Astoria, OR – Oregon Democrats have secured a supermajority in both the state House and Senate, thanks to a narrow victory in the 22nd House District, which includes the rural community of Woodburn. The victory, confirmed late Tuesday, came after a prolonged ballot count in Marion County, where Democratic challenger Lesly Muñoz defeated incumbent Republican Rep. Tracy Cramer by just 161 votes out of more than 20,800 cast.
Muñoz, a labor organizer from Woodburn, overtook Cramer as the final ballots were tallied. Marion County, home to Oregon’s state capital, was slower to count votes due to a high number of write-ins, which required additional time for election workers to process. Despite trailing Cramer in the initial results posted on November 5, Muñoz’s lead grew as more ballots were counted, ultimately giving her a slim victory in one of Oregon’s most competitive House races.
The outcome is a significant win for Democrats, as it not only regains a seat they lost two years ago but also provides them with a crucial three-fifths majority in the state House. This majority enables House Democrats to pass new taxes or increase existing ones without Republican support, an important development ahead of the 2025 legislative session. Lawmakers are expected to work on a multi-billion-dollar transportation funding package, which will likely require significant funding sources.
Muñoz, whose campaign was heavily backed by the farmworkers’ union Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste, framed her victory as a win for farmworkers in Oregon. Nearly 48% of the district’s residents are Hispanic, making it the only majority-minority district in the Oregon House. Muñoz expressed her commitment to advocating for farmworkers, highlighting recent victories such as the extension of overtime protections to farmworkers.
“Farmworkers need a seat at the table in our state legislature,” Muñoz said in a statement. “Recently farmworkers won the same overtime protections all other Oregon workers enjoy, and now we have a voice in Salem to fight for equal rights in other areas.”
Democratic leaders in the House celebrated the win, with House Majority Leader Ben Bowman, D-Tigard, asserting that Oregonians had sent a clear message through their votes. He pledged that House Democrats would focus on issues such as affordability, government efficiency, and the protection of basic rights and freedoms in the upcoming legislative session.
“House Democrats will protect what makes Oregon special and show that this state is for everyone. We take this responsibility seriously,” Bowman said in a statement. “In the 2025 session, we will improve the lives of all Oregonians with a focus on affordability, making government work, and keeping Oregonians safe.”
The tight race in District 22 was closely watched, and Cramer, who has yet to concede, requested a recount. Under Oregon law, recounts are triggered automatically if the margin between the top two candidates is less than one-fifth of 1 percent of the total votes cast, which in this case would be around 42 votes. If the margin exceeds that threshold, candidates may still request a recount, but they would need to pay for it themselves.
Muñoz’s victory marks a decisive shift in the balance of power in Oregon’s legislature, and with Democrats holding a supermajority in both chambers, they are poised to advance their legislative agenda, including key priorities such as expanding worker protections and investing in infrastructure.
