Shock Dem surge roils Oregon

Ten days after election day, a new ballot count puts Democrat Lesly Munoz one vote ahead of Republican Tracy Cramer in immigrant-rich Willamette Valley House district

Lesly Munoz, who holds a one-vote lead in Oregon House District 22, received voter canvassing support from leftwing self-styled Latinx group PCUN

At 6:49 pm last night, Marion County, Oregon’s clerk jostled the state’s political landscape with a new ballot count that showed Democrat Lesly Munoz suddenly leading Republican incumbent Tracy Cramer in a Willamette Valley house district by one vote after Cramer led all previous counts since election day more than a week ago. I first learned of the new count via reporting this morning by Oregon Public Broadcasting.

The Democratic surge in late-counted ballots dramatically places House District 22, which includes portions of east Salem, rural Marion County and Woodburn, at the center of the Oregon political scene. If Munoz holds onto her lead, Democrats will achieve a supermajority in the House of Representatives, allowing them to increase taxes without any Republican votes. Democrats won a supermajority in the state senate in earlier results following the November 5 election.

According to OPB, 809 ballots remain to be counted in HD 22, with additional ballots subject to review for signature and other irregularities.

The ongoing count in HD 22, the state’s only “minority majority” district that features large immigrant communities centered in Woodburn, highlights recent revelations that the State of Oregon since 2019 unlawfully registered as voters approximately 1,500 individuals who did not present proof of citizenship via the state’s automatic voter registration system. The state has identified ten of those individuals who actually voted, but says that about half of them were actually citizens by the time they voted.

The majority of voters in Oregon were registered outside the automatic voter registration system. Outside automatic voter registration, where proof of citizenship is theoretically required, an Oregon resident may attest, without any proof, the resident is a U.S. Citizen.

During her campaign, Munoz, a teachers union organizer, received $15,440.50 in in-kind contributions from PCUN, a leftwing advocacy group whose website says “we build a voice for Latinx immigrant families by ensuring Latinx voters turnout for BIPOC candidates[.]” PCUN’s political action committee additionally gave $30,000 to House Democrats’ campaign organization, which supported Munoz. PCUN’s website features a photo of people holding a banner reading “RESTORE OUR VOTING RIGHTS,” with the PCUN logo.

It is illegal under Oregon and federal law for noncitizens to register to vote and to cast votes. The state has not released the geographic location of voters unlawfully registered without proof of citizenship, or noncitizens who have cast ballots since 2019.

Oregon Roundup exclusively reported that Oregon’s Elections Director, the former deputy director for the state Democratic Party, said in a video released over the summer that she thought “it is really unfortunate if someone is prevented from getting a ballot for any reason whatsoever.”

In the wake of the disclosure the state had registered noncitizens to vote, top ranking Democrats, including Governor Tina Kotek, assured the public noncitizen voting would not impact Oregon’s 2024 elections.

Republican sources tell Oregon Roundup attorneys are, or will soon be, involved in the unfolding HD 22 drama.