Editor’s Note: Hello, and welcome to the Mercury’s now-famous election night LIVE coverage, in which the Mercury Election Strike Force is dispatched to candidate parties throughout the city, and will dutifully report back with the latest results, campaign reactions, and of course, highly discerning reviews of any onsite SNACKS. Tonight’s reporting comes courtesy of the Mercury’s own Courtney Vaughn, Taylor Griggs, Jeremiah Hayden, Katherine Chew Hamilton, Suzette Smith, and Wm. Steven Humphrey.
NOTE: The next round of results isn’t due until 6 pm Wednesday, so sit tight and don’t forget to get all the election news buzz and recaps in our Wednesday morning edition of Good Morning, News!
Now, scroll down to the bottom to read our earliest dispatches, and settle in for a front-row seat to witness DEMOCRACY IN ACTION! (And, as mentioned earlier, snacks.)
UPDATE 12:05 AM WEDNESDAY
In the City Council District 4 race, the three incumbents appear to be hanging on to their seats. Councilor Olivia Clark, Mitch Green, and Eric Zimmerman remain in the lead, trailed by Eli Arnold. Jeremy Beausoleil Smith and Jamey Evenstar follow in a distant fifth and sixth place.
In the City Council District 3 race, the incumbents are also ahead, with Steve Novick, Tiffany Koyama Lane, and Angelita Morillo in the lead. Kellie Torres is currently in a distant fourth place.
Portland Measure 26-267 Community Budgeting for All has failed, with 66% of voters counted so far saying “no.”
In the race for the Multnomah County Chair, Shannon Singleton is maintaining a sizable lead, trailed by Julia Brim-Edwards.
In the Multnomah County Commissioner District 2 contest, Bri Williams is currently leading the race, followed by Serena Cruz.
UPDATE 10:55 PM
Governor Tina Kotek has declared herself the winner, because, math.
UPDATE 10:05 PM
Democrat incumbent Tina Kotek still holds the lead in the governor’s race, with an 8 percentage point lead over her Republican opponent, Christine Drazan. As of 10 pm, state results show nearly 45 percent voter turnout. Kotek is sitting at 52.5 percent, while Drazan sits at 45 percent.
UPDATE 9:45 PM
• After the 8 pm election results dropped, the top two candidates for Multnomah County commissioner representing District 2—Bri Williams and Serena Cruz—were separated by just 1,932 votes, with Williams in the lead. The midnight update may tell us more about whether those numbers will continue to trend towards Williams.—SUZETTE SMITH
• I just left Amalfi’s, where Williams showed me a photo of her mother in the back, pictured on a poster for Priced Out, a 2017 documentary about gentrification and displacement in Northeast Portland. Her mother passed away last year, and Williams says she wishes her mother were here to see this.
The crowd was buzzing with energy for both Singleton and Williams’ leads, though the results were still preliminary. The JBL speaker became the PA system for the night, as both candidates gave thank-you speeches.
“Every vote deserves to be counted, but regardless of what the final numbers say, I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together,” said Williams. “Tonight we celebrate the people.”
Williams passed the mic to Singleton. “I just want to tell you how incredibly proud I am of everything we accomplished,” Singleton said. “We knew there were people who didn’t think we could win this race at all, and you all just kept showing up. …And when the Local ASCME 88 withdrew its endorsement—”
“That’s my union!” Williams shouted.
Singleton wrapped her speech; dancing resumed. —KATHERINE CHEW HAMILTON
UPDATE 9:07 PM
From the New York Times: “Democrats Win Control of the Senate.”
“Democrats seized control of the Senate on Tuesday night, as voters delivered a thorough rebuke to President Trump in places long considered Republican strongholds. On a night shaping up as a romp, Democrats flipped Senate seats in Iowa, Kansas, Ohio, North Carolina, South Carolina and even Texas, according to The Associated Press, and were in a strong position to take control of the House.”
