Hoyle, Skarlatos advance to congressional primary

May 23—There were no surprises during Tuesday's primary in the race to replace Congressman Peter DeFazio.

While only one Republican was in the race, current Oregon Labor Commissioner Val Hoyle easily won an eight-person race on the Democrat side.

After being endorsed by DeFazio and Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, Hoyle received 40,921 votes, or 65.04%, to win the Democratic nomination.

Hoyle moved on to face Republican Alek Skarlatos, who received 36,462 votes in the GOP primary, in the general election.

Other than Hoyle, Doyle Canning was the only other candidate to receive more than 10% of the vote after receiving 9.174 votes, or 14.58%.

In Coos County, voters mirrored the district-wide results. Coos County voters picked Hoyle, with 62.33% voting for the labor commissioner. Canning was the second choice, with 15.47% voting for him.

DCCC Chair Sean Patrick Maloney praised Hoyle after the victory.

"Congratulations to Val Hoyle on her victory in Oregon's Fourth Congressional District tonight," Maloney said. "As Oregon's Labor Commissioner, Val has been a champion for hardworking Oregonians — fighting to ensure workers are paid the wages and benefits they are owed. I have no doubt that she will continue to build on that work in Congress, and we look forward to partnering with Val this cycle to keep this seat blue."

Skarlatos said he was ready for the challenge of the general election.

"As a political outsider, I am thankful to be selected as the Republican nominee for Oregon's 4th Congressional District. It's clear Washington is broken, Joe Biden's liberal policies are not working, and we need solutions to reduce inflation, lower gas prices, and lower the cost of healthcare while improving access for rural Oregon," said Skarlatos. "Oregon's 4th Congressional District is the poorest district in the state. It's clear the status quo is not working, and now more than ever, we need fresh ideas and new solutions that will help middle-class families in our state."

In the race for U.S. Senate, Wyden received almost 90% of the vote in the Democrat primary to earn the Democratic endorsement.

On the GOP side, Jo Rae Perkins leads a seven-person field with 32.11% of the votes. Darin Hardback is second with 29.84%