1996 United States Senate special election in Oregon

Wyden:
Smith:
The 1996 United States Senate special election in Oregon was held on January 30, 1996, to fill the seat vacated by Republican Bob Packwood, who had resigned from the Senate due to sexual misconduct allegations. Governor at the time John Kitzhaber was not permitted by state law to appoint anyone to temporarily fill in for the rest of Packwood's term and called for a special election on January 30, 1996.

In the primaries held on December 5, 1995, Democratic U.S. Representative Ron Wyden and Republican Oregon State Senate President Gordon H. Smith were nominated. Wyden then defeated Smith in the general election. Smith won the regularly-scheduled election to Oregon’s other Senate seat later that year and served alongside Wyden until 2009. Wyden's victory made him the first Democratic senator from Oregon since 1969, when Wayne Morse left office after narrowly losing re-election to Packwood.

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Peter DeFazio, U.S. representative
• Michael Donnelly, businessman and president of Wild Oregon Water
• Anna Nevenic, nurse and perennial candidate
• J.J.T. Van Dooremolen
• Ron Wyden, U.S. representative

Results

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Republican primary

Candidates

• Sam Berry, attorney
• Brian Boquist, businessman and rancher
• Jeffrey Brady, dentist
• Valentine Christian, candidate for the U.S. Senate in 1992
• Robert J. Fenton
• Lex Loeb
• Norma Paulus, Oregon Superintendent of Public Instruction, former Oregon Secretary of State, and nominee for governor of Oregon in 1986
• Jack Roberts, commissioner of the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries
• Gordon H. Smith, president of the Oregon State Senate
• John Thomas, policeman
• Tony G. Zangaro

Results

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