The 2016 Oregon gubernatorial special election took place on November 8, 2016, to elect the Governor of Oregon, concurrently with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as elections for the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, other gubernatorial elections and various state and local elections.
The election determined who would fill the remaining two years of the term of Democratic governor John Kitzhaber, who was re-elected in 2014 and resigned in February 2015. Incumbent Democratic governor Kate Brown, who as Oregon Secretary of State succeeded to the governorship, ran for election to the office. In primary elections held on May 17, Brown easily captured the Democratic nomination, and the Republicans picked Salem oncologist Bud Pierce.
Brown won the election and became the first openly LGBT person elected to a term as governor in U.S. history. This election was the first time since 1990 that a woman was elected Governor of Oregon. As of , it was also the most recent gubernatorial special election in the U.S., excluding recall elections.
The Independent Party of Oregon officially qualified as a major party on August 17, 2015.
Aggregate polls<br />
â Indicates an internal poll conducted on behalf of Bud Pierce.
with Allen Alley<br />
with Shane Bemis<br />
with Dennis Richardson<br />
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
Brown won three of five congressional districts. Pierce won the other two, including one that elected a Democrat.
Nominees
Primary candidates