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Good morning, Northwest.

The race for a congressional swing seat in Southwest Washington is extremely close, according to a new OPB poll.

Reporter Elena Neale-Sacks looks into the narrow gap between Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and John Braun to start today’s newsletter.

In other news, Oregon health officials are urging people to get vaccinated as the season of respiratory illnesses bears down.

Here’s your First Look at Thursday’s news.

— Bradley W. Parks

Top story

Gluesenkamp Perez and Braun neck-and-neck in race for swing district, OPB poll finds

The two candidates vying to represent Washington’s 3rd Congressional District are in a dead heat with less than five weeks to go before a closely watched election that could help determine control of the U.S. House, according to polling conducted by the nonpartisan firm DHM Research and commissioned by OPB.

DHM surveyed 543 likely voters in the district between Sept. 17 and 27.

The results show an incredibly tight race between Democratic incumbent Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and her Republican challenger, Washington state Sen. John Braun.

Razor-thin percentages, which fall within the poll’s 4.2% margin of error, divide the candidates. (Elena Neale-Sacks)

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3 things to know

• Health officials in Oregon anticipate a very active season for respiratory viruses during the remainder of the year —  including influenza, RSV and COVID-19 — and are urging people to prepare by getting vaccinated. (Joni Auden Land)
• Democrat Chris Beck says protecting rural healthcare and lowering household costs are central to his challenge against Republican Rep. Cliff Bentz in Oregon’s 2nd Congressional District. (Mike Green and Natalia Golay, JPR)
• As Oregon continues to see high rates of fatal youth overdoses and substance disorders, a legislatively mandated report found that the state is failing to equip vulnerable youth with tools to prevent addiction later in life as other states do. (Joanne Zuhl and Nick Budnick, The Lund Report)

Northwest headlines

• Oregon Republicans revisit cap-and-invest proposal 7 years after they walked out over it (Alex Baumhardt, Oregon Capital Chronicle)
• Here’s how Oregonians want the state to address its transportation budget crisis (Mia Maldonado, Oregon Capital Chronicle)
• 14,000 Washington residents expected to lose Medicaid Oct. 1 (Eilís O’Neill, KUOW)

Listen in on OPB’s daily conversation

“Think Out Loud” airs at noon and 8 p.m. weekdays on OPB Radio, opb.org and the OPB News app. Today’s planned topics (subject to change):

• How rural Oregon hospitals are joining forces to stay afloat

One more look

From the streets to the gallery, Eugene parking meter art goes on display

Throughout 2025, more than 50 local artists made small circular pieces of art that fit into the empty coin vaults of downtown Eugene parking meters. The Parking Meter Art Repair Project was started by Jud Turner and Robert Bolman.

The city is now beginning to install new meters with a different design, and the existing art pieces won’t fit anymore. Turner decided to open up his gallery to display as many of the works as possible.

“This is the first chance for people to see them all together, as many as we were able to recover, over 200 of them, all in one place,” said Turner. (Macy Moore, KLCC)

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News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/10/01/washington-congress-gluesenkamp-perez-braun-first-look/