Meanwhile, in Oregon’s federal races, all seven incumbents are expected to keep their seats, including Senator Jeff Merkley, Rep. Janelle Bynum, and Rep. Val Hoyle. The Associated Press has already declared Democratic Reps. Suzanne Bonamici and Maxine Dexter as the winners in their respective races.—WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY
UPDATE 8:45 PM
• There was a long and excited line for the Democratic Party of Oregon election night event at the Hilton, even after doors had been open for a while. The line started in the lobby, wrapped up to the escalators, around the halls before check in. Small crowd at first, but the room is filling up. In the meantime, the craft table: Crudité and cheese boards with a deep orange marmalade and honey, along with crackers and bread to dip with. A relatively generic spread, as the speaker talks about a big tent party.
So far, the federal delegation has spoken: U.S. Reps Suzanne Bonamici, Maxine Dexter, Andrea Salinas. Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield, who has led on countless lawsuits against the Trump administration since 2025, spoke about the successes in holding Trump accountable.
Senator Jeff Merkley, whose family is flanking him at the podium, said tonight that in Democrat victories across the country, America rejected Trump’s disintegration of the republic.
“America delivered tonight,” Merkley said. “We have toppled Trump off his throne. Let’s get to work and build a better America going forward.”—JEREMIAH HAYDEN
• With the early results out, the vibes are good at the DSA party. With the caveat that things could shift around as more rounds of votes are tabulated, things are looking good for all incumbent City Council members, including the DSA councilors here at the party. Councilors are expected to speak soon. For now, partygoers report feeling good about what they see. Former Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty is here, and is happy with the results so far. She told the Mercury she’s glad it seems like the effort to spend big to oust progressive City Council members has failed. It’s a different political environment now compared to when she was in office four years ago, serving as the sole progressive on City Council for two years.—TAYLOR GRIGGS
• I’m at Shannon Singleton and Bri Williams’ party at Amalfi’s, and I have to say, this is the election party to be at – there’s a JBL speaker and people are letting out some dance moves, and there’s a bubble machine going on full blast. The food is also top-notch: salad, two kinds of pasta, pizzas galore, and two kinds of cake (including tiramisu!)—KATHERINE CHEW HAMILTON
UPDATE 8:05 PM
• And here are the initial results from the first 8 pm ballot drop:
In the City Council District 4 race, the three incumbents Olivia Clark (31%), Mitch Green (23%), and Eric Zimmerman (just over 20%) are in the lead, trailed by Eli Arnold, Jeremy Beausoleil Smith, and Jamie Evenstar.
In the City Council District 3 race, the incumbents are also ahead, with Steve Novick (29.7%), Angelita Morillo (23%), and Tiffany Koyama Lane (23%) in the lead. They are followed by Kellie Torres, Matthias Hallett, Joel Corcoran, and John Sweeney. All remaining candidates in the race have been defeated.
Portland measure 26-267 Community Budgeting for All has failed, with 67% of voters saying “no.”
In the race for the Multnomah County Chair, Shannon Singleton is leading with 55% of the vote, trailed by Julia Brim-Edwards at 45%.
In the Multnomah County Commissioner District 2 contest, Bri Williams is currently leading the race, securing 52% of the vote, followed by Serena Cruz at 48%.
In the Oregon Governor’s race, Democrat Tina Kotek is currently leading Republican Christine Drazan, by 52% to 45%, with 39% of the vote counted.
UPDATE 7:40 PM
• T-minus roughly 25 minutes before first round results are set to drop, and the party for DSA-endorsed candidates is poppin’, with a long line out the door at White Owl Social Club. District 3 Portland City Councilors/candidates Tiffany Koyama Lane and Angelita Morillo are here, as is Councilor Mitch Green, running again to represent District 4. In a quick chat with the Mercury, Green was upbeat. “I think I’m gonna win,” he said. “I want to win decisively… I want to show [electing DSA candidates] wasn’t a fluke.”—TAYLOR GRIGGS
• Serena Cruz’s election night party at Tamale Boy HQ in North Portland is packed and energized. A steady stream of hot orders exit the kitchen in syncopation with the rattle of a cocktail shaker.
Cruz is running for Multnomah County District 2, a seat she has held before—from 1999-2006—and many think that makes her the candidate favored to win tonight. Worthy detail: Winning that election made Cruz the first Latina elected to the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners.
