Early results for the Oregon Primary Elections will start coming in later this evening.

Unsurprisingly, the cost of living remains a top issue for many Beaver State voters this election cycle.

Voters have until 8 p.m. to submit ballots — or at least have them postmarked by Tuesday — for key races in the state: the Republican gubernatorial primary, state labor commissioner and a controversial gas tax increase. Other local races are taking place across the state. OPB will update this story with results as they are released throughout the night.

The cost of living was on voters’ minds as they submitted their ballots across Oregon. Gas prices in the state are averaging $5.34 per gallon, according to AAA, while the price of utilities and food have also spiked.

Sheryl Duran of Pendleton said it costs her more than $100 to fill her car, which influenced how she voted on Tuesday.

“We’re always giving, giving, giving,” Duran said. “What more can they take from us?”

Crowded field in governor’s race

Four candidates are vying to be the Republican nominee to run against Gov. Tina Kotek in November: Sen. Christine Drazan, former Portland Trail Blazer Chris Dudley, Rep. Ed Diehl and Marion County Commissioner Danielle Bethell.

Drazan was the Republican nominee in the 2022 gubernatorial election, where she lost by nearly 4% to Kotek.

She remains one of the most well-known Republicans in the Oregon Legislature and recently served as Senate minority leader.

Diehl, who’s been in office since 2022, is riding the high of organizing a referendum against the proposed transportation tax increases and told OPB he hopes it will secure him an election-night victory.

Dudley also ran for governor in 2010, narrowly losing to Democrat John Kitzhaber. He has not held any other elected office.

Voters speaking to OPB on Tuesday seemed to mostly favor Drazan and Diehl.

Sheryl Duran of Pendleton said she voted for Ed Diehl in the Republican primary, and that many of her friends did the same. She said it’s important for voters in Eastern Oregon to rally around one candidate to make their voices heard.

“Nothing we want on this side (of Oregon) is happening,” Duran said. “It’s Portland, Salem and Eugene that get to make up all of the things that happened, and we don’t have any say over here.”

Another voter, Anne Livingston of Pendleton, said she voted for Christine Drazan, as she did in the 2022 gubernatorial election, because she felt Drazan understood the struggles many businesses face.

“I don’t think that there’s fiscal responsibility in Salem,” Livingston said. “I believe that we’re losing our valuable large companies because of the many, many barriers to their operation.”

Voters feel sour about gas tax

All Oregonians could vote on Measure 120, which proposes multiple tax increases to fund road maintenance projects.

That includes a 6-cent-per-gallon increase on gas and doubling the cost for residents to register and title their vehicles. It’s widely expected to fail.

Nearly every voter OPB interviewed on Tuesday, across party lines, said they voted against the measure. Many said gas and registration costs were already unaffordable.

In Bend, Elise Arreola, 38, sat on a bench at Pilot Butte Scenic Viewpoint Park.

She described her views as “pretty liberal,” but said she didn’t support the gas tax. Arreola said her family already spends $75 to fill up their minivan every week.

OPB reporter Antonio Sierra contributed reporting from Pendleton.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/05/19/oregon-primary-races-draw-to-close-with-multiple-elections-across-state/