United States presidential election in Oregon, 2008
Encyclopedia
The 2008 United States presidential election in Oregon took place on November 4, 2008 throughout all 50 states and D.C., which was part of the 2008 United States presidential election
. Voters chose 7 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for President
and Vice President
.
Oregon
was won by Democratic nominee Barack Obama
with a 16.4% margin of victory. Prior to the election, all 17 news organizations considered this a state Obama would win, or otherwise considered as a safe blue state. Situated on the West Coast, which has become a reliably Democratic stronghold, Oregon is a relatively blue state. The last Republican presidential nominee to carry Oregon was Ronald Reagan
in his 1984
landslide reelection. Although George W. Bush
came within half a percent of Al Gore
in 2000
, the Republicans have never seriously contested here. On Election Day 2008, Obama kept Oregon in the Democratic column, receiving near 57% of the vote.
and individual freedoms, liberal
values that give Democrats a big edge in the state. On Election Day, Obama carried the state by 16.35 points. Most rural
counties favored McCain, though Obama improved the Democratic ticket's performance than John Kerry
did in 2004. However, Obama's strong support in the more urban
Willamette Valley
, home to two-thirds of the state's population, would have allowed him to win the state decisively in any event. The state remains geographically and politically divided by the Cascade Mountains, with eastern Oregon being more rural and less populated and therefore more strongly Republican, while western Oregon is more urbanized and populated and therefore more strongly Democratic. These two areas compose the core of each party's votes: rural Oregon is strongly Republican, while the Willamette Valley (especially the cities of Portland
and Eugene
) heavily favors the Democrats. Structurally, Oregon votes Democratic because Portland and Eugene have more voters than the rural east. In 2008, Obama's overwhelming margins from these two cities, combined with strong support from Portland's suburbs (which function as swing counties), enabled him to win a landslide in a structurally liberal state.
During the same election, Democratic Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives
Jeff Merkley
defeated incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Gordon Smith by a narrow 3.35-percent margin of victory. Merkley received 48.90% of the vote while Smith took in 45.55 with the remaining 5.24% going to Dave Brownlow of the Constitution Party
. At the state level, Democrats picked up five seats in the Oregon House of Representatives
while Republicans picked up one seat in the Oregon Senate.
.
The electors of each state and the District 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 to Barack Obama
and Joe Biden
:
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
. Voters chose 7 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
and Vice President
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
.
Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
was won by Democratic nominee Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
with a 16.4% margin of victory. Prior to the election, all 17 news organizations considered this a state Obama would win, or otherwise considered as a safe blue state. Situated on the West Coast, which has become a reliably Democratic stronghold, Oregon is a relatively blue state. The last Republican presidential nominee to carry Oregon was Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
in his 1984
United States presidential election, 1984
The United States presidential election of 1984 was a contest between the incumbent President Ronald Reagan, the Republican candidate, and former Vice President Walter Mondale, the Democratic candidate. Reagan was helped by a strong economic recovery from the deep recession of 1981–1982...
landslide reelection. Although George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
came within half a percent of Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
in 2000
United States presidential election, 2000
The United States presidential election of 2000 was a contest between Republican candidate George W. Bush, then-governor of Texas and son of former president George H. W. Bush , and Democratic candidate Al Gore, then-Vice President....
, the Republicans have never seriously contested here. On Election Day 2008, Obama kept Oregon in the Democratic column, receiving near 57% of the vote.
Predictions
There were 17 news organizations who made state by state predictions of the election. Here are there last predictions before election day:- D.C. Political Report: Democrat
- Cook Political ReportCook Political ReportThe Cook Political Report is an independent, non-partisan online newsletter that analyzes elections and campaigns for the United States House of Representatives, the United States Senate, Governor's offices and the American Presidency. The Cook Political Report is led by a staff of five...
: Solid Democrat - Takeaway: Solid Obama
- Election Projection: Solid Obama
- Electoral-vote.comElectoral-vote.comElectoral-Vote.com is the website of computer scientist Andrew S. Tanenbaum. The site's primary content is poll analysis to project the outcome of U.S. elections. The site also includes commentary on related news stories. Well known for its color-coded electoral map of the United States, the...
