Oregon’s 6th Congressional District: 2026 House Race

An investigation has been launched after federal immigration agents deployed tear gas in Salem, Oregon, on Saturday after a crowd of roughly 30 people surrounded ICE vehicles outside a strip mall. Salem police responded to the scene and received multiple 911 calls from people reporting apparent tear gas exposure. One witness described agents breaking a car window and spraying its occupant directly. A report on the incident is being referred to the Oregon Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for independent review.

Rep. Andrea Salinas condemned the operation, saying ICE used pepper spray, pepper balls, and smoke canisters near elderly people and children, then drove recklessly on Highway 99E, prompting a partial road closure. The incident comes amid a Department of Homeland Security-confirmed nationwide ICE surge targeting sanctuary cities, which Oregon's state law restricts local police from assisting. Advocacy group Oregon for All reports more than 40 people detained by ICE statewide this week, amid growing scrutiny of enforcement tactics in sanctuary jurisdictions.

Local and federal pushback against rapid data center growth intensified this week. In South Carolina, Spartanburg County Council unanimously delayed a final vote on a 12-month moratorium on new data centers, pushing it to Sept. 21 to allow another public hearing. The pause wouldn't affect the $2.8 billion NorthMark project already under construction, but would halt approval of new or pending facilities while officials study appropriate locations and conditions. Spartanburg would join Greenwood County, South Carolina in enacting such a pause amid resident concerns over power and water use, noise, and air pollution, plus a lawsuit over NorthMark's permitting and recent primary losses by council members who backed data center tax incentives.

Separately, Oregon Rep. Andrea Salinas introduced the Data Center Community Reinvestment Act, which would tax electricity used by large data centers at one cent per kilowatt-hour, raising an estimated $1.76 billion annually for affordable housing, public lands conservation, hazardous waste cleanup, infrastructure, and clean energy programs. The moves reflect broader tension between the AI-driven data center boom and community concerns over resource strain and local costs.

Rep. Andrea Salinas (D-OR) introduced the ICE Shootings Transparency Act on Friday alongside Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-IL), legislation that would require the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Attorney General to share evidence with local law enforcement after officer-involved shootings and other use-of-force incidents involving ICE or CBP agents.

Salinas said the federal government has repeatedly withheld evidence from local investigators since the start of the current Trump administration. The bill follows the January 2026 death of Renee Good, shot by ICE in Minneapolis, after which Minnesota's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said it was removed from a joint investigation with the FBI. Months later, ICE agents fatally shot Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Texas under similar circumstances, with federal agencies again declining to cooperate with state and local authorities.

Ramirez used the announcement to renew calls to abolish ICE and dismantle DHS. CBP referred comment to DHS, which did not respond; DHS, ICE, and the Justice Department declined to comment. The bill has several Democratic cosponsors in the House.

Clashes between protesters and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Salem, Oregon, over the weekend reflect a sharp escalation in federal immigration enforcement statewide. Federal agents tear gassed demonstrators Saturday after about 30 people tried to block ICE vehicles in a shopping mall parking lot, a day after video showed an agent pepper-spraying a protester who jumped on an ICE SUV's hood at a gas station. ICE said officers were surrounded and their vehicles struck with bats and rocks; advocates and witnesses accuse agents of escalating tensions and exposing bystanders, including children, to chemical munitions.

Local immigrant support groups reported a surge in enforcement-related assistance requests, and statewide verified arrests more than doubled recent weekly averages. Latino-owned businesses reported steep sales drops as residents stayed home. Oregon's congressional delegation visited a Portland ICE facility, learning detainees are now being routed directly to a Tacoma detention center, raising due process concerns. Gov. Tina Kotek and state lawmakers condemned the enforcement escalation and pledged increased coordination.

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek and Republican state Sen. Christine Drazan met in Medford for their second debate of the governor's race, a wide-ranging hourlong discussion on affordability, schools, homelessness and economic development. The event, hosted by KOBI5, was less combative than their first encounter but surfaced sharp policy divides, especially on taxes.

Kotek stopped short of committing to tax code changes but said she'd pursue "tweaks" to keep Oregon competitive, pointing to a business-focused Prosperity Council she convened this year. Drazan pledged to cut taxes and repeal Oregon's estate tax, criticizing Kotek for a string of new levies passed during her first term. Both candidates addressed business retention following Dutch Bros' planned move from Grants Pass to Arizona, SNAP benefit changes tied to federal policy shifts, and Oregon's struggling K-12 schools, with Kotek defending incremental reforms and Drazan calling for vouchers and bigger changes. The candidates agreed on opposing a sales tax and favoring a pause on new data centers.

