Biden, Trump win Oregon’s presidential primaries; Balmer wins re-election to state Supreme Court

Because Oregon exclusively uses a vote-by-mail system, there were no election changes in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Here are the results of this week’s battleground elections:

• Joe Biden won the state’s Democratic presidential primary with 67% of the vote. President Donald Trump won Oregon’s Republican primary with 94% of the vote.
• Thomas Balmer defeated Van Pounds to win re-election to the state Supreme Court.
• Jo Rae Perkins won the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, defeating three other candidates.
• State Senator Cliff Bentz defeated 10 other candidates to win the Republican nomination to Oregon’s 2nd Congressional District in the eastern part of the state.

Puerto Rico to vote on statehood referendum at November general election

Puerto Rico will vote this November on whether to request that it be admitted as a state. The ballot measure will ask, "Should Puerto Rico be immediately admitted into the Union as a state?” If it were approved, Congress would ultimately decide if and how to respond.

Voters in Colorado, Maine, New Mexico, and New York to decide a combined $5.16 billion in bond issues in 2020

Seven bond issues (totaling $5.16 billion combined) are on the ballot for voters in Maine on July 14, and Colorado, New Mexico, and New York on November 3. All were placed on the ballot by legislative referral, meaning they will appear due to a vote by the state legislature.

Georgia Supreme Court rules secretary of state cannot be compelled to hold an election

On May 14, the Georgia Supreme Court ruled that Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) could not be compelled to hold the election. An election for Georgia Supreme Court Justice Keith Blackwell’s seat had been scheduled for June 9, but it was canceled after Blackwell announced on Feb. 28 he was retiring effective Nov. 18, 2020. At that time, the state supreme court announced that Gov. Brian Kemp (R) would appoint Blackwell's replacement. Former Rep. John Barrow (D) and former state Rep. Beth Beskin (R), who had both planned on running for Blackwell's seat, filed separate lawsuits asking the Fulton County Superior Court to order Raffensperger to put the election back on the calendar.

On May 14, the court ruled 6-2 that the governor may appoint a successor and that the secretary of state could not be compelled to hold an election.

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