| Elections in Oregon |
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The 1998 Oregon gubernatorial election took place on November 3, 1998. Democratic nominee John Kitzhaber easily defeated Republican Bill Sizemore to win a second term. Kitzhaber won 35 out of 36 counties; the only county won by Sizemore was Malheur County. This is the only gubernatorial election since 1982 in Oregon in which the margin of victory was in double digits. It is also the most recent election in which any county in Eastern Oregon or Southern Oregon voted for the Democratic nominee, and the most recent gubernatorial election in which a candidate would win while carrying the majority of the state's counties. Sizemore would run again for governor in the 2010 and 2022 elections, but would lose in the Republican primary both times.[1]
This election was the first time where an incumbent Democratic Governor of Oregon was re-elected since 1906.
Primary election
Oregon held primary elections on May 19, 1998.
Democratic party
Candidates
- Dave Foley, retired engineer[2]
- John Kitzhaber, incumbent governor
- Paul Damian Wells, anti-political party activist[2]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | John Kitzhaber (inc.) | 271,781 | 87.74% | |
| Democratic | Dave Foley | 23,870 | 7.71% | |
| Democratic | Paul Damian Wells | 11,933 | 3.85% | |
| Democratic | Scattering | 2,161 | 0.70% | |
| Total votes | 309,745 | 100.00% | ||
Republican party
- 55–60%50–55%45–50%40–45%
Candidates
- Jeffrey Brady, dentist[2]
- Walter Huss, former Chair of the Oregon Republican Party
- Bill Sizemore, anti-tax activist
- Bill Spidal, investor and former police officer[2]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bill Sizemore | 108,036 | 50.35% | |
| Republican | Walter Huss | 39,186 | 18.26% | |
| Republican | Jeffrey Brady | 34,460 | 16.06% | |
| Republican | Bill Spidal | 25,373 | 11.83% | |
| Republican | Scattering | 7,510 | 3.50% | |
| Total votes | 214,565 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Campaign
Incumbent governor Kitzhaber emphasized his support of education and the environment.[4]
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
John Kitzhaber (D) |
Bill Sizemore (R) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Davis & Hibbitts[5] | September 30 – October 6, 1998 | 618 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 70% | 17% | 13% |
| Davis & Hibbitts[5] | March 20–29, 1998 | 618 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 67% | 26% | 7% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | John Kitzhaber (inc.) | 717,061 | 64.42% | +13.47% | |
| Republican | Bill Sizemore | 334,001 | 30.01% | −12.41% | |
| Libertarian | Richard P. Burke | 20,200 | 1.81% | +0.16% | |
| Pacific Green | Blair Bobier | 15,843 | 1.42% | ||
| Reform | Roger G. Weidner | 10,144 | 0.91% | ||
| Natural Law | Patti Steurer | 7,823 | 0.70% | ||
| Socialist | Trey Smith | 5,772 | 0.52% | ||
| Write-in | Scattering | 2,254 | 0.20% | ||
| Total votes | 1,113,098 | 100.00% | |||
| Majority | 383,060 | 34.41% | |||
| Democratic hold | Swing | +25.88% | |||
Results by county
Kitzhaber was the first Democrat since Charles H. Martin in 1934 to win Jefferson County, Josephine County, and Sherman County. As of 2026, this is also the most recent election in which those three counties, along with Baker County, Coos County, Crook County, Curry County, Deschutes County, Douglas County, Gilliam County, Grant County, Harney County, Jackson County, Klamath County, Lake County, Linn County, Morrow County, Polk County, Sherman County, Umatilla County, Union County, Wallowa County, Wheeler County, and Yamhill County have backed a Democrat in a gubernatorial election.
