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| Elections in Oregon | ||
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The2008 United States presidential election in Oregon took place on November 4, 2008, and was part of the2008 United States presidential election. Voters chose seven representatives, or electors to theElectoral College, who voted forpresident andvice president.
Oregon was won by Democratic nomineeBarack Obama with a 16.4% margin of victory, making him the first successful Democrat sinceLyndon B. Johnson in 1964 to win over 50% of the state's votes. Prior to the election, all 17 news organizations considered this a state Obama would win, or otherwise considered as a safeblue state. Situated on the West Coast, which has become a reliably Democratic stronghold, Oregon is a relativelyblue state. The last Republican presidential nominee to carry Oregon wasRonald Reagan in his1984 landslide reelection. AlthoughGeorge W. Bush came close in both2000 and2004 (withAl Gore winning by 0.54 percentage points in 2000 andJohn Kerry by 4.16 percentage points in 2004), Republicans have not seriously contested the state since. This is also the first time that a presidential candidate won more than a million votes in Oregon.
As of the2024 presidential election[update], this is the most recent election in whichJackson County andWasco County voted for a Democratic presidential candidate, and the last time any Southern Oregon county sided with a Democrat.Marion County, which sided with Obama, would not vote Democratic again until 2020.[1]
There were 16 news organizations who made state-by-state predictions of the election. Here are their last predictions before election day:
| Source | Ranking |
|---|---|
| D.C. Political Report[2] | Likely D |
| Cook Political Report[3] | Solid D |
| The Takeaway[4] | Solid D |
| Electoral-vote.com[5] | Solid D |
| Washington Post[6] | Solid D |
| Politico[7] | Solid D |
| RealClearPolitics[8] | Solid D |
| FiveThirtyEight[6] | Solid D |
| CQ Politics[9] | Solid D |
| The New York Times[10] | Solid D |
| CNN[11] | Safe D |
| NPR[6] | Solid D |
| MSNBC[6] | Solid D |
| Fox News[12] | Likely D |
| Associated Press[13] | Likely D |
| Rasmussen Reports[14] | Safe D |
Obama won every single pre-election poll. Since September 22, Obama won each by a double-digit margin of victory and at least 52% of the vote. The final 3 polls showed Obama leading 55% to 41%.[15]
McCain raised a total of $1,258,426 in the state. Obama raised $6,660,622.[16]
Obama and his interest groups spent $1,194,908. McCain and his interest groups spent just $159,222.[17] Neither campaign visited the state.[18]
Voters in Oregon have a strong penchant for advancing the protection ofcivil liberties and individual freedoms,liberal values that have given Democrats a big edge in the state in recent years. The state once leaned Republican, like most of the Pacific Northwest. It only went Democratic once from1948 to 1984—duringLyndon Johnson's 44-state landslide of1964. However, the state has gone Democratic in every election since1988, and along withCalifornia andWashington it is reckoned as forming a solid bloc of blue states along the Pacific Coast.
On Election Day, Obama carried the state by 16.35 points. As Oregon was expected to be easily won by Obama, it was called for him as soon as the polls in the state closed. Besides Jackson County in the southwest and Wasco County in the central third, mostrural counties in Oregon favored McCain in the 2008 election. Nevertheless, Obama performed much better in these regions thanJohn Kerry had in 2004. Ultimately, Obama's strong support in the moreurbanWillamette Valley, home to two-thirds of the state's population, would have allowed him to win the state decisively in any event, coupled with the counties making up the northern half of theOregon Coast. The state remains geographically and politically divided by the Cascade Mountains, with eastern Oregon and the southwest being more rural, less populated and therefore strongly Republican, while the Willamette Valley is more urbanized and therefore strongly Democratic. These two areas compose the core of each party's votes: rural Oregon is strongly Republican and culturally similar toIdaho, while the Willamette Valley—especially the cities ofPortland andEugene—heavily favors the Democrats.
