Oregon House Race: Javadi Defends Party Switch in $1 Million Coast Contest

Cyrus Javadi is seeking a third term in Oregon House District 32, but voters this November will be casting ballots for a Democrat rather than the Republican who held the seat for the last two cycles. The party switch, which Javadi completed last year, has turned his reelection bid into a high-profile test for nonaffiliated voters in the North Coast region.

Javadi, 49, changed his registration after providing the deciding vote for Governor Tina Kotek’s transportation tax package. That legislation included a 6-cent increase in the gas tax, a move that drew sharp criticism from many in his district. Javadi stated he switched parties because he concluded that new funding was necessary to repair roads battered by wind and rain.

His opponent is Max Sherman, a 69-year-old farmer and retired high school teacher from Hebo. Sherman campaigns on reducing regulation and dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. He describes agriculture, fishing, and forestry as the economic engines of the North Coast. Sherman also positions himself as an anti-tax candidate while acknowledging the need to fund the state Department of Transportation. He noted that a lot of local residents have lost trust in Javadi.

District 32, which spans from Astoria to Neskowin, has roughly 55,800 registered voters. While Democrats hold a slight numerical edge of about 2,000 more registered voters than Republicans, nonaffiliated voters outnumber both parties. This group could determine the outcome, prompting Javadi to canvass neighborhoods extensively along the coast.

Both campaigns have raised more than $1 million, a figure that may make this the most expensive House race in the state this year. The funding has allowed both candidates to purchase advertisements in the Portland market, which reaches voters in the district. Sherman described the contest as a total toss-up that could be a nail-biter.

Reaction to Javadi’s switch has been mixed among local party members. Lisa Lamping, chair of the Clatsop County Republicans, called Javadi an opportunist. She noted that local Republicans range from anger to relief over his defection. Former Democratic legislator Betsy Johnson, who represented the area for two decades, has endorsed Sherman in television ads.

Javadi frames his political evolution as a strength. He grew up in a conservative Mormon family in Utah and said he found his former Republican colleagues' arguments unconvincing. He cited his gay son when supporting a Democratic bill making it harder for school districts to ban books. He also helped argue for a measure using taxes on healthcare providers to raise federal Medicaid funding.

Voters rejected Kotek's $4.3 billion transportation tax plan by a landslide in May. Javadi says the vote showed that residents want roads and bridges fixed without the gas tax increase. He reports that the issue rarely comes up during his door-to-door meetings, even when he speaks with 30 or 40 people in a single day. He plans to continue knocking on doors until Election Day.