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Oregon gubernatorial election, 2014

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Oregon Gubernatorial Election
Primary Date:
May 20, 2014
General Election Date:
November 4, 2014
November 4 Election Winner:
John KitzhaberDemocratic Party
Incumbent prior to election:
John KitzhaberDemocratic Party
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TheOregon gubernatorial election took place onNovember 4, 2014. IncumbentJohn Kitzhaber (D) was first elected in 2010 and was seeking re-election againststate Rep. Dennis Richardson (R),Libertarian Party candidatePaul Grad,Constitution Party candidateAaron Auer,Pacific Green Party candidateJason Levin andProgressive Party candidateChris Henry. Kitzhaber defeated Richardson, Grad and Auer to win a second term in office. His 5.8-point margin of victory exceeded his 1.5-point win in 2010, though Kitzhaber failed to win 50 percent of the vote in both races. Learn more about the dynamics of this election by jumping to therace background section.

The gubernatorial race was not the only race on the November ballot that could have shifted the balance of power in Oregon. TheOregon State Senate was identified by Ballotpedia as one of the top 20 legislative chambers to watch in 2014. Democrats maintained control of the governor's office and the state Senate, which kept Oregon as astate government trifecta. Learn more about the state's most competitive legislative races in 2014 on thebattleground chambers page.

Aprimary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Oregon law allows parties to decide whether unaffiliated voters can vote in their primaries. As of December 2025, both major parties utilized aclosed primary process where only registered party members may participate.[1]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, seethis article.

Candidates

General election

Democratic PartyJohn Kitzhaber -IncumbentGreen check mark transparent.png
Republican PartyDennis Richardson - State Representative[2]
Libertarian PartyPaul Grad
Constitution PartyAaron Auer - Pastor[3]
Green PartyJason Levin
IndependentProgressive Party candidateChris Henry

Lost in the primary

Democratic PartyIfeanyichukwu Diru[4]
Republican PartyGordon Challstrom - Businessman[5]
Republican PartyTim Carr - Former businessman[6]
Republican PartyBruce Cuff[7]
Republican PartyDarren Karr[7]
Republican PartyMae Rafferty[7]

Withdrawn

Republican PartyAllen Alley - Businessman, 2010 gubernatorial candidate[8][4]
Republican PartyJon Justesen - Rancher and businessman[9][7]
Republican PartyBruce Hanna - State Representative[10][7]

Results

General election

Governor of Oregon, 2014
PartyCandidateVote %Votes
    DemocraticGreen check mark transparent.pngJohn KitzhaberIncumbent49.9%733,230
    RepublicanDennis Richardson44.1%648,542
    Pacific GreenJason Levin2%29,561
    LibertarianPaul Grad1.5%21,903
    ConstitutionAaron Auer1.1%15,929
    ProgressiveChris Henry0.9%13,898
    Nonpartisan Write-in votes0.5%6,654
Total Votes1,469,717
Election results viaOregon Secretary of State

Primary election

Republican primary

Governor of Oregon, Republican Primary, 2014
CandidateVote %Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngDennis Richardson65.9%163,695
Gordon Challstrom9.9%24,693
Bruce Cuff9.6%23,912
Mae Rafferty6.8%16,920
Tim Carr6%14,847
Darren Karr1%2,474
Write-ins0.8%2,011
Total Votes248,552
Election results viaOregon Secretary of State.

Democratic primary

Governor of Oregon, Democratic Primary, 2014
CandidateVote %Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngJohn KitzhaberIncumbent89.6%286,654
Ifeanyichukwu Diru8.7%27,833
Write-ins1.7%5,388
Total Votes319,875
Election results viaOregon Secretary of State.


