney General is chosen by statewide partisan election to serve a term...
, John Kroger
John Kroger
John Richard Kroger is the Attorney General for the state of Oregon. Prior to being elected in 2008, he had earlier served in the Marine Corps, was an Assistant United States Attorney in New York, and most recently was a law professor at Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland.In October 2011,...
defeated Greg Macpherson
Greg Macpherson
Gregory Hector "Greg" Macpherson is a Democratic politician in the US state of Oregon. From 2003 to 2009, he served as the state representative from District 38, which includes most of Lake Oswego and portions of southwestern Portland.-Early life:Macpherson grew up in rural Linn County...
. In the race for Treasurer
Oregon State Treasurer
The Oregon State Treasurer is a constitutional officer within the executive branch of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon, elected by statewide vote to serve a four year term. As chief financial officer for the state, the office holder heads the Oregon State Treasury, and with the Governor...
, Ben Westlund
Ben Westlund
Ben Westlund was a politician in the U.S. state of Oregon. A Democrat, he was elected State Treasurer in 2008. Previously, Westlund served in both houses of the Oregon Legislative Assembly, as a Republican from 1996 to 2006, as an independent from 2006 to 2007, and then as a Democrat...
was unopposed for the Democratic nomination.
Oregon Senate
Half (15) of the positions in the Oregon State SenateOregon State Senate
The Oregon State Senate is the upper house of the state-wide legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. Along with the lower chamber Oregon House of Representatives it makes up the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 30 members of the State Senate, representing 30 districts across the state,...
were up for election. Democrats nominated candidates in 12 Senate districts for the general election.
Oregon House of Representatives
As is the case every two years, all the 60 positions in the Oregon House of RepresentativesOregon House of Representatives
The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of 57,000. The House meets at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem....
were up for election. Democrats nominated candidates in 56 House districts for the general election, including one successful write-in candidate.
See also
- Democratic Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2008Democratic Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2008The 2008 Democratic presidential primaries were the selection process by which voters of the Democratic Party chose its nominee for President of the United States in the 2008 U.S. presidential election...
- Oregon Republican primary, 2008Oregon Republican primary, 2008The 2008 Oregon Republican primary was a mail only primary in the U.S. state of Oregon. Ballots were mailed to registered Republican voters between May 2 and May 6, 2008. To be counted, all ballots must have been received by county elections offices by 8:00 p.m. PDT on May 20, 2008...