Polling shows the race is extremely tight, with Drazan holding a narrow, statistically insignificant lead over Kotek among likely voters.

Oregon's gubernatorial race took center stage over Labor Day, as incumbent Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek and Republican challenger Christine Drazan both courted worker support ahead of the November election. Kotek attended the Northwest Oregon Labor Council's annual Labor Day picnic at Oaks Amusement Park in Portland, telling thousands of union members she would back them at the bargaining table. Attendees included members of AFSCME, SEIU, Teamsters and UFCW, along with other Democratic officials such as Secretary of State Tobias Read.

Drazan, who did not attend a Labor Day event, posted a pro-worker video pledging to bring jobs and investment back to Oregon and reverse business relocations out of the state. The contest comes as Oregon faces a rising cost of living and unemployment ticking above the national rate. Oregon has a strong union tradition, with unionization rates well above the national average, and labor groups have historically leaned Democratic, though both parties are working to win worker votes this cycle.

Oregon's 2026 governor's race between Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek and Republican state Sen. Christine Drazan remains a toss-up, polling similarly tight to their 2022 contest, when Kotek won narrowly. A Drazan victory would be historic: Oregon hasn't elected a Republican governor in 44 years. Kotek has leaned heavily on tying Drazan to President Trump's unpopularity in the state, while Drazan has distanced herself from Trump and shifted toward working-class, bio-focused messaging after a divided GOP primary win.

Interviews with voters in Sherwood, a Portland suburb that nearly perfectly mirrors Oregon's statewide party registration and split three votes between the candidates in 2022, show ambivalence rather than enthusiasm on either side. Many voters say they are motivated more by fear of the alternative than support for their chosen candidate — concerns about housing costs, jobs, taxes, and Trump-era politics are driving decisions. Analysts say this anxiety-driven dynamic could determine turnout and ultimately decide the outcome of a race both candidates have framed as existential for Oregon's future.

Candidates for Oregon governor are set for a series of fall debates, but for the first time in decades, none will take place in Portland. Incumbent Democratic Governor Tina Kotek and Republican Senator Christine Drazan have both said they are willing to debate in Portland, but they could not agree on a venue or host TV station. Kotek accepted an invitation from KOIN, while Drazan declined; Drazan accepted offers from two competing stations, which Kotek turned down.

Both candidates have agreed to debate in Eugene, Bend, and Medford next month, and will appear together Thursday at an Oregon Business and Industry forum hosted by the Portland Business Journal. Some of the out-of-market debates will be broadcast or streamed to Portland audiences, though questions are expected to focus on those local communities rather than the Portland metro area, home to the largest share of Oregon voters. The race is considered close, with recent polling showing Drazan holding a narrow edge over Kotek.

Sen. Jeff Merkley held one of three Oregon town halls Thursday, this one in Portland, where he warned of "the entrenchment of an authoritarian state" and urged constituents to organize and vote. Attendees ranked free speech, Supreme Court ethics, and presidential profiteering from office as top concerns, with several framing them as part of a broader erosion of democratic institutions and checks and balances. Many also criticized Democrats and federal prosecutors under President Biden for failing to hold Trump accountable.

Concerns about the 2026 elections featured prominently, including fears that Trump's mail-in voting executive order could disrupt Oregon's vote-by-mail system. Merkley and Rep. Maxine Dexter said states retain authority over elections and that Oregon has contingency plans to ensure ballots are counted.

Merkley outlined proposed reforms, including stronger anti-corruption penalties, banning officials from stock trading, and regulating prediction markets to prevent officials from profiting off inside knowledge of political outcomes. He also called for Supreme Court ethics rules, term limits, and greater disclosure of political spending.

Two Oregon lawmakers, Rep. Pam Marsh and Sen. Khanh Pham, plan to introduce legislation next year to repeal a state records exemption that has hidden details of how hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars are spent on subsidized housing. The effort follows ProPublica reporting that revealed Oregon has awarded developers $1.4 billion since 2021, with the cost of building each low-income apartment nearly doubling to $540,000, and another $850 million in state funding lined up for future projects.

Both lawmakers said they were unaware documents were being shielded until reading the reporting. Housing Oregon, an industry lobbying group representing developers and lenders, has voiced strong support for repealing the secrecy provision while urging protections for genuinely sensitive information. Oregon's Sunshine Committee is also reviewing the exemption. The state housing agency, which sought the exemption in 1997 and has cited it to redact cost reports, says it will review any legislation but has not taken a position. Washington and California disclose similar spending without reported harm to housing efforts.