Thu. Nov 7th, 2024

Val Hoyle

Incumbent U.S. Rep. Val Hoyle is poised to continue representing Oregon’s 4th Congressional District (Hoyle campaign)

Democratic U.S. Rep. Val Hoyle has been elected to represent Oregon’s 4th District in Congress for the second time.

The Associated Press called the win against her Republican challenger Monique DeSpain, an Air Force veteran and lawyer, Thursday morning. More than 60% of votes in the district  — which spans seven counties mostly along the southwest coast from the Oregon-California border to Lincoln City — have been counted and Hoyle has maintained a 9-point lead on DeSpain since late Tuesday night.

“Congratulations to Congresswoman Val Hoyle on her victory and once again earning the trust of Oregonians,” Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Suzan DelBene said in a news release. “Val will continue working with both sides of the aisle to make life more affordable, protect organized labor, and defend a woman’s freedom to make her own reproductive health care decisions.”

Hoyle told the Capital Chronicle Wednesday she was ready to end the campaign and to “focus on doing the work that I was elected to do.” 

Votes will continue to be counted in the race, which drew national attention, as Republicans worked to expand their majority in the U.S. House. Control of the House has not yet been determined, but Republicans are hopeful they’ll remain in the majority.

DeSpain released a statement on Wednesday evening, saying the race remained undecided with many more votes left to be counted.

DeSpain earned more votes in Coos, Curry and Douglas counties while Hoyle won the majority in Benton, Lincoln and Linn counties, as well as Lane County, which has the most registered voters in the district. 

Hoyle is a longtime elected official in Oregon. She served in the state House for eight years, including as majority leader, and was labor commissioner between 2019 and 2023. 

In her first two years in the U.S. House, despite being in the Democratic minority, Hoyle said she championed bipartisan bills and brought to her district millions of dollars in federal funds for wildfire prevention and emergency communications. She said she also worked to increase firefighter pay and boost investments in housing and health care.

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