While Republicans typically win more counties due to running up large margins in the east and southwest, Democrats typically win the state because the Willamette Valley has more people. In 2008, Obama's overwhelming margins in Portland and Eugene, combined with strong support from Portland's suburbs (which function as swing counties), enabled him to win a landslide in a structurally liberal state. Although Obama broke no decades-long Republican county streaks, he came within 0.49 percent of winningPolk County and 1.36 percent of winningYamhill County, neither of which have voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since1964. While not having carriedDeschutes County, Obama was only 0.31 percent away from winning it. Prior toJoe Biden in 2020, this was the closest a Democratic candidate came to winning Deschutes County after the 1992 presidential election.[1]
During the same election, Democratic Speaker of theOregon House of RepresentativesJeff Merkley defeated incumbent RepublicanU.S. SenatorGordon Smith by a narrow 3.35% margin. Merkley received 48.90 percent of the vote while Smith took in 45.55 percent, with the remaining 5.24 percent going to Dave Brownlow of theConstitution Party. At the state level, Democrats picked up five seats in theOregon House of Representatives while Republicans picked up one seat in theOregon Senate.
| 2008 United States presidential election in Oregon | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Running mate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes | |
| Democratic | Barack Obama | Joe Biden | 1,037,291 | 56.75% | 7 | |
| Republican | John McCain | Sarah Palin | 738,475 | 40.40% | 0 | |
| Peace | Ralph Nader | Matt Gonzalez | 18,614 | 1.02% | 0 | |
| Write-ins | Write-ins | 13,613 | 0.74% | 0 | ||
| Constitution | Chuck Baldwin | Darrell Castle | 7,693 | 0.42% | 0 | |
| Libertarian | Bob Barr | Wayne Allyn Root | 7,635 | 0.42% | 0 | |
| Pacific Green | Cynthia McKinney | Rosa Clemente | 4,543 | 0.25% | 0 | |
| Totals | 1,827,864 | 100.00% | 7 | |||
| Voter turnout (Voting age population) | 62.9% | |||||
| County | Barack Obama Democratic | John McCain Republican | Ralph Nader Peace | Charles Baldwin Constitution | Bob Barr Libertarian | Cynthia McKinney Pacific Green | Various candidates Write-ins | Margin | Total votes cast | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Baker | 2,805 | 31.96% | 5,650 | 64.37% | 106 | 1.21% | 55 | 0.63% | 51 | 0.58% | 23 | 0.26% | 87 | 0.99% | -2,845 | -32.41% | 8,777 |
| Benton | 29,901 | 64.33% | 15,264 | 32.84% | 427 | 0.92% | 169 | 0.36% | 214 | 0.46% | 169 | 0.36% | 334 | 0.72% | 14,637 | 31.49% | 46,478 |
| Clackamas | 103,476 | 53.93% | 83,595 | 43.57% | 1,750 | 0.91% | 692 | 0.36% | 717 | 0.37% | 284 | 0.15% | 1,364 | 0.71% | 19,881 | 10.36% | 191,878 |
| Clatsop | 10,701 | 57.69% | 7,192 | 38.78% | 249 | 1.34% | 70 | 0.38% | 101 | 0.54% | 68 | 0.37% | 167 | 0.90% | 3,509 | 18.91% | 18,548 |
| Columbia | 13,390 | 54.06% | 10,413 | 42.04% | 307 | 1.24% | 202 | 0.82% | 123 | 0.50% | 74 | 0.30% | 259 | 1.05% | 2,977 | 12.02% | 24,768 |
