Oregon State Senate Control: 2026 Election Outlook

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.

U.S. Rep. Shontel Brown (D-Ohio) has introduced the Smaller Class Sizes for Students and Educators Act, co-sponsored by Rep. Lucy McBath (D-Ga.) and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.). The bill would create a $2 billion competitive grant program helping school districts cap kindergarten through third-grade class sizes at 18 students in low-income public elementary schools. Funds could go toward hiring teachers, expanding facilities, or professional development. Brown cites research linking smaller classes to better student outcomes amid ongoing teacher shortages and budget constraints. The bill has additional Senate Democratic cosponsors and backing from major education organizations, including the American Federation of Teachers and National Education Association.

Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read, joined by Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, held a press conference opposing the Trump administration's efforts to restrict mail-in voting ahead of the 2026 elections. Oregon has conducted elections by mail for decades and views the federal push as a direct threat to its voting system.

The dispute stems from a March executive order directing the Department of Homeland Security to compile lists of eligible voters in every state and instructing the U.S. Postal Service to deliver ballots only to those on the lists, citing voter fraud concerns. USPS subsequently required states to register mail voters and compile state-specific lists. Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield joined a coalition of states in challenging the rule, and a federal judge recently granted a motion temporarily blocking it from taking effect while litigation continues. The Trump administration is seeking to appeal to the Supreme Court, but time is limited before ballots must be sent to voters ahead of Election Day.

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.

A bipartisan bill aimed at preventing presidents from demolishing presidential memorials, including the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, was blocked in the Senate on Monday after Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, objected to a unanimous consent request, offering no public explanation. The bill, introduced by Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and co-sponsored by Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Jack Reed, Sheldon Whitehouse and Chris Van Hollen, would have required congressional approval before demolishing any presidential memorial designated by Congress. On the floor, Merkley accused Trump of wanting the building destroyed if he could not rename it after himself, framing the bill as a defense of the rule of law and separation of powers.

The effort follows weeks of turmoil at the Kennedy Center after a judge ruled twice that Trump could not attach his name to the building, prompting a brief closure and renewed demolition threats from Trump, who cited disrepair. A leaked photo showed Trump holding a sign reading "Kennedy Center DEMOLISH." A judge has since ordered any changes to the center be disclosed to the court 30 days in advance. Trump has floated replacing the venue with an outdoor amphitheater, while Rep. Joyce Beatty's lawsuit against renaming or destroying the center continues.

Automatic license plate readers (ALPRs), widely deployed by companies like Flock Safety, are facing growing federal scrutiny even as local law enforcement officials continue to back the technology. U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders and Jeff Merkley, along with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, recently introduced legislation that would ban federal agencies from using ALPRs, halt federal grant funding tied to ALPR contracts, and let Americans sue the federal government over their use. A separate bill, Rep. Thomas Massie's Flock-Off Act, would block municipalities from purchasing, installing, or upgrading ALPR and biometric surveillance systems.

In Tennessee, Dickson County Sheriff Tim Eads defended the tool as a "force multiplier" for catching wanted individuals, stolen vehicles, and Amber Alert subjects, citing safeguards like required case numbers for data access. Mt. Juliet's police chief similarly pointed to regular audits. Still, some communities, including Coopertown, have dropped Flock contracts amid privacy concerns, highlighting a widening divide over surveillance technology's role in policing.

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.

ICE officers conducting targeted enforcement operations in Salem, Oregon, were confronted by a crowd near a parking lot on Lancaster Drive over the weekend. Bystander video showed demonstrators surrounding agency vehicles, with one person striking an SUV's side mirror with a baseball bat and others shouting at officers to leave. Agents reportedly deployed crowd control munitions, including tear gas and pepper balls, after the confrontation escalated. One video appeared to show an ICE vehicle pushing past a car blocking its path.

Reports identified some participants as affiliated with Antifa, which the Trump administration designated a domestic terrorist organization earlier in 2025. Federal sources said local and state law enforcement did not intervene to help disperse the crowd. The incident follows a reported increase in ICE operations in Oregon, a sanctuary state, and similar confrontations with activists in the Salem and Portland areas in recent days. The episode underscores escalating tensions around immigration enforcement amid the administration's broader push to deport undocumented immigrants with criminal records.

Retired Lt. Col. David Gauntlett received the Bronze Star Medal with Valor during an Oregon National Guard ceremony in Salem on Oct. 19, 57 years after his actions in Vietnam. From May 12 to 14, 1969, then-Sgt. Gauntlett, a 20-year-old Air Force radio operator, stayed at his radio through three days of mortar attacks at Song Be in Phuoc Long Province, continuing to coordinate airstrikes despite a shrapnel wound. His 1969 award recommendation was lost until a fellow veteran rediscovered the original citation around 2000, launching a five-year effort involving Rep. Val Hoyle's office to validate the recommendation. Hoyle is pushing a National Defense Authorization Act amendment to prevent similar delays for other veterans.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents used tear gas and other chemical munitions against a group of about 30 protesters in Northeast Salem, Oregon, on Saturday morning after the crowd surrounded federal vehicles and blocked agents from leaving the area, according to the Salem Police Department. Officers were dispatched to the scene near Lancaster Drive and Sunnyview Road around 9:30 a.m.; by the time they arrived, ICE agents had deployed chemical munitions, freed their vehicles, and left. Salem police and fire personnel treated people at the scene for tear gas exposure and are investigating the incident, with findings to be forwarded to the Oregon Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas, a Democrat, condemned the agents' actions, alleging they used pepper spray, pepper balls, and smoke canisters against elderly bystanders and children, harassed U.S. citizens, and drove recklessly, briefly shutting down a nearby highway. The incident follows a recent surge in federal immigration enforcement activity across Oregon. DHS did not immediately respond to requests for comment.