Race background

See also:Resignation of Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber

IncumbentJohn Kitzhaber previously served asGovernor of Oregon from 1995 to 2003 and was running for a fourth non-consecutive term in 2014. His campaign highlighted taxes and job creation.[11][12]

Republican opponentDennis Richardson and his supporters focused on a false start for the state's Cover Oregon health exchange that reportedly cost taxpayers $250 million.[13]

Richardson also criticized Kitzhaber over potential conflicts of interest by first lady and advisor Cylvia Hayes. Kitzhaber requested an investigation by the Oregon Government Ethics Commission into whether Hayes leveraged her role in the governor's office to improve her consulting business.[13] The seven-member ethics commission had no scheduled meetings prior to the November 4 general election.[14] To read more about the story,click here.

Polls

Governor of Oregon
PollJohn Kitzhaber * (D)Dennis Richardson (R)Undecided/OtherMargin of errorSample size
Elway Research
October 26-27, 2014
45%38%16%+/-5403
New York Times/CBS News/YouGov
October 16-23, 2014
48%42%11%+/-41,421
SurveyUSA
October 16-19, 2014
51%38%12%+/-4.2561
The New York Times/CBS/YouGov
September 20-October 1, 2014
49%42%8%+/-31,508
SurveyUSA
September 22-24, 2014
50%38%12%+/-4.2568
Rasmussen Reports
September 2-3, 2014
48%38%14%+/-4.0750
The New York Times/CBS/YouGov
August 18-September 2, 2014
48%42%10%+/-4.01,541
SurveyUSA
August 1-5, 2014
48%36%16%+/-4.2564
SurveyUSA
June 5-9, 2014
48%35%17%+/-4.2560
Public Policy Polling
May 22-27, 2014
49%36%15%+/-3.2956
DHM Research
April 30 - May 2, 2014
48%36%16%+/-4.9400
Harper Polling
April 1-2, 2014
46%43%11%+/-3.91670
AVERAGES 48.17% 38.67% 13.17% +/-4.07 825.17
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email toeditor@ballotpedia.org.

Note: An asterisk (*) denotes incumbent status.

Campaign finance

Comprehensive donor information for this election has been collected by Follow the Money. Based on available campaign finance records, the candidates raised a total of$8,263,724 during the election. This information was last updated on February 2, 2015.[15]

Campaign Contribution Totals
CandidateOfficeResultContributions
John KitzhaberDemocratic PartyOregon GovernorWon$5,215,821
Dennis RichardsonRepublican PartyOregon GovernorDefeated$3,007,041
Gordon ChallstromRepublican PartyOregon GovernorDefeated$16,101
Bruce CuffRepublican PartyOregon GovernorDefeated$15,541
Mae RaffertyRepublican PartyOregon GovernorDefeated$9,220
Tim CarrRepublican PartyOregon GovernorDefeated$0
Ifeanyichukwu DiruDemocratic PartyOregon GovernorDefeated$0
Darren KarrRepublican PartyOregon GovernorDefeated$0
Aaron AuerConstitution PartyOregon GovernorDefeated$0
Paul GradLibertarian PartyOregon GovernorDefeated$0
Chris HenryIndependentOregon GovernorDefeated$0
Jason LevinGreen PartyOregon GovernorDefeated$0
Grand Total Raised$8,263,724

Past elections

2010

On November 2, 2010, John Kitzhaber won election to the office of Governor of Oregon. He defeatedChris Dudley,Wes Wagner andGreg Kord in the general election.

Governor of Oregon, 2010
PartyCandidateVote %Votes
    DemocraticGreen check mark transparent.pngJohn Kitzhaber49.3%716,525
    RepublicanChris Dudley47.8%694,287
    ConstitutionGreg Kord1.4%20,475
    LibertarianWes Wagner1.3%19,048
    Miscellaneous -0.2%3,213
Total Votes1,453,548
Election results viaOregon Secretary of State.