| Coos | 14,401 | 46.53% | 15,354 | 49.61% | 422 | 1.36% | 204 | 0.66% | 163 | 0.53% | 103 | 0.33% | 304 | 0.98% | -953 | -3.08% | 30,951 |
| Crook | 3,632 | 35.09% | 6,371 | 61.54% | 157 | 1.52% | 37 | 0.36% | 55 | 0.53% | 24 | 0.23% | 76 | 0.73% | -2,739 | -26.45% | 10,352 |
| Curry | 5,230 | 42.41% | 6,646 | 53.89% | 174 | 1.41% | 83 | 0.67% | 57 | 0.46% | 26 | 0.21% | 116 | 0.94% | -1,416 | -11.48% | 12,332 |
| Deschutes | 38,819 | 48.66% | 39,064 | 48.96% | 702 | 0.88% | 259 | 0.32% | 305 | 0.38% | 129 | 0.16% | 504 | 0.63% | -245 | -0.30% | 79,782 |
| Douglas | 20,298 | 38.34% | 30,919 | 58.41% | 561 | 1.06% | 320 | 0.60% | 217 | 0.41% | 128 | 0.24% | 494 | 0.93% | -10,621 | -20.07% | 52,937 |
| Gilliam | 430 | 38.74% | 648 | 58.38% | 16 | 1.44% | 6 | 0.54% | 2 | 0.18% | 2 | 0.18% | 6 | 0.54% | -218 | -19.64% | 1,110 |
| Grant | 1,006 | 25.74% | 2,785 | 71.25% | 30 | 0.77% | 39 | 1.00% | 15 | 0.38% | 2 | 0.05% | 32 | 0.82% | -1,779 | -45.51% | 3,909 |
| Harney | 950 | 25.79% | 2,595 | 70.46% | 51 | 1.38% | 21 | 0.57% | 29 | 0.79% | 10 | 0.27% | 27 | 0.73% | -1,645 | -44.67% | 3,683 |
| Hood River | 6,302 | 64.11% | 3,265 | 33.21% | 112 | 1.14% | 44 | 0.45% | 31 | 0.32% | 21 | 0.21% | 55 | 0.56% | 3,037 | 30.90% | 9,830 |
| Jackson | 49,090 | 48.58% | 49,043 | 48.53% | 844 | 0.84% | 601 | 0.59% | 425 | 0.42% | 224 | 0.22% | 820 | 0.81% | 47 | 0.05% | 101,047 |
| Jefferson | 3,682 | 44.27% | 4,402 | 52.92% | 100 | 1.20% | 37 | 0.44% | 22 | 0.26% | 21 | 0.25% | 54 | 0.65% | -720 | -8.65% | 8,318 |
| Josephine | 17,412 | 41.41% | 22,973 | 54.63% | 492 | 1.17% | 379 | 0.90% | 234 | 0.56% | 135 | 0.32% | 424 | 1.01% | -5,561 | -13.22% | 42,049 |
| Klamath | 9,370 | 31.87% | 19,113 | 65.01% | 300 | 1.02% | 178 | 0.61% | 174 | 0.59% | 68 | 0.23% | 196 | 0.67% | -9,743 | -33.14% | 29,399 |
| Lake | 957 | 25.95% | 2,638 | 71.53% | 38 | 1.03% | 19 | 0.52% | 11 | 0.30% | 11 | 0.30% | 14 | 0.38% | -1,681 | -45.58% | 3,688 |
| Lane | 114,037 | 62.35% | 63,835 | 34.90% | 1,836 | 1.00% | 590 | 0.32% | 754 | 0.41% | 534 | 0.29% | 1,324 | 0.72% | 50,202 | 27.45% | 182,910 |
| Lincoln | 14,258 | 59.68% | 8,791 | 36.80% | 334 | 1.40% | 83 | 0.35% | 127 | 0.53% | 73 | 0.31% | 223 | 0.93% | 5,467 | 22.88% | 23,889 |
| Linn | 22,163 | 42.64% | 28,071 | 54.00% | 625 | 1.20% | 287 | 0.55% | 237 | 0.46% | 134 | 0.26% | 465 | 0.89% | -5,908 | -11.36% | 51,982 |
| Malheur | 2,949 | 28.27% | 7,157 | 68.60% | 85 | 0.81% | 81 | 0.78% | 57 | 0.55% | 28 | 0.27% | 76 | 0.73% | -4,208 | -40.33% | 10,433 |
| Marion | 61,816 | 49.63% | 59,059 | 47.41% | 1,257 | 1.01% | 551 | 0.44% | 528 | 0.42% | 328 | 0.26% | 1,024 | 0.82% | 2,757 | 2.22% | 124,563 |
| Morrow | 1,410 | 34.75% | 2,509 | 61.83% | 43 | 1.06% | 33 | 0.81% | 23 | 0.57% | 9 | 0.22% | 31 | 0.76% | -1,099 | -27.08% | 4,058 |
| Multnomah | 279,696 | 76.69% | 75,171 | 20.61% | 4,166 | 1.14% | 904 | 0.25% | 1,195 | 0.33% | 1,207 | 0.33% | 2,371 | 0.65% | 204,525 | 56.08% | 364,710 |
| Polk | 17,536 | 48.43% | 17,714 | 48.92% | 320 | 0.88% | 184 | 0.51% | 116 | 0.32% | 79 | 0.22% | 258 | 0.71% | -178 | -0.49% | 36,207 |
