PORTLAND, Ore. -- Former two-term governor John Kitzhaber will battle former Trail Blazer Chris Dudley to be the next Governor of Oregon.
Kitzhaber was projected by AP as the winner against former Secretary of State and legislator Bill Bradbury. Details: Kitzhaber wins
"We are at a turning point in our history," Kitzhaber said in his victory speech, citing his previous experience as governor. "It is that successful experience, it is that understanding of Oregon's history, of actually having been a part of that history, that can help lead us out of the current recession and put Oregon back to work and make this the best place in the nation to do business."
He will face Dudley, who was projected to top businessman Allen Alley in the Republican contest. Details: Dudley wins
“Tonight Oregon’s comeback begins, and it begins with you,” Dudley told an enthusiastic crowd. “I will work hard to earn your support because Oregon’s comeback will be your comeback as well. The state of our state is not strong. For too long, the politicians in Salem have ignored the very thing that makes our quality of life possible: jobs and a growing economy."
RAW VIDEO: Dudley victory speech | Kitzhaber victory speech
U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer and Rep David Wu also won their primary races.
In addition, the Oregonian newspaper also projected Jeff Cogen as the next Multnomah County Chairman, replacing the position vacated by Ted Wheeler.
Wheeler was projected the winner in the Democratic race for State Treasurer, a position he was appointed to in March after the death of then-Treasurer Ben Westlund. Now he will get the chance to run for election to his post after defeating veteran politician Rick Metsger. Wheeler had 61 percent of the votes with 58 percent of the expected vote counted. Metsger, a former state Senator, came out of political retirement after Westlund's death. Details: Wheeler advances
LATEST RESULTS: www.kgw.com/elections
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden won Oregon's Democratic nomination to seek a third full term. Wyden faced two lesser-known primary opponents. Republicans have eight primary candidates for the position. Party leaders are backing Jim Huffman, a law professor at Lewis & Clark College and newspaper essayist whose treasury consists in large part of his own $250,000 loan.
Wyden was widely favored to win in November in Democrat-leaning Oregon.
In Portland, the most-closely watched race was Commissioner Dan Saltzman, who was recently replaces as police bureau commissioner by Mayor Sam Adams. Saltzman won more that 50 percent of the vote and therefore there will be no runoff for his seat. DETAILS: Saltzman race
Low voter turnout
Secretary of State Kate Brown estimated that 37 percent of the 2 million ballots mailed out would be returned. That's on the low side for similar elections; primaries in the years when the presidency is not on the ballot.
In the 2006 primary, the vote return was 38 percent. Four years before that, when the primary campaigns for governor were particularly spirited, the return was 46 percent. Brown said that as Oregonians have grown accustomed to no-polls elections, more have waited until near the end of the voting period.
So, she said, a greater proportion of ballots are cast at drop boxes or library collection points than are mailed in. Ballots sent later than Friday before election day may not arrive in time to be counted.
