Jack Tibbetts was leading in the Republican primary for Oregon Senate District 6 in early returns Tuesday evening.
The open seat is currently held by Republican Cedric Hayden, who was barred from running for reelection after participating in a lengthy legislative walkout in 2023.
Tibbetts, a Lane County Planning Commissioner, had received 49% of the vote as of 10:30 p.m. on election night.
Jami Cate, a current state representative, had 46%. Springfield School Board Member Nicole de Graff had 4%.
In an interview with KLCC earlier this year, Tibbetts said he was running because Oregon residents are struggling to make ends meet.
“For anybody listening, if they do choose to send me to Salem to represent them, they're not going to find more hard-working, values-driven conservative out there,” he said.
Fundraising was neck-and-neck between the top two candidates by the end of the campaign, with Cate raising more than $80,000 during this election cycle and Tibbetts raising nearly $77,000.
In November, the winner of this race will face Sierrah Williams, who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. Hayden beat the previous Democratic nominee by more than 30 points.