| County[6] | John Kitzhaber Democratic |
Bill Sizemore Republican |
Richard P. Burke Libertarian |
Blair Bobier Green |
All Others Various |
Margin | Total votes cast | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Baker | 3,360 | 53.23% | 2,631 | 41.68% | 110 | 1.74% | 35 | 0.55% | 176 | 2.79% | 729 | 11.55% | 6,312 |
| Benton | 20,278 | 69.40% | 6,918 | 23.67% | 516 | 1.77% | 952 | 3.26% | 557 | 1.91% | 13,360 | 45.72% | 29,221 |
| Clackamas | 73,559 | 63.42% | 37,372 | 32.22% | 1,932 | 1.67% | 1,068 | 0.92% | 2,053 | 1.77% | 36,187 | 31.20% | 115,984 |
| Clatsop | 9,086 | 69.90% | 3,212 | 24.71% | 215 | 1.65% | 151 | 1.16% | 334 | 2.57% | 5,874 | 45.19% | 12,998 |
| Columbia | 10,956 | 65.16% | 4,867 | 28.94% | 365 | 2.17% | 170 | 1.01% | 457 | 2.72% | 6,089 | 36.21% | 16,815 |
| Coos | 14,233 | 59.59% | 7,971 | 33.37% | 520 | 2.18% | 332 | 1.39% | 828 | 3.47% | 6,262 | 26.22% | 23,884 |
| Crook | 2,934 | 53.31% | 2,313 | 42.02% | 89 | 1.62% | 32 | 0.58% | 136 | 2.47% | 621 | 11.28% | 5,504 |
| Curry | 5,086 | 55.06% | 3,498 | 37.87% | 187 | 2.02% | 81 | 0.88% | 386 | 4.18% | 1,588 | 17.19% | 9,238 |
| Deschutes | 22,274 | 56.64% | 14,840 | 37.73% | 894 | 2.27% | 475 | 1.21% | 846 | 2.15% | 7,434 | 18.90% | 39,329 |
| Douglas | 19,874 | 54.43% | 14,340 | 39.27% | 780 | 2.14% | 293 | 0.80% | 1,229 | 3.37% | 5,534 | 15.16% | 36,516 |
| Gilliam | 543 | 69.00% | 220 | 27.95% | 10 | 1.27% | 2 | 0.25% | 12 | 1.52% | 323 | 41.04% | 787 |
| Grant | 1,585 | 50.43% | 1,354 | 43.08% | 74 | 2.35% | 11 | 0.35% | 119 | 3.79% | 231 | 7.35% | 3,143 |
| Harney | 1,323 | 47.78% | 1,308 | 47.24% | 27 | 0.98% | 8 | 0.29% | 103 | 3.72% | 15 | 0.54% | 2,769 |
| Hood River | 3,936 | 66.98% | 1,662 | 28.28% | 88 | 1.50% | 88 | 1.50% | 102 | 1.74% | 2,274 | 38.70% | 5,876 |
| Jackson | 33,875 | 59.52% | 19,984 | 35.11% | 1,077 | 1.89% | 632 | 1.11% | 1,345 | 2.36% | 13,891 | 24.41% | 56,913 |
| Jefferson | 3,080 | 60.32% | 1,771 | 34.68% | 89 | 1.74% | 25 | 0.49% | 141 | 2.76% | 1,309 | 25.64% | 5,106 |
| Josephine | 13,177 | 48.74% | 11,382 | 42.10% | 775 | 2.87% | 407 | 1.51% | 1,296 | 4.79% | 1,795 | 6.64% | 27,037 |
| Klamath | 9,074 | 49.14% | 8,464 | 45.83% | 360 | 1.95% | 97 | 0.53% | 472 | 2.56% | 610 | 3.30% | 18,467 |
| Lake | 1,516 | 48.81% | 1,425 | 45.88% | 62 | 2.00% | 18 | 0.58% | 85 | 2.74% | 91 | 2.93% | 3,106 |
| Lane | 76,998 | 68.33% | 28,367 | 25.17% | 2,170 | 1.93% | 2,634 | 2.34% | 2,512 | 2.23% | 48,631 | 43.16% | 112,681 |
| Lincoln | 11,858 | 66.88% | 4,776 | 26.94% | 353 | 1.99% | 289 | 1.63% | 453 | 2.56% | 7,082 | 39.95% | 17,729 |
| Linn | 19,747 | 58.85% | 12,163 | 36.25% | 611 | 1.82% | 267 | 0.80% | 765 | 2.28% | 7,584 | 22.60% | 33,553 |
