PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden has won a third full term in office, easily fending off a challenge from a Republican political newcomer who self-financed most of his own campaign.
While Democrats nationwide struggled to hold onto their Senate majority, the Oregon seat was widely considered safe. Republican Jim Huffman ran a campaign that was largely financed by personal loans and that questioned climate-change data.
Before his campaign, the law professor defended bonuses for Wall Street executives. Wyden’s campaign used the comments against him in a state struggling through economic problems.
Wyden, who won a special election in 1996 and three more terms since, has taken a leading role in several high-profile national issues, including health care reform and the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. He returns to Washington with seats on the influential Finance and Budget committees.
