Show Us the Money

Deborah C. Brown, a Republican candidate for Oregon's Senate seat, raised $1,682,601 across the entire Republican field in Oregon during the 2026 cycle. Democrats, by contrast, brought in $11,281,404 from 14 candidates, dwarfing Republican totals by more than six times. One candidate with no party affiliation raised $3,100, while one candidate without a party nickname designation raised $11,681.

Brown's Republican primary campaign drew 13,283 votes in the 2026 Oregon Republican primary. As a non-incumbent challenger, she was competing against the state's Democratic incumbent senator and other candidates across Oregon's congressional districts. The statewide total PAC fundraising in Oregon for the 2026 cycle reached approximately $120.9 million.

Candidate Rankings

Jeffrey Alan Merkley, the incumbent Democratic senator from Oregon, led all state candidates with $3,944,598 in total receipts for the 2026 cycle. Merkley also held $6,485,649 in ending cash on hand as of April 29. Janelle Bynum, the incumbent from Oregon's 5th congressional district, raised $3,132,581, placing her second statewide. Andrea Salinas, the incumbent from Oregon's 6th congressional district, came in third with $1,359,544 in receipts.

The fundraising gap between the top Democrat and Republican candidates reflected a broader party imbalance. Democrats held a commanding lead in the candidate count with 14 candidates in the state, compared to 10 Republican candidates. Merkley's cash-on-hand position of $6.5 million gave him substantial resources heading into the final months of the cycle.

Incumbents vs. Challengers

Oregon's incumbent candidates significantly outpaced non-incumbent challengers in fundraising totals. Incumbents like Merkley, Bynum, Salinas, Valerie Hoyle from the 4th district ($1,046,603), and Maxine Dexter from the 3rd district ($908,658) all raised over $900,000 each. Cliff Bentz, the Republican incumbent from Oregon's 2nd district, brought in $803,224, while Suzanne Bonamici, the Democrat from the 1st district, raised $640,072.

These incumbent fundraising totals dwarfed the resources available to non-incumbent challengers across the state, reflecting the typical fundraising advantages that come with holding office.

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Source: Federal Election Commission (FEC), data current as of April 29, 2026.

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