2014 United States Senate election in Oregon

The 2014 United States Senate election in Oregon took place on November 4, 2014 to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Oregon, concurrently with the election of the Governor of Oregon, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.

2014 United States Senate election in Oregon

← 2008November 4, 20142020 →
 
NomineeJeff MerkleyMonica Wehby
PartyDemocraticRepublican
Popular vote814,537538,847
Percentage55.73%36.87%

County results
Merkley:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
Wehby:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election

Jeff Merkley
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Jeff Merkley
Democratic

Incumbent Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley successfully ran for reelection to a second term. Despite it being a national midterm Republican wave, this was actually a stronger Senate election for him in terms of margin of victory, winning by almost 20%.[1] Primary elections were held on May 20, 2014. Merkley easily won the Democratic nomination, while the Republicans nominated pediatric neurosurgeon Monica Wehby. Initially, the race was considered potentially competitive, but Wehby's campaign began to collapse after she faced multiple allegations of stalking and harassment from former partners, and was found to have plagiarized portions of her campaign website, leading to her major defeat.[2]

Background

Democrat Jeff Merkley, the Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives, had narrowly defeated two-term Republican incumbent Gordon H. Smith with 49% of the vote in 2008.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Declared

Results

Democratic primary results[5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticJeff Merkley (incumbent) 277,120 92.04%
DemocraticWilliam Bryk11,3303.76%
DemocraticPavel Goberman8,4362.81%
write-ins4,1941.39%
Total votes301,080 100.00%

Republican primary

Candidates

Declared

Withdrew

  • Sam Carpenter, businessman[10]

Declined

Endorsements

Jason Conger
Individuals
Organizations
Newspapers
Monica Wehby
Individuals
Newspapers

Polling

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin of
error
Mark
Callahan
Jason
Conger
Tim
Crawley
Jo Rae
Perkins
Monica
Wehby
Undecided
Benenson Strategy GroupApril 14–17, 2014410± ?24%22%55%
Wenzel StrategiesMay 1–4, 2014607± ?4%22%3%3%43%26%
Public Opinion StrategiesMay 12–13, 2014500± 4.38%2%24%2%2%41%26%

Results

Results by county:
  Wehby
  •   40–50%
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  Conger
  •   40–50%
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
Republican primary results[5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanMonica Wehby 134,627 49.96%
RepublicanJason Conger101,40137.63%
RepublicanMark Callahan18,2206.76%
RepublicanJo Rae Perkins7,6022.82%
RepublicanTim Crawley6,5662.44%
Write-in1,0270.39%
Total votes266,438 100.00%

Independents

The filing deadline for independent candidates is August 26, 2014. In order to qualify, a candidate must submit 17,893 signatures of registered voters or obtain signatures from at least 1,000 electors at a valid assembly of electors.[21]

Candidates

Declared

  • Karl King, massage therapist[22]

General election

Debates

Predictions

SourceRankingAs of
The Cook Political Report[23]Likely DNovember 3, 2014
Sabato's Crystal Ball[24]Likely DNovember 3, 2014
Rothenberg Political Report[25]Likely DNovember 3, 2014
Real Clear Politics[26]Likely DNovember 3, 2014

Polling

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin of
error
Jeff
Merkley (D)
Monica
Wehby (R)
OtherUndecided
Harper PollingApril 1–2, 2014670± 3.91%46%34%20%
Benenson Strategy GroupApril 14–17, 2014600± 4%52%32%16%
Rasmussen ReportsMay 21–22, 2014750± 4%47%37%5%11%
Public Policy PollingMay 22–27, 2014956± 3.2%50%36%15%
The Tarrance Group*June 1–3, 2014615± 4.1%41%39%9%[27]11%
SurveyUSAJune 5–9, 2014560± 4.2%50%32%9%9%
CBS News/NYT/YouGovJuly 5–24, 20142,088± 2.6%53%39%1%7%
SurveyUSAAugust 1–5, 2014564± 4.2%52%33%7%9%
Moore Information^August 5–9, 2014500± 4%47%38%16%
CBS News/NYT/YouGovAugust 18 – September 2, 20141,541± 4%51%39%1%9%
Rasmussen ReportsSeptember 2–3, 2014750± 4%48%35%5%12%
Polling Company/WomanTrendSeptember 9–11, 2014600± 4%42%34%7%[28]14%
SurveyUSASeptember 22–24, 2014568± 4.2%52%32%8%8%
CBS News/NYT/YouGovSeptember 20 – October 1, 20141,508± 3%52%39%1%8%
DHM ResearchOctober 2014?± 4.3%47%26%6%19%
SurveyUSAOctober 16–19, 2014561± 4.2%53%32%7%8%
CBS News/NYT/YouGovOctober 16–23, 20141,421± 4%51%39%1%9%
SurveyUSAOctober 23–27, 2014552± 4.3%53%32%8%6%
Elway ResearchOctober 26–27, 2014403± 5%49%30%3%[29]18%
Hypothetical polling
Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin of
error
Jeff
Merkley (D)
Allen
Alley (R)
OtherUndecided
Public Policy PollingJune 21–24, 2012686± 3.7%43%37%20%
Public Policy PollingDecember 3–5, 2012614± 4%53%36%12%
Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin of
error
Jeff
Merkley (D)
Jason
Atkinson (R)
OtherUndecided
Public Policy PollingJune 21–24, 2012686± 3.7%43%34%23%
Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin of
error
Jeff
Merkley (D)
Jason
Conger (R)
OtherUndecided
Harper PollingApril 1–2, 2014670± 3.91%47%40%12%
Benenson Strategy GroupApril 14–17, 2014600± 4%50%34%16%
Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin of
error
Jeff
Merkley (D)
Bruce
Hanna (R)
OtherUndecided
Public Policy PollingJune 21–24, 2012686± 3.7%43%35%23%
Public Policy PollingDecember 3–5, 2012614± 4%52%34%14%
Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin of
error
Jeff
Merkley (D)
Gordon
Smith (R)
OtherUndecided
Public Policy PollingDecember 3–5, 2012614± 4%47%43%10%
Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin of
error
Jeff
Merkley (D)
Bruce
Starr (R)
OtherUndecided
Public Policy PollingDecember 3–5, 2012614± 4%52%32%16%
Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin of
error
Jeff
Merkley (D)
Greg
Walden (R)
OtherUndecided
Public Policy PollingJune 21–24, 2012686± 3.7%40%42%18%
Public Policy PollingDecember 3–5, 2012614± 4%47%42%11%

Results

United States Senate election in Oregon, 2014[30]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
DemocraticJeff Merkley (incumbent) 814,537 55.73% +6.83%
RepublicanMonica Wehby538,84736.87%-8.68%
LibertarianMike Monchalin44,9163.07%N/A
Pacific GreenChristina Jean Lugo32,4342.22%N/A
ConstitutionJames E. Leuenberger24,2121.66%-3.58%
n/aWrite-ins6,6720.45%N/A
Total votes1,461,618 100.00% N/A
Democratic hold

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

See also

References

Official campaign websites (Archived)