Oregonians soundly rejected a measure Tuesday that would have plugged a transportation funding gap with a combination of taxes and increased fees, while Republican voters sent prominent state Sen. Christine Drazan to a November rematch with Democratic incumbent Gov. Tina Kotek.

Oregon’s primary played out against a backdrop of rising unease over economic uncertainty that appeared to be reflected in voter sentiment. Measure 120, the transportation funding measure, would have raised gas prices by 6 cents per gallon at a time when fuel costs are surging nationwide. Oregonians already pay some of the highest gas prices in the country.

Drazan capitalized on voters’ desire for an economic reset in her victory speech late Tuesday at the Lanphere Cellars in Aurora.

“This can be the best state in the nation to start a business,” she said to a cheering crowd. “This can be the best state in the nation for our kids to get an education. But only with new leadership.”

Worries about rising costs appeared top of mind in some local elections as well, with voters in Clackamas County, a suburb of Portland, poised to vote down a public safety levy that would increase an existing property tax.

If the current trend holds and the levy fails, the county could try again in November’s election.

Gas tax implodes

Within minutes of polls closing on election night, it became clear that Measure 120 — known as “the gas tax” — had failed. The Associated Press quickly called the race.

More than 80% of voters rejected the measure, which would have doubled vehicle title and registration fees and temporarily hiked a payroll tax to pay for public transit, in addition to the increased tax on gas.

Most expected the measure to fail, given the already high price of gas. The war in Iran has skyrocketed global fuel prices. The average price of a gallon of gas in Oregon has increased 35% over the past year, according to AAA.

Voters belonging to both political parties told OPB on Tuesday that gas prices factored into their Election Day decisions.

“I do not want an increase in gas taxes. They’re too high right now,” Sister Barbara Julian, a 79-year-old Bend resident, said while sitting in a car outside the elections office in Deschutes County on Tuesday.

The result sends lawmakers in Salem back to the drawing board to find a new way to fund the state’s many road and infrastructure needs.

Rematch for Oregon’s top office

Christine Drazan secured a rematch against incumbent Kotek with a decisive victory in the Republican gubernatorial primary race.

The state senator easily defeated her two main rivals for the nomination in a crowded GOP field: State Rep. Ed Diehl and former Portland Trail Blazer and one-time Republican nominee Chris Dudley. Early results showed Drazan had 43% of the vote.

At her victory party, Drazan highlighted the economic struggles facing many Oregonians and laid the blame at the feet of Kotek.

“She cannot have a second term,” Drazan said of the governor. “We cannot afford it. The people of our state cannot afford it. Those who are hurting on our streets can certainly not afford it. None of us can afford four more years of this. So we’re going to fix it.”

In a written statement, Kotek accepted her party’s nomination and focused primarily on the policies of President Donald Trump.

“Republican politicians, led by President Trump, are attacking healthcare, cutting food programs for our neighbors, terrorizing entire communities, and driving up costs for everyone,” Kotek said.

Drazan typically avoids making public references to Trump. Her speech Tuesday night was no exception.

The last time Drazan and Kotek went head-to-head in 2022, Kotek secured a win by four percentage points.

Public safety levy in danger

A Clackamas County measure that would increase an existing property tax to maintain Sheriff’s Office personnel and jail capacity is on track to fail, according to early results.

The current levy has been in place since 2006 and funds 36 jail deputies, five Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office detectives, 84 jail beds, body cameras, and internal affairs investigators meant to hold personnel accountable.

If the current trend holds and the levy fails, the county could try again in November’s election.

State Labor Commissioner

Christina Stephenson is on track to remain Oregon’s labor commissioner, a statewide position that oversees Oregon’s Bureau of Labor and Industries. In early returns Tuesday night, the incumbent had 62% of the vote.

Stephenson has served as the state’s labor commissioner since 2023. Before that, she ran her own law firm where she regularly represented Oregonians experiencing workplace discrimination.

Her opponent, Chris Lynch, has spent two decades working in Oregon agencies that help regulate the workplace, including stints at BOLI and at the Oregon Occupational Health and Safety Administration.

BOLI investigates worker claims related to wage theft, lack of worker access to breaks or bathroom facilities, and on-the-job civil rights violations.

Oregonians also voted in local elections for county commission seats in Clackamas County, Deschutes County and Washington County.

OPB reporters Bryce Dole and Kathryn Styer Martínez contributed to this story.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/05/20/oregon-primary-election-voters-gas-tax-drazan-gop-governor/