Voter turnout

Political scientist Michael McDonald's United States Elections Project studied voter turnout in the 2014 election by looking at the percentage of eligible voters who headed to the polls. McDonald used voting-eligible population (VEP), or the number of eligible voters independent of their current registration status, to calculate turnout rates in each state on November 4. He also incorporated ballots cast for the highest office in each state into his calculation. He estimated that 81,687,059 ballots were cast in the 50 states plus theDistrict of Columbia, representing 35.9 percent of the VEP.[16] By comparison, 61.6 percent of VEP voted in the 2008 presidential election and 58.2 percent of VEP voted in the 2012 presidential election.[17]

Quick facts

  • According toPBS Newshour, voter turnout in the 2014 midterms was the lowest since the 1942 midterms, which took place during the nation's involvement in World War II.[18]
  • Forty-three states and the District of Columbia did not surpass 50 percent turnout in McDonald's analysis.
  • The three states with the lowest turnout according to McDonald's analysis wereTexas (28.3 percent),Tennessee (28.6 percent), andIndiana (28.8 percent).
  • Maine (58.5 percent),Wisconsin (56.5 percent), andColorado (54.5 percent) were the three states with the highest turnout.
  • Twelve states increased voter turnout in 2014 compared to the 2010 midterm elections.[19]
Voter turnout rates, 2014
StateTotal votes counted% voter eligible populationTop statewide office up for electionSize of lead (Raw votes)Size of lead (%)
Alabama1,191,27433.2Governor320,31927.2
Alaska285,43154.4Governor4,0041.6
Arizona1,537,67134.1Governor143,95112.5
Arkansas852,64240.1Governor118,66414.0
California7,513,97230.8Governor1,065,74817.8
Colorado2,080,07154.5Governor50,3952.4
Connecticut1,096,50942.5Governor26,6032.5
Delaware234,03834.4Attorney General31,15513.6
District of Columbia177,17635.8Mayor27,93419.0
Florida6,026,80243.3Governor66,1271.1
Georgia2,596,94738.5Governor202,6858.0
Hawaii369,55436.5Governor45,32312.4
Idaho445,30739.6Governor65,85214.9
Illinois3,680,41740.9Governor171,9004.9
Indiana1,387,62228.8Secretary of State234,97817.8
Iowa1,142,28450.2Governor245,54821.8
Kansas887,02343.4Governor33,0523.9
Kentucky1,435,86844.0U.S. Senate222,09615.5
Louisiana1,472,03943.8U.S. Senate16,4011.1
Maine616,99658.5Governor29,8204.9
Maryland1,733,17741.5Governor88,6486.1
Massachusetts2,186,78944.6Governor40,3611.9
Michigan3,188,95643.2Governor129,5474.3
Minnesota1,992,61350.5Governor109,7765.6
Mississippi631,85828.9U.S. Senate141,23433.0
Missouri1,426,30331.8Auditor684,07453.6
Montana373,83147.3U.S. Senate65,26217.9
Nebraska552,11541.5Governor97,67818.7
Nevada547,34929.0Governor255,79346.7
New Hampshire495,56548.4Governor24,9245.2
New Jersey1,955,04232.5N/AN/AN/A
New Mexico512,80535.7Governor73,86814.6
New York3,930,31029.0Governor476,25213.4
North Carolina2,939,76741.2U.S. Senate48,5111.7
North Dakota255,12845.0U.S. House At-large seat42,21417.1
Ohio3,149,87636.2Governor933,23530.9
Oklahoma824,83129.8Governor122,06014.7
Oregon1,541,78253.5Governor59,0294.5
Pennsylvania3,495,86636.0Governor339,2619.8
Rhode Island329,21242.2Governor14,3464.5
South Carolina1,261,61135.2Governor179,08914.6
South Dakota282,29144.9Governor124,86545.1
Tennessee1,374,06528.6Governor642,21447.5
Texas4,727,20828.3Governor957,97320.4
Utah577,97330.2Attorney General173,81935.2
Vermont193,08738.8Governor2,0951.1
Virginia2,194,34636.6U.S. Senate16,7270.8
Washington2,123,90143.1N/AN/AN/A
West Virginia451,49831.2U.S. Senate124,66727.6
Wisconsin2,410,31456.5Governor137,6075.7
Wyoming168,39039.3Governor52,70333.6

Note: Information from the United States Elections Project was last updated on December 16, 2014.