: Strong Democrat - Washington Post: Solid Obama
- PoliticoPolitico (newspaper)The Politico is an American political journalism organization based in Arlington, Virginia, that distributes its content via television, the Internet, newspaper, and radio. Its coverage of Washington, D.C., includes the U.S. Congress, lobbying, media and the Presidency...
: Solid Obama - Real Clear Politics: Solid Obama
- FiveThirtyEight.comFiveThirtyEight.comFiveThirtyEight is a polling aggregation website with a blog created by Nate Silver. Sometimes colloquially referred to as 538 dot com or just 538, the website takes its name from the number of electors in the United States electoral college...
: Solid Obama - CQ Politics: Safe Democrat
- New York Times: Solid Democrat
- CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
: Safe Democrat - NPRNPRNPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
: Solid Obama - MSNBCMSNBCMSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
: Solid Obama - Fox News: Democrat
- Associated PressAssociated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
: Democrat - Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports is an American media company that publishes and distributes information based on public opinion polling. Founded by pollster Scott Rasmussen in 2003, the company updates daily indexes including the President's job approval rating, and provides public opinion data, analysis, and...
: Safe Democrat
Polling
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%.Fundraising
John McCain raised a total of $1,258,426 in the state. Barack Obama raised $6,660,622.Advertising and visits
Obama and his interest groups spent 1,194,908. McCain and his interest groups spent just $159,222. Neither campaign visited the state.Analysis
Voters in Oregon, a fairly blue state, have a strong penchant for advancing the protection of civil libertiesCivil liberties
Civil liberties are rights and freedoms that provide an individual specific rights such as the freedom from slavery and forced labour, freedom from torture and death, the right to liberty and security, right to a fair trial, the right to defend one's self, the right to own and bear arms, the right...
and individual freedoms, liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
values that give Democrats a big edge in the state. On Election Day, Obama carried the state by 16.35 points. Most rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
counties favored McCain, though Obama improved the Democratic ticket's performance than John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
did in 2004. However, Obama's strong support in the more urban
Urban area
An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
Willamette Valley
Willamette Valley
The Willamette Valley is the most populated region in the state of Oregon of the United States. Located in the state's northwest, the region is surrounded by tall mountain ranges to the east, west and south and the valley's floor is broad, flat and fertile because of Ice Age conditions...
, home to two-thirds of the state's population, would have allowed him to win the state decisively in any event. The state remains geographically and politically divided by the Cascade Mountains, with eastern Oregon being more rural and less populated and therefore more strongly Republican, while western Oregon is more urbanized and populated and therefore more strongly Democratic. These two areas compose the core of each party's votes: rural Oregon is strongly Republican, while the Willamette Valley (especially the cities of Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
and Eugene
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
) heavily favors the Democrats. Structurally, Oregon votes Democratic because Portland and Eugene have more voters than the rural east. In 2008, Obama's overwhelming margins from these two cities, combined with strong support from Portland's suburbs (which function as swing counties), enabled him to win a landslide in a structurally liberal state.
During the same election, Democratic Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives
Oregon House of Representatives
The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of 57,000. The House meets at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem....
Jeff Merkley
Jeff Merkley
Jeffrey Alan "Jeff" Merkley is the junior United States Senator from Oregon. A member of the Democratic Party, Merkley was a five-term member of the Oregon Legislative Assembly representing House District 47, located in eastern Multnomah County within the Portland city limits...
defeated incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Gordon Smith by a narrow 3.35-percent margin of victory. Merkley received 48.90% of the vote while Smith took in 45.55 with the remaining 5.24% going to Dave Brownlow of the Constitution Party
Constitution Party (United States)
The Constitution Party is a paleoconservative political party in the United States. It was founded as the U.S. Taxpayers' Party by Howard Philips in 1991. Phillips was the party's candidate in the 1992, 1996 and 2000 presidential elections...
. At the state level, Democrats picked up five seats in the Oregon House of Representatives
Oregon House of Representatives
The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of 57,000. The House meets at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem....
while Republicans picked up one seat in the Oregon Senate.
