1996 United States Senate special election in Oregon
The 1996 United States Senate special election in Oregon was held on January 30, 1996 to fill the seat vacated by Republican Bob Packwood, who had resigned from the Senate due to sexual misconduct allegations.
In the primaries held on December 5, 1995, Democratic U. S. Representative Ron Wyden and Republican President of the Oregon State Senate Gordon H. Smith were nominated. Wyden then defeated Smith in the general election. Smith would win the regularly-scheduled election to the Senate later that year and serve alongside Wyden until 2009. Wyden's victory made him the first Democratic Senator from Oregon since 1968.Democratic primary
Candidates
Republican primary
Candidates
- Sam Berry, attorney
- Brian Boquist, businessman and rancher
- Jeffrey Brady, dentist
- Valentine Christian, candidate for the U.S. Senate in 1992
- Robert J. Fenton
- Lex Loeb
- Norma Paulus, Oregon Superintendent of Public Instruction, former Oregon Secretary of State, and nominee for Governor of Oregon in 1986
- Jack Roberts, Commissioner of the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries
- Gordon H. Smith, President of the Oregon State Senate
- John Thomas, policeman
- Tony G. Zangaro
Results
General election
Results
