The 2012 Oregon Commissioner of Labor and Industries election was held on November 6, 2012, in order to elect the Oregon Commissioner of Labor and Industries. The election was held on a nonpartisan basis.
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 Results by county: Avakian: 45–50% 50–55% 55–60% 65–70% Starr: 50–55% 55–60% 60–65% 65–70% 70–75% | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Commissioner Brad Avakian was re-elected, defeating State Senator Bruce Starr.
Candidates
edit- Brad Avakian, incumbent Labor Commissioner
- Bruce Starr, state senator
While the position of Labor Commissioner is nonpartisan, Avakian is a Democrat and Starr is a Republican.
Polling
edit| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Brad Avakian (D) |
Bruce Starr (R) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Oregonian[1] | October 25–28, 2012 | 405 | ± 5% | 26% | 20% | 53% |
| DHM Research[2] | October 18–20, 2012 | 500 | ± 2.6%–4.4% | 22% | 19% | 60% |
| Public Policy Polling[3] | June 21–24, 2012 | 686 | ± 3.7% | 21% | 23% | 56% |
Campaign
editStarr announced he would challenge incumbent Avakian in December 2011.[4] Avakian officially announced his re-election campaign in February 2012.[5]
While the Labor Commissioner is normally elected during the statewide primary election in May, with a runoff between the two highest-placing candidates in November if no candidate receives 50% of the vote, no primary election was held with Avakian and Starr instead facing off in the November general election. According to Secretary of State Kate Brown, "an obscure state law that applies only in 2012 require[d] that the labor commissioner be chosen in November." Starr challenged the change in date in court, which was subsequently rejected.[6]
Results
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Brad Avakian | 681,987 | 52.53% | |
| Nonpartisan | Bruce Starr | 606,735 | 46.73% | |
| write-ins | 9,616 | 0.74% | ||
| Total votes | 1,298,338 | 100.00% | ||
Results by congressional districts
editDespite losing the state, Starr won 3 of 5 congressional districts, including two that elected Democrats.[8]
| District | Avakian | Starr | Representative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 54% | 46% | Suzanne Bonamici |
| 2nd | 42% | 58% | Greg Walden |
| 3rd | 67% | 33% | Earl Blumenauer |
| 4th | 49% | 51% | Peter DeFazio |
| 5th | 49% | 51% | Kurt Schrader |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ The Oregonian
- ^ DHM Research
- ^ Public Policy Polling
- ^ Jaquiss, Nigel (December 14, 2011). "Avakian Responds to Starr's Challenge for Labor Post: Updated". Willamette Week. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
- ^ "Avakian to seek re-election as labor commissioner". The Columbian. February 1, 2012. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
- ^ "Ore. judge rejects challenge of election date". The Columbian. March 20, 2012. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
- ^ "2012 General Election Official Results". Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
- ^ "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts". Daily Kos. Retrieved 11 August 2020.