Results
| United States presidential election in Oregon, 2008 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Running mate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes | |
| Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Barack Obama Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in... |
Joe Biden Joe Biden Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. is the 47th and current Vice President of the United States, serving under President Barack Obama... |
1,037,291 | 56.75% | 7 | |
| Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
John McCain John McCain John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election.... |
Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was... |
738,475 | 40.40% | 0 | |
| Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
Ralph Nader Ralph Nader Ralph Nader is an American political activist, as well as an author, lecturer, and attorney. Areas of particular concern to Nader include consumer protection, humanitarianism, environmentalism, and democratic government.... |
Matt Gonzalez Matt Gonzalez Matthew Edward Gonzalez is an American politician, lawyer, and activist prominent in San Francisco politics. He currently serves as chief attorney in the San Francisco Public Defender's office.... |
18,614 | 1.02% | 0 | |
| Write-ins | Write-ins | 13,613 | 0.74% | 0 | ||
| Constitution Constitution Party (United States) The Constitution Party is a paleoconservative political party in the United States. It was founded as the U.S. Taxpayers' Party by Howard Philips in 1991. Phillips was the party's candidate in the 1992, 1996 and 2000 presidential elections... |
Chuck Baldwin Chuck Baldwin Charles Obadiah "Chuck" Baldwin is an American politician and founder-pastor of Crossroad Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida. He was the presidential nominee of the Constitution Party for the 2008 U.S. presidential election and had previously been its nominee for U.S. vice president in 2004... |
Darrell Castle Darrell Castle Darrell Castle is an American political figure, activist and attorney from Memphis, Tennessee, and was the vice presidential candidate of the Constitution Party in the 2008 United States presidential election.-Early life and education:... |
7,693 | 0.42% | 0 | |
| Libertarian Libertarian Party (United States) The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration... |
Bob Barr Bob Barr Robert Laurence "Bob" Barr, Jr. is a former federal prosecutorand a former member of the United States House of Representatives. He represented Georgia's 7th congressional district as a Republican from 1995 to 2003. Barr attained national prominence as one of the leaders of the impeachment of... |
Wayne Allyn Root Wayne Allyn Root Wayne Allyn Root is an American politician, entrepreneur, television and radio personality, author and political commentator. He was the 2008 Libertarian Party vice-presidential nominee. In June 2009 Richard Winger wrote he was the front runner for the 2012 Libertarian Presidential nomination... |
7,635 | 0.42% | 0 | |
| Green Green Party (United States) The Green Party of the United States is a nationally recognized political party which officially formed in 1991. It is a voluntary association of state green parties. Prior to national formation, many state affiliates had already formed and were recognized by other state parties... |
Cynthia McKinney Cynthia McKinney Cynthia Ann McKinney is a former US Congresswoman and a member of the Green Party since 2007. As a member of the Democratic Party, she served six terms as a member of the United States House of Representatives. In 2008, the Green Party nominated McKinney for President of the United States... |
Rosa Clemente Rosa Clemente Rosa Alicia Clemente is a United States community organizer, independent journalist and hip-hop activist. She was the vice presidential running mate of 2008 Green Party Presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney in the 2008 U.S. Presidential election.Clemente was born and raised in South Bronx, New... |
4,543 | 0.25% | 0 | |
| Totals | 1,827,864 | 100.00% | 7 | |||
| Voter turnout (Voting age population) | 62.9% | |||||
By county
| County | Obama Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in... |
% | McCain John McCain John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election.... |
% | Nader Ralph Nader Ralph Nader is an American political activist, as well as an author, lecturer, and attorney. Areas of particular concern to Nader include consumer protection, humanitarianism, environmentalism, and democratic government.... |
