Oregon Voters Reject Unpopular Gas Tax Increase

Oregon voters on Tuesday rejected a gas tax increase passed last year by Democratic lawmakers, a victory for Republicans who put the issue to voters just as the war with Iran is causing prices at the pump to soar, the AP reports. Democrats had raised the state gas tax by 6 cents a gallon and increased a series of fees to help pay for road improvements and plug a hole in the state's transportation budget. Republicans responded by launching a successful referendum campaign to refer the tax and fee increases to voters. Republican state Sen. Bruce Starr, who helped lead the referendum campaign, said he was "not surprised at all that Oregonians have rejected a completely unpopular tax increase."

Meanwhile, Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek and US Sen. Jeff Merkley easily won their primaries Tuesday, and state Sen. Christine Drazan won the GOP gubernatorial primary to face Kotek. But much of the Election Day drama centered less on candidate races and more on the referendum to repeal the bill passed last fall by the Democratic-controlled Legislature to raise the state gas tax and hike a series of fees. The failure of the gas tax was no surprise to Democrats, who acknowledged the timing of the vote was against them. The tax increase also ran counter to national Democrats' strategy of focusing on affordability concerns in the hopes of winning back control of Congress in this year's midterm elections.

Republicans had a crowded primary field of 14 candidates vying to run against Kotek, who is seeking reelection, in November. Drazan lost to Kotek in the 2022 general election and faces a difficult path to the governor's office. Democrats appear energized around the country this year, and Oregon hasn't elected a Republican governor in over 40 years. The Republican primary also included Chris Dudley, a former NBA player whose career included time with the Portland Trail Blazers and who narrowly lost a previous bid for governor in 2010, and David Medina, a conservative influencer who was among those charged after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol and pardoned by President Trump last year.