Oregon’s primary election delivered a major policy result and reshaped the state’s November matchup, with voters rejecting a transportation-funding package that Democratic lawmakers passed last year even as gas prices climbed amid the war with Iran.
The centerpiece of Tuesday’s ballot was Measure 120, a referendum to repeal a gas tax increase and a set of related fees. The AP reported that Oregon voters ultimately rejected the package, a result Republicans said reflected public frustration over affordability at the pump.
Democrats had approved the legislation to bolster the state’s transportation budget, raising the gas tax by 6 cents a gallon and increasing a series of fees aimed at road improvements. The AP said the changes were also meant to plug a hole in Oregon’s transportation funding as the state anticipates declining gas tax revenue as drivers shift toward more fuel-efficient, electric and hybrid vehicles. The gas tax, the report said, is the largest source of money for fixing roads and upgrading highways.
Republicans moved quickly after Gov. Tina Kotek signed the bill, circulating a petition to refer the measure to voters. The AP said the effort succeeded after organizers gathered more than three times the number of signatures needed to put the referendum on the ballot.
In explaining the referendum’s rejection, Republican state Sen. Bruce Starr told the AP that he was “not surprised at all that Oregonians have rejected a completely unpopular tax increase.” He also said, “Oregon voters will not be ignored. Oregon taxpayers will not be ignored,” according to the AP.
AP reporting framed the political messaging around the vote as a clash over why gasoline prices were rising. Democrats argued that the spike at the pump was tied to President Donald Trump’s decision to go to war with Iran, while Republicans said the tax and fee increases added to the cost of living, countering national Democrats’ affordability-focused strategy.
The AP said Tuesday’s gubernatorial primary outcome changed the political stakes heading into November. Gov. Tina Kotek and U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley each won their primaries, and state Sen. Christine Drazan won the Republican nomination for governor to face Kotek. The result set up a rematch in a state that, the AP reported, has not elected a Republican governor in more than 40 years.
For some voters, Tuesday’s decision came down to balancing road needs against immediate economic pressure. Gail Watnick, 56, voted yes on the measure, telling the AP she supported it because roads need repair, as she arrived by bike wearing a bright yellow helmet. David Trujillo, 25, voted for Kotek in the primary but voted against the gas tax increase, saying high gas prices—heightened by the war and its effects—could make it difficult for people to get around.