% | Barr Bob Barr Robert Laurence "Bob" Barr, Jr. is a former federal prosecutorand a former member of the United States House of Representatives. He represented Georgia's 7th congressional district as a Republican from 1995 to 2003. Barr attained national prominence as one of the leaders of the impeachment of... |
% | Baldwin Chuck Baldwin Charles Obadiah "Chuck" Baldwin is an American politician and founder-pastor of Crossroad Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida. He was the presidential nominee of the Constitution Party for the 2008 U.S. presidential election and had previously been its nominee for U.S. vice president in 2004... |
% | McKinney Cynthia McKinney Cynthia Ann McKinney is a former US Congresswoman and a member of the Green Party since 2007. As a member of the Democratic Party, she served six terms as a member of the United States House of Representatives. In 2008, the Green Party nominated McKinney for President of the United States... |
% | Others | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baker Baker County, Oregon Baker County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is included in the 8 county definition of Eastern Oregon. It is named for Edward Dickinson Baker, a senator from Oregon who was killed at Ball's Bluff, a battle of the Civil War in Virginia in 1861. It was split from the eastern part... |
2,805 | 31.96 | 5,650 | 64.37 | 106 | 1.21 | 51 | 0.58 | 55 | 0.63 | 23 | 0.26 | 87 | 0.99 |
| Benton Benton County, Oregon -National protected areas:*Siuslaw National Forest *William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 78,153 people, 30,145 households, and 18,237 families residing in the county. The population density was 116 people per square mile . There were 31,980... |
29,901 | 64.33 | 15,264 | 32.84 | 427 | 0.92 | 214 | 0.46 | 169 | 0.36 | 169 | 0.36 | 334 | 0.72 |
| Clackamas Clackamas County, Oregon Clackamas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The county was named after the Native Americans living in the area, the Clackamas Indians, who were part of the Chinookan people. As of 2010, the population was 375,992... |
103,476 | 53.93 | 83,595 | 43.57 | 1,750 | 0.91 | 717 | 0.37 | 692 | 0.36 | 284 | 0.15 | 1,364 | 0.71 |
| Clatsop Clatsop County, Oregon Clatsop County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The county is named for the Clatsop tribe of Native Americans, who lived along the coast of the Pacific Ocean prior to European settlement. As of 2010, the population was 37,039. The county seat is Astoria.-Economy:The principal... |
10,701 | 57.69 | 7,192 | 38.78 | 249 | 1.34 | 101 | 0.54 | 70 | 0.38 | 68 | 0.37 | 167 | 0.90 |
| Columbia Columbia County, Oregon Columbia County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It was named for the Columbia River, which forms its eastern and northern borders. As of 2010, its population was 49,351. The county seat is St. Helens.-Economy:... |
13,390 | 54.06 | 10,413 | 42.04 | 307 | 1.24 | 123 | 0.50 | 202 | 0.82 | 74 | 0.30 | 259 | 1.05 |
| Coos Coos County, Oregon -National protected areas:*Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge*Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge *Siskiyou National Forest *Siuslaw National Forest - Incorporated cities:- Unincorporated communities and CDPs:-See also:... |
14,401 | 46.53 | 15,354 | 49.61 | 422 | 1.36 | 163 | 0.53 | 204 | 0.66 | 103 | 0.33 | 304 | 0.98 |
| Crook Crook County, Oregon -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 19,182 people, 7,354 households, and 5,427 families residing in the county. The population density was 6 people per square mile . There were 8,264 housing units at an average density of 3 per square mile... |
3,632 | 35.09 | 6,371 | 61.54 | 157 | 1.52 | 55 | 0.53 | 37 | 0.36 | 24 | 0.23 | 76 | 0.73 |
| Curry Curry County, Oregon Curry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. In 2010, its population was 22,364. The county is named for George Law Curry, a governor of the Oregon Territory. The seat of the county is Gold Beach.-Economy:... |
5,230 | 42.41 | 6,646 | 53.89 | 174 | 1.41 | 57 | 0.46 | 83 | 0.67 | 26 | 0.21 | 116 | 0.94 |
| Deschutes Deschutes County, Oregon -National protected areas:* Deschutes National Forest * Newberry National Volcanic Monument-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 115,367 people, 45,595 households, and 31,962 families residing in the county. The population density was 38 people per square mile . There were 54,583... |
38,819 | 48.66 | 39,064 | 48.96 | 702 | 0.88 | 305 | 0.38 | 259 | 0.32 | 129 | 0.16 | 504 | 0.63 |
