Democrat Maxine E. Dexter has won a second term representing Oregon's 3rd Congressional District, with the Associated Press calling the race in her favor as results rolled in. The incumbent beat Republican challenger Loran Ayles by a wide margin in a district that leans more heavily Democratic than any other in the state.
According to the New York Times election results page, the race was called by the Associated Press, with Dexter listed as the incumbent running for reelection. The Oregon Capital Chronicle reported that Dexter beat Ayles with more than 75% of the vote, securing a second term in Congress.
KOIN reported that, per the Oregon Secretary of State's website, Dexter was pulling in 76% of more than 184,000 votes counted at the time, with Ayles at 24%, according to KOIN. Those numbers tracked closely with figures from NBC News, whose live results page showed 184,566 votes counted and 57.4% of the expected vote in for the district, per NBC News.
A District Built for Democrats
The lopsided margin wasn't a surprise given the makeup of the district. The same Oregon Capital Chronicle report noted that Oregon's 3rd Congressional District has the highest proportion of registered Democrats of any of the state's six U.S. House districts, a structural advantage that has long made it difficult terrain for Republican challengers like Ayles.
Dexter's win was part of a broader pattern across Oregon on election night. The outlet's reporting indicated that all seven of Oregon's incumbent members of Congress were on track to keep their seats based on early returns, suggesting a status-quo night for the state's federal delegation.
Other Oregon Races Called Alongside Dexter
Dexter wasn't the only Oregon Democrat to see her race called early. The Oregon Capital Chronicle reported that the Associated Press had also called elections for Democratic U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici and for Sen. Jeff Merkley, rounding out a strong night for the party's incumbents statewide.
The Associated Press, whose race call anchored much of the night's coverage, first reported Dexter's reelection in a dispatch picked up by outlets including KENS 5. With her win confirmed, Dexter is set to return to Washington for a second term representing Oregon's 3rd District.
