This story will be updated with the first election results at 8 p.m
Sen. Elizabeth Steiner faces former Lake Oswego City Councilman Jeff Gudman for the Democratic nomination for Oregon treasurer in Tuesday’s primary election.
The winner will advance to the November general election against Republican Brian Boquist, a senator from Dallas who cannot run for re-election to the Legislature because he had ten or more unexcused absences during the strikes of ten senators during the session of 2023.
Tobias Read, who has been treasurer since 2017, is no longer allowed to run for office due to term limits. He is running for the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Gudman previously ran as a Republican against Read in the 2020 and 2016 elections. He served as a Lake Oswego councilman from 2011 to 2018 and chaired the city’s budget committee.
He said he was committed to diversifying voices and experiences in the treasurer’s office by formalizing a transparent advisor process.
Gudman also said his platform included defending pension liabilities, taking “meaningful steps” on climate change through corporate governance, and creating a two-pronged plan around refocusing key revenues.
Steiner has been a lawmaker since 2011 and co-chairman of the Legislature’s Ways and Means Committee since 2018.
She said she would continue Read’s net-zero plan, advance the COAL Act introduced during the 2024 legislative session, and expand and grow existing programs, including implementing a baby bond program.
Steiner also said she would bring together savings programs from the state treasury office into one platform, such as a website or app, to increase their use and accessibility.
Dianne Lugo covers the Oregon Legislature and equity issues. Reach her at dlugo@statesmanjournal.com or on Twitter @DianneLugo
This article originally appeared in the Salem Statesman Journal: Gudman and Steiner vying for the Democratic nomination for Oregon Treasurer
