2016 Oregon gubernatorial special election

2016 Oregon gubernatorial special election

← 2014 November 8, 2016 2018 →
 
Nominee Kate Brown Bud Pierce
Party Democratic Republican
Alliance Working Families
Popular vote 985,027 845,609
Percentage 50.6% 43.5%

Brown:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90%
Pierce:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90%
Tie:      40–50%      No data

Governor before election

Kate Brown
Democratic

Elected Governor

Kate Brown
Democratic

The 2016 Oregon gubernatorial special election took place on November 8, 2016, to elect the Governor of Oregon, concurrently with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as elections for the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, other gubernatorial elections and various state and local elections.

The election determined who would fill the remaining two years of the term of Democratic governor John Kitzhaber, who was re-elected in 2014 and resigned in February 2015. Incumbent Democratic governor Kate Brown, who as Oregon Secretary of State succeeded to the governorship, ran for election to the office. In primary elections held on May 17, Brown easily captured the Democratic nomination, and the Republicans picked Salem oncologist Bud Pierce.

Brown won the election and became the first openly LGBT person elected to a term as governor in U.S. history. This election was the first time since 1990 that a woman was elected Governor of Oregon. As of 2024, it was also the last gubernatorial special election in the U.S., excluding recall elections.