Schaleger, Forest neck-and-neck in HD 31 Dem primary

Two Democrats competed for the House District 31 nomination in Tuesday's primary, with Rebecca Schaleger holding a razor-thin lead over Tom L. Forest in initial results released at 8 p.m. Initial results showed Schaleger at 49.36% (2,058 votes) and Forest at 49.00% (2,043 votes) — a 15-vote margin, with more ballots still to be counted. On the Republican side, State Rep. Darcey Edwards, the Buxton-area incumbent first elected in November 2024, ran unopposed and is the Republican nominee. Edwards drew 98.4% of the vote (3,813 votes) in the Republican primary; 62 voters wrote in another name. The Democratic primary winner will face Edwards in the November general election. House District 31 covers the far northwest corner of Oregon, including Banks, Gales Creek, and Vernonia; representatives serve two-year terms. The latest Washington County results, including the schedule for additional ballot drops, are posted on the Washington County Elections Division current results page. Statewide results are at results.oregonvotes.gov.