Lesley Muñoz Leads Tight Race for Oregon House Seat, Potentially Securing Democratic Supermajority
MARION COUNTY, Ore. — In a closely watched election, Democrat Lesley Muñoz is currently leading incumbent Republican Tracy Cramer by 123 votes in the race for Oregon’s House District 22, which includes Woodburn and parts of northern Marion County. As of Wednesday night, Muñoz’s lead marks an increase from Monday, where she was ahead by just over 100 votes. Final results will not be confirmed until December 2, when ballots are certified.
Voters whose ballots face challenges have until November 26 to address any issues. They can do so by either updating their voter registration with a new signature or returning a signed voter statement to authenticate their vote. Any such corrections must be submitted to the county election office either by mail or in person.
The threshold for an automatic recount stands at 41 votes, meaning Cramer could still trigger this process with a relatively small shift in the vote count.
Should Muñoz successfully secure the seat, Democrats will hold a significant 36-to-24 supermajority in the Oregon House, complementing their existing 18-to-12 supermajority in the state Senate. This consolidation of power may facilitate the passage of new taxes or increases on existing ones since a three-fifths majority is required for such measures.
However, it is important to note that a supermajority does not prevent minority party members from conducting legislative walkouts to deny a quorum, which requires two-thirds of lawmakers to be present for voting on legislation. Hence, even with a supermajority, legislative dynamics could still be challenged.
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