On June 19, the Oregonian's web site reported:

In fact, this year primary winners in 24 of the 75 state legislative races won the write-in vote of the other major party.

In the Senate, it occurred in districts 5, 21, 22, 28, 29 and 30.

In the House, it happened in districts 5, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 21, 25, 31, 40, 43, 44, 46, 47, 48, 55, 56 and 60.

In another twist, two Portland Democratic primary losers won the Republican write-in vote: Gordon Hillesland, in House District 42, and Cyreena Boston, in House District 45.

But Hamilton said neither Hillesland nor Boston will appear on the ballot because of Oregon's sore loser law, which prohibits primary losers from running in the general election under a different party banner.

So Oregon now has 24 one-candidate Soviet-style "mockracies." In the absence of these "2-sided winners," the other major party would have either (1) run a write-in winner who was not already running for the same office or (2) if that winner declined the nomination, would have been able to choose a candidate for that office using internal party processes for filling nomination "vacancies."

So, in 6 of the 15 State Senate races and in 18 of the 60 State House races, there will be no competition between major party candidates at all--not even a race between an overwhelming favorite v. a write-in for the other party. Why? Because the hyperpartisan Oregon Secretary of State, Bill Bradbury, gerrymandered electoral competition out of his map redrawing the legislative districts after the 2000 census.

Welcome to Oregonistan, USA, as elsewhere described at Oregon Independent.

The Portland Tribune in GOP Skips Many Portland House Races notes how Oregon lacks competition in a great number of races for the Oregon Legislature. This year, there are no Republican candidates in 18 House races and no Democratic candidates in 6 House races. So 24 of the 60 races are not contested by the other major party. The Tribune fails to note that 8 of the 15 Oregon Senate races are also not contested. Nor does the Tribune even attempt to determine why this is happening. Gerrymandering, anyone?