With only two weeks to go before the 2018 midterm elections, ballots are filling mailboxes across the state.

The two major-party candidates are incumbent Gov. Kate Brown, a Democrat, and Rep. Knute Buehler. Brown is slightly ahead of her opponent in polls, but the two candidates have similar views on many social issues. Also running are Patrick Starnes, an Independent; Aaron Auer, with the Constitution party; Nick Chen, a Libertarian and Chris Henry, a Progressive.  

Brown took office in 2015 after the resignation of former Gov. John Kitzhaber amid a criminal investigation. Prior to becoming the state’s 37th governor, she was the secretary of state from 2009 to 2015 and has served in the state legislature for 17 years. Brown was Oregon’s first female Senate Majority Leader in 2004 and is the first openly bisexual person to be elected governor in the U.S.

Buehler is a state representative in Bend and an orthopedic surgeon. In 2012, he ran against Brown for the Secretary of State office. According to his website, Buehler is “a fiscally responsible, pro-choice moderate with an independent streak.” If elected, Buehler would be the first Republican governor of Oregon since 1987.

Below are the two major-party candidates’ views on some of the top issues this election.

Health care

Brown and Buehler are both pro-choice and have championed legislature on reproductive rights in Oregon. Brown supported the 2017 Reproductive Health Equity Act, which made affordable reproductive health care more accessible for Oregonians, including women who have immigrated illegally.

Buehler voted to allow pharmacists to prescribe over-the-counter birth control; however, he voted “no” on a bill that would have expanded Medicaid to cover abortions and other women’s health care. According to his website, he aims to reduce unintended pregnancy by 25 percent in five years by providing comprehensive women’s health care.

Additionally, both candidates recognized opioid addiction and mental health as major issues in which to invest. Both have said they want to ensure that Oregonians, especially children, have access to quality health care at an affordable cost.

Education

Both Buehler and Brown have set goals to improve high school graduation rates in the state, which are among the lowest in the country. Buehler was first to propose extending the school year from 170 to 180 days, and Brown was soon to follow with the same proposal. They are also both planning to fund anti-dropout and career and technical education programs.

Buehler is proposing a 15 percent increase in state funding for public schools for the 2019–2021 and 2021–2023 school year budgets, whereas Brown hasn’t set deadlines or mandates for funding.

Homelessness

Brown has said she wants to prioritize ending homelessness for children and veterans, invest in permanent housing and increase the state’s investment in affordable housing to create 25,000 affordable homes by 2023.

Buehler’s goal is to end unsheltered homelessness by 2023 by minimizing unsafe shelters and providing up to 4,000 emergency shelter beds. Buehler also said he would turn the recently sold Wapato Jail into a homeless shelter.

Environmental policy

Both candidates disagree with President Donald Trump’s plan to pull out of the Paris Climate Agreement. Brown has been a long-time supporter of clean energy and renewable resources. She has signed into law a number of programs to ensure clean air and water and promote the use of renewable energy sources.

Buehler also supported a 2016 bill to push Oregon away from the use of coal as an energy source; however, he has accepted donations, over $880,000, from organizations that oppose strict environmental regulations, according to the Oregonian. His campaign website doesn’t list environmental policy as one of his top priorities, which are health care, homelessness, education and bridging Oregon’s rural/urban divide.

Gun Control

Brown lists public safety as one of her priorities and has called for sensible gun laws, including legislation that would “keep guns out of the hands of people who pose a threat to themselves or others,” according to her website.

Buehler’s website doesn’t specify his position on gun control, but he has said he is against initiatives that would limit the sale of assault weapons and expanding background checks, according to the Oregonian. He did say he would support common sense gun laws such as restricting anyone under 21 from buying assault weapons and having a three-day wait period for buying handguns.

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