Private sector

Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek has won reelection in Oregon, surviving a closer-than-expected rematch against Republican Christine Drazan, whom she also narrowly defeated in 2022. With most votes counted, Kotek led roughly 51% to 45%. Oregon has not elected a Republican governor since 1982. Kotek entered the race as one of the nation's less popular governors amid voter frustration over homelessness and affordability, campaigning on child care, housing affordability and opposition to Trump-era tariffs and SNAP restrictions. Drazan blamed Democrats for the state's economic struggles and pledged tax cuts and deregulation. The campaign's final weeks were also shaped by a deadly school shooting in Bend.

Analysts attribute Kotek's win largely to a national backlash against the Trump administration, which overshadowed local dissatisfaction with Oregon's direction. Drazan, who did not formally concede, released a statement emphasizing economic struggles facing Oregonians and signaling she may run again. The loss renewed debate among Oregon Republicans about broadening their coalition beyond the party's conservative base, with some pointing to the state's closed primary system and the influence of anti-abortion groups as structural barriers to winning statewide office.

Thousands of union workers and supporters marched in Wilmington's Labor Day parade, blending celebration with anxiety over automation, trade policy and housing costs. Longshoremen from ILWU Local 13 described losing more than 2,000 jobs to automation over roughly 15 years and fear that foreign-owned terminal operators could accelerate workforce reductions. Some workers criticized President Trump's tariffs for raising domestic prices, while at least one longshoreman praised the current economy over the Biden era. Younger union members, including ship scalers who handle hazardous cleanup work, voiced separate concerns about workplace safety.

The event doubled as a campaign stop ahead of midterm and local elections. California gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass and challenger Nithya Raman all addressed the crowd, with Bass and most labor leaders aligned, though the Western States Regional Council of Carpenters backed Raman over housing affordability concerns. Nationally, union membership grew in 2025, pushing overall density to 10%, though private-sector unionization held flat at 5.9%, with gains concentrated in government jobs. Workers also raised concerns about housing costs and self-checkout staffing burdens.

A New York Post opinion piece by the Manhattan Institute's Christopher Rufo and City Journal's Kenneth Schrupp highlights the financial and political scale of California's public-sector unions. The report finds the state's 10 largest public-sector unions collectively collected more than $1 billion in dues and fees in the year ending 2024, with combined membership exceeding 1 million workers — a bloc representing at least 29% of California's 2024 Democratic primary voters.

The piece ties union influence to lobbying wins, including the California Teachers Association's push for a $10 billion school construction bond, and to Proposition 40, a SEIU-backed measure that would impose a 5% tax on billionaire assets, with proceeds directed largely to Medi-Cal and health programs. The authors argue this activity compounds fiscal pressure as California faces a projected $14 billion structural deficit for 2026-27 and more than $265 billion in unfunded pension liabilities, raising the stakes for upcoming tax and budget ballot measures.