The 2024 election season brought a series of notable outcomes across Oregon and the nation, shaping the political landscape on issues across the spectrum. With new faces in office and pivotal measures passed, the results are set to influence communities and policies nationwide.
Here’s an overview of the key takeaways.
Federal election updates
Republican Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election, defeating Democratic candidate Kamala Harris by securing crucial swing states, including Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin.
The Associated Press (AP) called the race for Trump at approximately 2:34 a.m. PST on Wednesday, Nov. 6, following his victory in Wisconsin, which pushed him past the 270 electoral threshold needed to win. Trump’s electoral count currently stands at 295, while Harris finishes with 226.
Harris delivered her concession speech at Howard University this afternoon and emphasized the importance of a peaceful transfer of power.
“A fundamental principle of American democracy is that when we lose an election, we accept the results,” Harris said. "That principle as much as any other distinguishes democracy from monarchy and tyranny, and anyone who seeks the public trust must honor it.”
Today, at 2:40 p.m., students gathered in the Brian Doyle Auditorium for an Election Decompression Session. The event was sponsored by Constructive Dialogues and hosted by Anne Santiago, the Dundon-Berchtold faculty fellow for constructive dialogue.
Several students, like second-year Kat Riashchentceva, shared feelings of disappointment and trepidation about Trump’s return to office.
“I'm nervous,” Riashchentceva said. “I’m really disappointed because I fear for women's health and women’s rights.”
Many students who attended the event attributed Harris’ loss to misogyny and racism.
According to senior Favour Maduaguwu, this is especially evident in the public's treatment of Harris throughout the presidential race, particularly in comparison to her opponent, Trump.
“We have seen that [disrespect] not only in the way that they say her name, they call her ‘Kamala,’ but they called the other one [Trump] by his last name,” Maduaguwu said. “And it’s just because she's a woman. And, as qualified as she is, they still don't think that she's qualified because she's a woman and because she's Black.”
However, some students, like senior Nanami Taono, believe that Harris’ loss falls squarely on the shoulders of President Biden, who dropped out of the race just 107 days before the election.
“I would say she should [have] just run it from the beginning,” Taono said. “That's also why she couldn't make it. But we didn't know that it was gonna be different, like Joe Biden is not gonna run or anything. Like we didn't know anything at all until that moment.”
As the outcome of the federal election unfolds, stay tuned for more Beacon coverage on student responses.
State election updates
The competition for U.S. House seats continues into the day.
Notably, the closely contested race for Oregon’s 5th Congressional District, which could impact control of the U.S. House, remains undecided. First-term Republican Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer and Democrat Janelle Bynum are still locked in a tight race, with the outcome too close to call on Tuesday.
Democrat Dan Rayfield currently leads Oregon’s race for Attorney General against his Republican opponent, Will Lathrop. According to the Washington Post, approximately 76.8 percent of the votes have been counted.
The Secretary of State race is also leaning Democrat, with Tobias Read leading over his Republican opponent, Dennis Linthicum, as approximately 76.8 percent of the votes have been counted.
Oregonians also voted on the highly contested Measure 117, which would introduce ranked-choice voting for both primaries and general elections for federal and state offices. With approximately 76.8 percent of votes counted, the “No” vote is currently projected to prevail.
Local government election updates
For the first time in Portland history, voters used rank-choice voting (RCV) to elect their auditor, mayor and city council members, joining over 40 U.S. cities that have used a method of RCV in local elections.
Keith Wilson, a University of Portland alum, is projected to win the Portland mayoral race with approximately 62.92 percent of the vote, while current Portland City Commissioner Carmen Rubio, follows with 37.08 percent.
However, according to The Oregonian, 53 percent of the total votes remain uncounted.
Additionally, voters decided on 12 city council seats, and officials estimate that 46 percent of votes are still being counted.
In District 1, leading candidates include Candace Avalos, Democrat Loretta Smith and Jamie Dumphy.
In District 2, home to the University of Portland, Dan Ryan, Elana Pirtle-Guiney and Sameer Kanal are currently ahead in the polls.
In District 3, Democrat Steve Novick has secured a seat, with Tiffany Koyama Lane, Angelita Morillo and Kezia Wanner likely to follow.
In District 4, Olivia Clark has taken one of the seats, with Mitch Green and Eric Zimmerman close behind.
For the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners, Meghan Moyer leads in District 1 with 57 percent of the votes, while Shannon Singleton in District 2 holds 53 percent, ahead of Vadim Mozyrsky and former mayor Sam Adams.
County results are scheduled to continue to roll in until 6 p.m. both tonight and tomorrow night, with potential updates on Nov. 13 and 27. Counting is scheduled to end on Dec. 2, at the latest.
Editors Note: A previous version of this article incorrectly spelled the Sameer Kanal's last name.
Julianna Pedone is the News and Managing Editor for The Beacon. She can be reached at pedone25@up.edu.
Netty Jurriaans is the Community Engagement Editor for The Beacon. She can be reached at jurriaan25@up.edu.
Tiffany Marquez Escobar contributed to this story. She can be reached at marqueze25@up.edu.