| Douglas Douglas County, Oregon -National protected areas:* Crater Lake National Park * Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest * Siuslaw National Forest * Umpqua National Forest * Willamette National Forest -Adjacent counties:* Lane County, Oregon -... |
20,298 | 38.34 | 30,919 | 58.41 | 561 | 1.06 | 217 | 0.41 | 320 | 0.60 | 128 | 0.24 | 494 | 0.93 |
| Gilliam Gilliam County, Oregon -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,915 people, 819 households, and 543 families residing in the county. The population density was 2 people per square mile . There were 1,043 housing units at an average density of 1 per square mile... |
430 | 38.74 | 648 | 58.38 | 16 | 1.44 | 2 | 0.18 | 6 | 0.54 | 2 | 0.18 | 6 | 0.54 |
| Grant Grant County, Oregon Grant County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is included in the 8 county definition of Eastern Oregon. In 2010, its population was 7,445. It is named for President Ulysses S. Grant, who served as an army officer in the Oregon Territory, and at the time of the county's creation... |
1,006 | 25.74 | 2,785 | 71.25 | 30 | 0.77 | 15 | 0.38 | 39 | 1.00 | 2 | 0.05 | 32 | 0.82 |
| Harney Harney County, Oregon -National protected areas:*Malheur National Forest *Malheur National Wildlife Refuge*Ochoco National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 7,609 people, 3,036 households, and 2,094 families residing in the county. The population density was 1 people per square mile... |
950 | 25.79 | 2,595 | 70.46 | 51 | 1.38 | 29 | 0.79 | 21 | 0.57 | 10 | 0.27 | 27 | 0.73 |
| Hood River Hood River County, Oregon -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 20,411 people, 7,248 households, and 5,175 families residing in the county. The population density was 39 people per square mile . There were 7,818 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile... |
6,302 | 64.11 | 3,265 | 33.21 | 112 | 1.14 | 31 | 0.32 | 44 | 0.45 | 21 | 0.21 | 55 | 0.56 |
| Jackson Jackson County, Oregon -National protected areas:* Cascade–Siskiyou National Monument* Crater Lake National Park * Klamath National Forest * Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest * Umpqua National Forest -Demographics:... |
49,090 | 48.58 | 49,043 | 48.53 | 844 | 0.84 | 425 | 0.42 | 601 | 0.59 | 224 | 0.22 | 820 | 0.81 |
| Jefferson Jefferson County, Oregon Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. In 2010, its population was 21,720. It is named after Mount Jefferson. The seat of the county is Madras.-History:... |
3,682 | 44.27 | 4,402 | 52.92 | 100 | 1.20 | 22 | 0.26 | 37 | 0.44 | 21 | 0.25 | 54 | 0.65 |
| Josephine Josephine County, Oregon Josephine County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. According to Oregon Geographic Names, the county is probably named after a stream in the area called Josephine Creek, which in turn is probably named after Virginia Josephine Rollins Ort. In 2010, its population was 82,713... |
17,412 | 41.41 | 22,973 | 54.63 | 492 | 1.17 | 234 | 0.56 | 379 | 0.90 | 135 | 0.32 | 424 | 1.01 |
| Klamath Klamath County, Oregon -National protected areas:* Bear Valley National Wildlife Refuge* Crater Lake National Park * Deschutes National Forest * Fremont National Forest * Klamath Marsh National Wildlife Refuge* Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge... |
9,370 | 31.87 | 19,113 | 65.01 | 300 | 1.02 | 174 | 0.59 | 178 | 0.61 | 68 | 0.23 | 196 | 0.67 |
| Lake Lake County, Oregon Lake County is a county in the high desert south central region of the U.S. state of Oregon, so named for the many lakes found within its boundaries, including Lake Abert, Hart Lake Reservoir, and Goose Lake. While Lake is among Oregon's largest counties, it is sparsely populated with 7,895... |
957 | 25.95 | 2,638 | 71.53 | 38 | 1.03 | 11 | 0.30 | 19 | 0.52 | 11 | 0.30 | 14 | 0.38 |
| Lane Lane County, Oregon -National protected areas:*Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge *Siuslaw National Forest *Umpqua National Forest *Willamette National Forest -Government:... |
114,037 | 62.35 | 63,835 | 34.90 | 1,836 | 1.00 | 754 | 0.41 | 590 | 0.32 | 534 | 0.29 | 1,324 | 0.72 |
| Lincoln Lincoln County, Oregon -National protected areas:*Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge *Siletz Bay National Wildlife Refuge*Siuslaw National Forest -Demographics:... |
14,258 | 59.68 | 8,791 | 36.80 | 334 | 1.40 | 127 | 0.53 | 83 | 0.35 | 73 | 0.31 | 223 | 0.93 |
| Linn Linn County, Oregon Linn County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is named in honor of Lewis F. Linn, a U.S. Senator from Missouri who advocated the American occupation of the Oregon Country. By the 2010 US census the population of Linn county was 116,672 showing a 13.2% growth since the 2000 census... |
