Sarah Finger McDonald is narrowly leading in the Democratic Primary for state House District 16, which represents Corvallis.
McDonald is a Corvallis School Board member and gun safety advocate who founded the state chapter of Moms Demand Action.
In initial returns, she had 52% of the vote, outpacing professor and fellow school board member Sami Al-Adrabbuh, who had 48%.
The candidates are competing to replace Dan Rayfield, one of the state’s most high-profile Democrats. Rayfield was previously Oregon House Speaker, and on Tuesday night he won the Democratic nomination to be Oregon Attorney General.
Both candidates have said the race is currently too close to call, but McDonald told KLCC Wednesday that she feels good about her position.
“A year ago, I was battling a recurrence of cancer, and that was a lot harder than waiting for election results,” said McDonald. “So I can sit here calmly and just wait.”
There is no Republican in the race, so the winner of the Corvallis-area House primary will likely secure their path to office.
If elected, McDonald has said she’ll work to lower housing prices in Corvallis, protect healthcare access, and promote sustainable agricultural practices.
“I am looking forward to building relationships with my new colleagues,” said McDonald, “and working with the people in my district, to get work done to build our community.”
Meanwhile, Al-Abdrabbuh said in a statement released to social media that he was not ready to concede.
"We will need to wait a little longer to know who will be the Democratic nominee for House District 16," he said. "I think it is especially critical in 2024 that we are patient and wait until all the ballots have been counted and maintain our faith in the integrity of our election process."
Correction: This article originally misstated the statewide office for which Day Rayfield has been nominated. KLCC regrets the error.
