Kori Rodley was leading in the Democratic primary for Oregon House District 7, which represents Springfield, as the early returns came in Tuesday evening.
The candidates are competing to succeed John Lively, a longtime Democratic state lawmaker who’s retiring at the end of his current term.
Rodley, a Springfield City Councilor, had 60% of the vote as of 10:30 p.m. She outpaced progressive activist Ky Fireside, who had 27%, and attorney KC Huffman, who had 11%.
Rodley declined to declare victory in an interview with KLCC on Tuesday night, but she expressed excitement at the returns so far.
“I just feel this deep sense of gratitude that should the numbers hold, I get to continue to work and fight for my neighbors in Springfield,” she said.
The candidate, who identifies as a progressive, has said the Oregon legislature will have to deal with loss of federal funding and a tax base that’s already feeling overburdened. She said they’ll have to prioritize the people who have the most to lose.
Rodley’s campaign had raised more than $53,000 this election cycle as of Tuesday, more than doubling what Fireside’s campaign had.
If Rodley wins this primary, she’ll face Adam Wilson, the Republican candidate, in the November election.
Rodley told KLCC Tuesday night that she expects that race to be competitive.
“We've built a really solid coalition and infrastructure through the primary, so I'm feeling great about that,” she said. “Maybe I take a day or two off, and then get up and start all over again.”