22,163 | 42.64 | 28,071 | 54.00 | 625 | 1.20 | 237 | 0.46 | 287 | 0.55 | 134 | 0.26 | 465 | 0.89 |
| Malheur Malheur County, Oregon Malheur County is a county located in the southeast corner of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is included in the eight-county definition of Eastern Oregon. Most of the county observes the Mountain Time Zone, although the southern quarter of the county observes the Pacific Time Zone along with the... |
2,949 | 28.27 | 7,157 | 68.60 | 85 | 0.81 | 57 | 0.55 | 81 | 0.78 | 28 | 0.27 | 76 | 0.73 |
| Marion Marion County, Oregon Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It was originally named the Champooick District, after Champoeg, a meeting place on the Willamette River. On September 3, 1849, the territorial legislature renamed it in honor of Francis Marion, a Continental Army general of the... |
61,816 | 49.63 | 59,059 | 47.41 | 1,257 | 1.01 | 528 | 0.42 | 551 | 0.44 | 328 | 0.26 | 1,024 | 0.82 |
| Morrow Morrow County, Oregon Morrow County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon, on the south side of the Columbia River. It is included in the 8 county definition of Eastern Oregon. The county is named for one of its first white settlers, Jackson L. Morrow, who was a member of the state legislature when the county... |
1,410% | 34.75 | 2,509 | 61.83 | 43 | 1.06 | 23 | 0.57 | 33 | 0.81 | 9 | 0.22 | 31 | 0.76 |
| Multnomah Multnomah County, Oregon Multnomah County is one of 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. Though smallest in area, it is the most populous as its county seat, Portland, is the state's largest city... |
279,696 | 76.69 | 75,171 | 20.61 | 4,166 | 1.14 | 1,195 | 0.33 | 904 | 0.25 | 1,207 | 0.33 | 2,371 | 0.65 |
| Polk Polk County, Oregon Polk County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The county is named for James Knox Polk, the 11th president of the United States. In 2010, its population was 75,403. The seat of the county is Dallas.... |
17,536 | 48.43 | 17,714 | 48.92 | 320 | 0.88 | 116 | 0.32 | 184 | 0.51 | 79 | 0.22 | 258 | 0.71 |
| Sherman Sherman County, Oregon Sherman County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The county is named for William Tecumseh Sherman, a Union general in the American Civil War. In 2010, its population was 1,765. The seat of the county is Moro. The largest city is Wasco.... |
385 | 36.77 | 634 | 60.55 | 8 | 0.76 | 5 | 0.48 | 6 | 0.57 | 1 | 0.10 | 8 | 0.76 |
| Tillamook Tillamook County, Oregon Tillamook County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The county is named for the Tillamook, a Native American tribe who were living in the area in the early 19th century at the time of European American settlement. In 2010, the county's population was 25,250... |
7,072 | 53.18 | 5,757 | 43.30 | 197 | 1.48 | 58 | 0.44 | 59 | 0.44 | 42 | 0.32 | 112 | 0.84 |
| Umatilla Umatilla County, Oregon Umatilla County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is included in the 8 county definition of Eastern Oregon. The county is named for the Umatilla River. In 2010, its population was 75,889... |
9,484 | 37.16 | 15,254 | 59.77 | 245 | 0.96 | 113 | 0.44 | 166 | 0.65 | 56 | 0.22 | 205 | 0.80 |
| Union Union County, Oregon Union County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is included in the 8 county definition of Eastern Oregon. The county is named for the town of Union, which is located within its boundaries; in 2010, the county population was 25,748. The county seat is La Grande.-History:Union County... |
4,613 | 36.63 | 7,581 | 60.20 | 119 | 0.94 | 63 | 0.50 | 85 | 0.67 | 23 | 0.18 | 110 | 0.87 |
| Wallowa Wallowa County, Oregon Wallowa County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is included in the 8 county definition of Eastern Oregon. According to Oregon Geographic Names, the origins of the county's name are uncertain, with the most likely explanation being that it is derived from the Nez Perce term for a... |
1,492 | 33.42 | 2,836 | 63.52 | 35 | 0.78 | 24 | 0.54 | 30 | 0.67 | 6 | 0.13 | 42 | 0.94 |
| Wasco Wasco County, Oregon Wasco County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The county is named for a local tribe of Native Americans, the Wasco, a Chinook tribe who lived on the south side of the Columbia River. In 2010, its population was 25,213... |
5,906 | 51.90 | 5,103 | 44.84 | 140 | 1.23 | 46 | 0.40 | 61 | 0.54 | 31 | 0.27 | 93 | 0.82 |
| Washington Washington County, Oregon - Major highways :* Interstate 5* Interstate 205* U.S. Route 26* Oregon Route 6* Oregon Route 8* Oregon Route 10* Oregon Route 47* Oregon Route 99W* Oregon Route 210* Oregon Route 217* Oregon Route 219-Demographics:... |
