PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Republicans picked up seats in the Oregon House and Senate and were within striking distance of tying both chambers.
The GOP swept nearly all of the Legislature’s 16 competitive races in Tuesday’s election, holding their own vulnerable seats and picking up Democratic seats in Bend, Medford and the Portland suburbs.
Republicans need to pick up one more seat in each chamber to tie them and are leading in close contests that will decide the balance of power in the statehouse.
Since 2008, Democrats have controlled three-fifths of the seats in both chambers, a supermajority that let them raise taxes without a single Republican vote. They had been widely expected to lose ground but retain the majorities they’ve held since 2006.