| Malheur | 3,348 | 45.26% | 3,711 | 50.17% | 85 | 1.15% | 31 | 0.42% | 222 | 3.00% | -363 | -4.91% | 7,397 |
| Marion | 56,181 | 64.53% | 26,858 | 30.85% | 1,292 | 1.48% | 724 | 0.83% | 2,006 | 2.30% | 29,323 | 33.68% | 87,061 |
| Morrow | 1,731 | 66.30% | 766 | 29.34% | 25 | 0.96% | 12 | 0.46% | 77 | 2.95% | 965 | 36.96% | 2,611 |
| Multnomah | 155,137 | 73.29% | 42,657 | 20.15% | 3,735 | 1.76% | 5,093 | 2.41% | 5,061 | 2.39% | 112,480 | 53.14% | 211,683 |
| Polk | 13,173 | 63.67% | 6,583 | 31.82% | 282 | 1.36% | 184 | 0.89% | 467 | 2.26% | 6,590 | 31.85% | 20,689 |
| Sherman | 564 | 65.51% | 254 | 29.50% | 25 | 2.90% | 2 | 0.23% | 16 | 1.86% | 310 | 36.00% | 861 |
| Tillamook | 6,980 | 68.53% | 2,717 | 26.68% | 155 | 1.52% | 105 | 1.03% | 228 | 2.24% | 4,263 | 41.86% | 10,185 |
| Umatilla | 9,127 | 63.86% | 4,549 | 31.83% | 194 | 1.36% | 72 | 0.50% | 351 | 2.46% | 4,578 | 32.03% | 14,293 |
| Union | 5,364 | 60.72% | 3,015 | 34.13% | 157 | 1.78% | 54 | 0.61% | 244 | 2.76% | 2,349 | 26.59% | 8,834 |
| Wallowa | 1,713 | 54.35% | 1,294 | 41.05% | 52 | 1.65% | 19 | 0.60% | 74 | 2.35% | 419 | 13.29% | 3,152 |
| Wasco | 5,788 | 67.73% | 2,328 | 27.24% | 134 | 1.57% | 56 | 0.66% | 240 | 2.81% | 3,460 | 40.49% | 8,546 |
| Washington | 83,455 | 65.52% | 38,680 | 30.37% | 2,202 | 1.73% | 1,183 | 0.93% | 1,849 | 1.45% | 44,775 | 35.15% | 127,369 |
| Wheeler | 376 | 54.18% | 267 | 38.47% | 21 | 3.03% | 7 | 1.01% | 23 | 3.31% | 109 | 15.71% | 694 |
| Yamhill | 15,772 | 58.95% | 9,484 | 35.45% | 537 | 2.01% | 234 | 0.87% | 728 | 2.72% | 6,288 | 23.50% | 26,755 |
| Total | 717,061 | 64.42% | 334,001 | 30.01% | 20,200 | 1.81% | 15,843 | 1.42% | 25,993 | 2.34% | 383,060 | 34.41% | 1,113,098 |
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
Notes
- ↑ Key:
A – all adults
RV – registered voters
LV – likely voters
V – unclear
References
- ↑ "Oregon Primary Election Results". The New York Times. May 17, 2022. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
- 1 2 3 4 Voters' Pamphlet State of Oregon Primary Election May 19, 1998. Oregon Secretary of State. 1998. Retrieved April 12, 2026.
- 1 2 "Official Results May 18, 1998 Primary Election". Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved April 12, 2026.
- ↑ Niebuhr, Gustav. "THE 1998 ELECTIONS: STATE BY STATE -- WEST; OREGON". Archived from the original on January 31, 2018. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
- 1 2 "CNN AllPolitics Election '98 - Oregon 1998 Polls". CNN. Retrieved June 29, 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - 1 2 "Official Results November 3, 1998 General Election". Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved April 12, 2026.