Gov. Tina Kotek held a lead over Sen. Christine Drazan in early returns Tuesday, Nov. 3, in Oregon's governor's race, as Salem-area voters turned out for a contest that will shape state policy on housing, homelessness and education.

The Associated Press has not yet called this race. Results below are partial and unofficial. This article will be updated as more ballots are counted.

Early returns showed Kotek leading Drazan, 54.4% to 43%, with an estimated 35% of ballots counted, OPB reported. Pacific Green Party candidate Brett Smith had 2.5% of the vote as of 8 p.m. The Oregon Secretary of State's office reported 1,099,350 ballots counted out of 3,111,078 active registered voters, a 35.34% turnout, as of 8 p.m. Pacific.

Salem watch parties draw hundreds

In Salem, hundreds gathered at the Marion County Democrats' watch party at the Willamette Heritage Center on election night, the Statesman Journal reported. Salem Mayor-elect Vanessa Nordyke and City Councilor Micki Varney addressed the crowd before initial results dropped at 8 p.m.

Across the Mid-Valley, roughly 50 people packed into Snow Peak brewery in Stayton for the Republican watch party. Dan Farrington, the Republican candidate for House District 17, was in attendance.

Hundreds also gathered in Hillsboro to support Drazan, according to the Statesman Journal.

Marion County voters returned 51.74% of their ballots as of 3 p.m. on Election Day, according to the Secretary of State's office. Dozens of drivers dropped off ballots at the drive-through site next to the Marion County Courthouse on Court Street that morning.

A 2022 rematch

Kotek, 60, faces Drazan, 54, of Canby and Smith, 44. The race is a rematch: Kotek won 47% to Drazan's 43.5% in 2022, with unaffiliated candidate Betsy Johnson claiming nearly 9%, according to the Oregon Capital Chronicle.

Oregon has not elected a Republican governor since Vic Atiyeh in 1982, the Salem Statesman Journal reported. Democrats hold all statewide offices and supermajorities in the Legislature.

All three candidates said lowering the cost of living is their top priority, the Statesman Journal reported. Kotek said she is making progress and would protect Oregon from federal interference. Her second-term agenda centers on affordability, economic growth and education, including a universal state-funded preschool program, according to the Oregon Capital Chronicle.

Drazan promised to cut taxes, veto new ones, order agencies to review spending and repeal the state's Climate Protection Plan. She grew up in Klamath Falls and served as House minority leader before being appointed to the Senate in October 2025.

Smith, who has never held political office, called for a permanent statewide moratorium on data centers and charging businesses that pay below a living wage.

Big money, last time without limits

The two major-party candidates collectively raised more than $40 million, the Oregon Capital Chronicle reported. A 2024 state law caps individual contributions at $3,300 per candidate per cycle starting next cycle, making this the last Oregon election without donation limits.

As of Nov. 2, Drazan had received $21.5 million and spent about $22.2 million, with the Republican Governors Association giving $5.75 million in the final month, the Statesman Journal reported. Kotek had received about $19 million and spent $20.2 million, with the Democratic Governors Association contributing more than $5 million. Smith had not reported any contributions or spending.

How to follow results

Oregon is a vote-by-mail state. Ballots must be at a drop box by 8 p.m. on Election Day or postmarked by Nov. 3 to count, according to the Statesman Journal's election guide. Live results are available at the Oregon Secretary of State's website, the AP results page and the Marion County elections page.