2018 Oregon gubernatorial election
The 2018 Oregon gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 2018, to elect the governor of Oregon to serve a full four-year term. In the 2016 special election, Democratic governor Kate Brown had been elected to serve the last two years of John Kitzhaber's term.
The Republican Party nominated Knute Buehler, her opponent in the 2012 Oregon Secretary of State election; the Independent Party of Oregon nominated Patrick Starnes. Brown, running for a full term, won the election; because of term limits, she became ineligible to seek the governorship again.
Democratic primary
Candidates
Declared
- Kate Brown, incumbent governor
- Ed Jones
- Candace Neville
Republican primary
Candidates
Declared
- Keenan Bohach
- Knute Buehler, orthopedic surgeon, state representative and nominee for secretary of state in 2012
- Sam Carpenter, businessman and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2014 and 2016
- Jonathan Edwards III
- Brett Hyland
- Jeff Smith, small business owner
- David Stauffer
- Jack Tracy
- Greg Wooldridge, former Blue Angels commanding officer
Withdrew
- Bruce Cuff, real estate broker and candidate for governor in 2014 and 2016
Declined
- Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Mayor of Happy Valley and nominee for the state house in 2016
- Cedric Ross Hayden, state representative
- Mike McLane, House Minority Leader
- Bud Pierce, physician and nominee for governor in 2016
- Bill Post, state representative
- Dennis Richardson, Oregon Secretary of State, former state representative and nominee for governor in 2014
Independent Party primary
Candidates
Declared
- Skye Allen
- Dan Pistoresi
- Patrick Starnes
General election
Debates
- , October 2, 2018
- , featuring Nick Chen, Patrick Starnes, and Chris Henry, hosted by former Green Party candidate Alex DiBlasi, October 6, 2018
- , October 9, 2018
Polling
Aggregate polls| Source of poll aggregation | Dates administered | Dates updated | Kate Brown | Knute Buehler | Other/Undecided | Margin |
| Real Clear Politics | October 4–30, 2018 | October 30, 2018 | 44.0% | 39.7% | 16.3% | Brown +4.3% |
with Sam Carpenter
| Poll source | Date administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Kate Brown | Sam Carpenter | Other | Undecided |
| Triton Polling & Research | March 19–25, 2018 | 2,067 | ± 2.2% | 41% | 46% | – | 13% |
| Zogby Analytics | November 10–12, 2017 | 508 | ± 4.4% | 38% | 36% | – | 26% |
with Greg Wooldridge
| Poll source | Date administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Kate Brown | Greg Wooldridge | Other | Undecided |
| Triton Polling & Research | March 19–25, 2018 | 2,067 | ± 2.2% | 42% | 47% | – | 11% |
| iCitizen | September 13–28, 2017 | 645 | ± 3.9% | 42% | 39% | 11% | 7% |
with Lori Chavez-DeRemer
| Poll source | Date administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Kate Brown | Lori Chavez-DeRemer | Other | Undecided |
| iCitizen | September 13–28, 2017 | 645 | ± 3.9% | 40% | 34% | 17% | 8% |
Results
By congressional district
Brown carried two out of the state's five congressional districts, losing two swing districts that simultaneously voted for Democrats in the US House, with held by veteran congressman Peter DeFazio and held by former veterinarian Kurt Schrader.| District | Kate Brown | Knute Buehler | Elected Representative |
| 54% | 41% | Suzanne Bonamici | |
| 35% | 57% | Greg Walden | |
| 69% | 26% | Earl Blumenauer | |
| 45% | 47% | Peter DeFazio | |
| 46% | 48% | Kurt Schrader |