141,544 | 59.82 | 89,185 | 37.69 | 1,892 | 0.80 | 1,148 | 0.49 | 895 | 0.38 | 379 | 0.16 | 1,589 | 0.67 |
| Wheeler Wheeler County, Oregon As of the census of 2000, there were 1,547 people, 653 households, and 444 families residing in the county. The population density was 1 people per square mile . There were 842 housing units at an average density of 0 per square mile... |
281 | 34.61 | 498 | 61.33 | 11 | 1.35 | 9 | 1.11 | 5 | 0.62 | 1 | 0.12 | 7 | 0.86 |
| Yamhill Yamhill County, Oregon -National protected areas:*Siuslaw National Forest *Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 84,992 people, 28,732 households, and 21,376 families residing in the county. The population density was 119 people per square mile . There were 30,270... |
20,797 | 47.78 | 21,390 | 49.14 | 463 | 1.06 | 186 | 0.43 | 258 | 0.59 | 90 | 0.21 | 342 | 0.79 |
By congressional district
Barack Obama carried four of the state’s five congressional districts in Oregon, all districts held by Democrats.| District | McCain | Obama | Representative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 36.27% | 61.03% | David Wu David Wu David Wu is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 1999 to 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party.The district includes most of Portland west of the Willamette River, as well as all of Yamhill, Columbia, Clatsop, and Washington Counties... |
|
| 53.86% | 43.21% | Greg Walden Greg Walden Gregory Paul Walden is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1999. He is a member of the Republican Party.The district covers more than two-thirds of the state . He is the son of Paul E... |
|
| 25.78% | 71.39% | Earl Blumenauer Earl Blumenauer Earl Blumenauer is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1996. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes most of Portland east of the Willamette River. A native of Portland, he previously spent over 20 years as a public official representing the city.-Early... |
|
| 43.08% | 53.79% | Peter DeFazio Peter DeFazio Peter Anthony DeFazio is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1987. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes Eugene, Springfield, Roseburg and part of Corvallis. As Oregon's most senior member of Congress, he is the dean of Oregon's House of Representatives delegation... |
|
| 43.33% | 53.95% | Darlene Hooley Darlene Hooley Darlene Kay Olson Hooley is a former Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Oregon who represented the state's . A native of North Dakota, she spent eight years teaching high school before entering politics when she was elected to the West Linn, Oregon city council in 1975... (110th Congress 110th United States Congress The One Hundred Tenth United States Congress was the meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, between January 3, 2007, and January 3, 2009, during the last two years of the second term of President George W. Bush. It was composed of the Senate and the House of... ) |
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| Kurt Schrader Kurt Schrader Kurt Schrader is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Democratic Party. He previously served in both houses of the Oregon Legislative Assembly.-Early life, education, and early career:... (111th Congress 111th United States Congress The One Hundred Eleventh United States Congress was the meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government from January 3, 2009 until January 3, 2011. It began during the last two weeks of the George W. Bush administration, with the remainder spanning the first two years of... ) |
Electors
Technically the voters of Oregon cast their ballots for electors: representatives to the Electoral College. Oregon is allocated 7 electors because it has 5 congressional districts and 2 senators. 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. An elector who votes for someone other than his or her candidate is known as a faithless electorFaithless elector
In United States presidential elections, a faithless elector is a member of the Electoral College who does not vote for the candidate they have pledged to vote for...
.
The electors of each state and the District 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 to Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
and Joe Biden
Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. is the 47th and current Vice President of the United States, serving under President Barack Obama...
:
- Michael Bohan
- Shirley Cairns
- Joe Smith
- John McColgan
- Meredith Wood Smith
- Frank James Dixon
- Bernard Gorter