There’s no incumbent in the District 2 race, as this seat is currently held by Shannon Singleton, and she is actually running for board chair. Currently Cruz is a professional consultant at the company she founded, Adelante Impact. Asked if she would want to continue consulting if she wins tonight, Cruz says that she doesn’t think the position would preclude her from doing so, but if she wins “being a county commissioner would be my full-time job.”—SUZETTE SMITH
UPDATE 7:15 PM
• Before we arrive at the 8 pm ballot drop, let’s do a quick check-in on the national election scene: It’s looking increasingly certain that James Talarico, the Democratic nominee for Senate in Texas, is heading toward a victory against dastardly Republican Ken Paxton, according to the New York Times. This is jaw-dropping news from a solidly red state. Meanwhile in Georgia, Democratic former Atlanta mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms, has become the first Black woman governor ever elected in AMERICA. (Oh, hell yeah!) And things are swinging in the Democrats favor in the national Senate races as well, where they have won critical seats in both Georgia and North Carolina. And this just in: Democrats capture House majority, dealing major blow to Trump. (WHAAAAAT??? YES!! 🥳)—WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY
• A wave of applause just erupted at Grand Central Bowl as CNN reported Annie Andrews is the projected winner of her Senate race in South Carolina. It’s party vibes over here. Two ladies are dancing near the bar, and… guess what? There are bingo cards!!—COURTNEY VAUGHN
• Well, it took me a while to find parking for the Democratic Party of Oregon party downtown, but the good news is, I saw plenty of people dashing over to Pioneer Square, ballots in hand. If it’s not late, it’s on time!
The crowd is still pretty light, given that the party doesn’t officially start until 7:30, but the mood is bubbly. “Trump, stick it up your ass!” I overhear as Hamilton is predicted to win Kansas.
There are two massive screens playing the news, and a burst of applause erupts as Rachel Maddow projects that the Democrats will take control of the House.
Also, the nosh report: there are two tables filled with crudités and fruit and cheese plates, and a grand total of eight bars. The blue cheese is very good.—KATHERINE CHEW HAMILTON
UPDATE 6:51 PM
I’m checking in from Grand Central Bowl, where North Star Civic Foundation is hosting an election night party. The turnout so far is legit. They even have a shuttle bus offering rides.
Update: There’s a special menu. Good luck to the vegans tonight.—COURTNEY VAUGHN
MEANWHILE, BACK AT MERCURY ELECTION HEADQUARTERS:
Here are the snacks we have on offer for our hungry (and thirsty!) reporters.—WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY
UPDATE 6:05 PM
Late this afternoon, a line wrapped around the Multnomah County Elections Office, with at least 50 people waiting to vote in person. Almost all of them needed a replacement or provisional ballot. Behind the scenes, machines worked at rapid speed to process ballots.
Elections staff will work through the night. By Tuesday afternoon, elections officials estimated roughly 200,000 ballots had already been processed. While winners won’t be clear right away, the county expects to have the vast majority of ballots counted by Thursday.—COURTNEY VAUGHN
UPDATE 6 PM:
Federal officials have come and gone from the local elections office, according to Tim Scott, Multnomah County Elections director. Scott told the Mercury that United States Department of Justice (DOJ) officials briefly visited the county elections office Tuesday afternoon, but left, and are not expected to return. DOJ officials toured the facility for roughly 20 minutes, walking around the building and viewing the areas where ballots pass through the building to be counted. Scott said he told them about how the county processes ballots, and spoke about the county’s plans. He said he asked if they’d like to stay and observe as ballots are counted, but the DOJ officials declined.
It isn’t out of the ordinary for various people to observe elections, here in Multnomah County or in other jurisdictions. While the presence of DOJ officials has ruffled the public’s feathers amid President Donald Trump’s election shenanigans, Scott maintained a sense of calm Tuesday, assuring voters that the election is on track.
“I don’t know if they’ve ever sent DOJ monitors to Multnomah County, but it’s very normal for us to have observers from political parties,” Scott said. “We’ve had congressional observers before; anyone is welcome to come and observe the election, because we believe in transparency.”—JEREMIAH HAYDEN