Campaign finance

Comprehensive donor information for this election has been collected by Follow the Money. Based on available campaign finance records, the candidates raised a total of$8,348,965 during the election. This information was last updated on April 6, 2015.[20]

Campaign Contribution Totals
CandidateOfficeResultContributions
John KitzhaberDemocratic PartyOregon GovernorWon$5,264,547
Dennis RichardsonRepublican PartyOregon GovernorDefeated$3,043,556
Gordon ChallstromRepublican PartyOregon GovernorDefeated$16,101
Bruce CuffRepublican PartyOregon GovernorDefeated$15,541
Mae RaffertyRepublican PartyOregon GovernorDefeated$9,220
Tim CarrRepublican PartyOregon GovernorDefeated$0
Ifeanyichukwu DiruDemocratic PartyOregon GovernorDefeated$0
Darren KarrRepublican PartyOregon GovernorDefeated$0
Aaron AuerConstitution PartyOregon GovernorDefeated$0
Paul GradLibertarian PartyOregon GovernorDefeated$0
Chris HenryGrey.pngOregon GovernorDefeated$0
Jason LevinGreen PartyOregon GovernorDefeated$0
Grand Total Raised$8,348,965

Key deadlines

DeadlineEvent
March 11, 2014Filing deadline
May 20, 2014Partisan primaries and nonpartisan elections
November 4, 2014General election
December 4, 2014Certification of results
January 12, 2015Inauguration day for state executive officials elected in 2014

Recent news

This section links to a Google news search for the term "Oregon + Governor + elections"

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑Oregon Laws, "Or. Rev. Stat. § 254.365," accessed December 3, 2025
  2. ↑Oregon Live, "Oregon Rep. Dennis Richardson announces run for governor," July 24, 2013
  3. ↑Constitution Party of Oregon, "Aaron Auer – Candidate For Governor 2014," accessed April 17, 2014
  4. ↑4.04.1The Oregonian, "Election 2014: Some surprises on the last day to file for Oregon primary," March 12, 2014
  5. ↑Oregon Secretary of State, "Candidate Information," January 10, 2014
  6. ↑The Oregonian, "Portland businessman becomes latest to join growing group of Republican candidates for governor," January 14, 2014
  7. ↑7.07.17.27.37.4The Statesman-Journal, "A complete list of primary election races for the city, county and state," March 12, 2014
  8. ↑Oregon Live, "Allen Alley considering run for Oregon governor, John Kitzhaber hits the road," July 31, 2013
  9. ↑Oregon Live, "Eastern Oregon rancher becomes first GOP candidate for Oregon governor," April 17, 2013
  10. ↑Oregon Live, "Republicans search for ways to revive GOP brand in Oregon," March 10, 2013
  11. ↑Statesman Journal, "Kitzhaber's 2014 campaign will focus on tax reform," January 8, 2014
  12. ↑KGW Portland, "Kitzhaber announces bid for historic 4th term," January 8, 2014
  13. ↑13.013.1Willamette Week, "First Lady Inc.," October 8, 2014
  14. ↑KGW, "Kitzhaber requests ethics review of Cylvia Hayes," October 15, 2014
  15. ↑Follow the Money, "Overview of Wisconsin 2014 elections," accessed February 2, 2015
  16. ↑United States Elections Project, "2014 November General Election Turnout Rates," November 7, 2014
  17. ↑TIME, "Voter Turnout in Midterm Elections Hits 72-Year Low," November 10, 2014
  18. ↑PBS, "2014 midterm election turnout lowest in 70 years," November 10, 2014
  19. ↑U.S. News & World Report, "Midterm Turnout Down in 2014," November 5, 2014
  20. ↑Follow the Money, "Overview of Oregon 2014 elections," accessed April 7, 2015
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