Oregon governor race virtual dead heat: poll

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) is in a dead heat with her Republican challenger, Rep. Knute Buehler, ahead of next month’s midterm elections, according to a new poll.

{mosads}The poll, conducted by Riley Research Associates, found that, among likely voters, 49 percent of respondents said they would vote to reelect Brown, compared to 45 percent who said the same for Buehler. Brown’s lead falls within the poll’s margin of error of 5.2 percentage points.

The results of the poll align with other recent polls, which have shown Brown with a slight edge in the race to maintain the governorship. 

“The governor’s race seems to be about as expected,” Mike Riley, president and research director of Riley Research Associates, told The Oregonian.

The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan election handicapper, has listed the race as “lean Democrat.”

Brown has strong support among women, with 58 percent of women surveyed saying they backed Brown over Buehler.

The state has not had a Republican governor since Vic Atiyeh, who served two terms in the 1980s.

The poll results were based on an online survey of 356 registered voters in Oregon who said they were “very likely” or “certain” to vote in November’s midterm elections. The poll was conducted from Sept. 24 to Oct. 7.