| Sherman | 385 | 36.77% | 634 | 60.55% | 8 | 0.76% | 6 | 0.57% | 5 | 0.48% | 1 | 0.10% | 8 | 0.76% | -249 | -23.78% | 1,047 |
| Tillamook | 7,072 | 53.18% | 5,757 | 43.30% | 197 | 1.48% | 59 | 0.44% | 58 | 0.44% | 42 | 0.32% | 112 | 0.84% | 1,315 | 9.88% | 13,297 |
| Umatilla | 9,484 | 37.16% | 15,254 | 59.77% | 245 | 0.96% | 166 | 0.65% | 113 | 0.44% | 56 | 0.22% | 205 | 0.80% | -5,770 | -22.61% | 25,523 |
| Union | 4,613 | 36.63% | 7,581 | 60.20% | 119 | 0.94% | 85 | 0.67% | 63 | 0.50% | 23 | 0.18% | 110 | 0.87% | -2,968 | -23.57% | 12,594 |
| Wallowa | 1,492 | 33.42% | 2,836 | 63.52% | 35 | 0.78% | 30 | 0.67% | 24 | 0.54% | 6 | 0.13% | 42 | 0.94% | -1,344 | -30.10% | 4,465 |
| Wasco | 5,906 | 51.90% | 5,103 | 44.84% | 140 | 1.23% | 61 | 0.54% | 46 | 0.40% | 31 | 0.27% | 93 | 0.82% | 803 | 7.06% | 11,380 |
| Washington | 141,544 | 59.82% | 89,185 | 37.69% | 1,892 | 0.80% | 895 | 0.38% | 1,148 | 0.49% | 379 | 0.16% | 1,589 | 0.67% | 52,359 | 22.13% | 236,632 |
| Wheeler | 281 | 34.61% | 498 | 61.33% | 11 | 1.35% | 5 | 0.62% | 9 | 1.11% | 1 | 0.12% | 7 | 0.86% | -217 | -26.72% | 812 |
| Yamhill | 20,797 | 47.78% | 21,390 | 49.14% | 463 | 1.06% | 258 | 0.59% | 186 | 0.43% | 90 | 0.21% | 342 | 0.79% | -593 | -1.36% | 43,526 |
| Totals | 1,037,291 | 56.75% | 738,475 | 40.40% | 18,614 | 1.02% | 7,693 | 0.42% | 7,635 | 0.42% | 4,543 | 0.25% | 13,613 | 0.74% | 298,816 | 16.35% | 1,827,864 |
| Democratic Hold Gain from Republican | Republican Hold |
Barack Obama carried four of the state's five congressional districts in Oregon, all held by Democrats.
| District | Obama | McCain | Representative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 61.03% | 36.27% | David Wu |
| 2nd | 43.21% | 53.86% | Greg Walden |
| 3rd | 71.39% | 25.78% | Earl Blumenauer |
| 4th | 53.79% | 43.08% | Peter DeFazio |
| 5th | 53.95% | 43.33% | Darlene Hooley (110th Congress) |
| Kurt Schrader (111th Congress) |
Technically the voters of Oregon cast their ballots for electors: representatives to theElectoral College. Oregon is allocated 7 electors because it has 5congressional districts and 2senators. All candidates who appear on the ballot or qualify to receive write-in votes must submit a list of 7 electors, who pledge to vote for their candidate and his or her running mate. Whoever wins the majority of votes in the state is awarded all 7 electoral votes. Their chosen electors then vote for president and vice president. Although electors are pledged to their candidate and running mate, they are not obligated to vote for them.[19] An elector who votes for someone other than his or her candidate is known as afaithless elector.
The electors of each state and theDistrict of Columbia met on December 15, 2008, to cast their votes for president and vice president. The Electoral College itself never meets as one body. Instead the electors from each state and the District of Columbia met in their respective capitols.
The following were the members of the Electoral College from the state. All 7 were pledged toBarack Obama andJoe Biden:[20]
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