Oregon Senate 2026: the ads, and who's paying for them

Jeffrey Alan Merkley won · 58.1% to 38.6%, with an estimated 89% of the vote counted · Called by AP on Nov 3

Jeffrey Alan Merkley (DEM, incumbent), David Brock Smith (REP), Jo Rae Perkins (REP). 0 ads analyzed, 0 with at least one technique in the copy. Newest first. The paid-for-by line is the advertiser's own filing.

How to vote in Oregon

From Oregon's official election office. Each line links to the official page it came from.

Registration Register by Tue, Oct 13 (Online by 11:59:59 p.m. Pacific on the 21st day before.) (passed)Source: sos.oregon.gov ↗Source: sos.oregon.gov ↗
By mail Anyone can vote by mail; return it by Tue, Nov 3 (Drop box or county office by 8 p.m.; mailed ballots postmarked by Nov 3, received within 7 days.) (passed)Source: sos.oregon.gov ↗
Election Day Tue, Nov 3. Polls: 7 a.m. - 8 p.m. (passed)Source: sos.oregon.gov ↗
ID at the polls No ID shown to vote; the signature on your ballot return envelope is matched to your registration.Source: sos.oregon.gov ↗

Checked October 8, 2026. Rules can change; confirm with the official site before you go.

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Money in this race

From FEC filings for 2025–26. Outside spending is money a group spends on its own about a candidate — TV and online ads, mail, canvassing. It is not a donation to the campaign, and the candidate does not control it. Supporting means it was spent to help that candidate win; Opposing means it was spent to defeat them, usually on attack ads. Groups report it within 24 or 48 hours as the election nears. Raised is the campaign's own fundraising, as of its latest quarterly report. Largest donors come from each outside spender's own FEC receipts, with each donor's share of its itemized receipts; donors under $100,000 are not named. People are shown with the employer and occupation they reported. A donor that is itself a political committee is shown with its own largest donors. Companies and nonprofits don't report their funders to the FEC, so the trail ends there, and the page says so.

Jeffrey Alan Merkley (DEM, incumbent)

Raised
$5.4M through 2026-10-14 individuals $4.1M · PACs $578K · from the candidate's other committees $239K · cash on hand $6.6M
Outside spending
$120 supporting Merkley · latest reported 2025-12-17
Largest outside spenders
GIVEGREEN UNITED ACTION — $120 supporting Merkley Largest donors: LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS, INC. $946K (40%) (an organization: its own funders aren't reported to the FEC); NRDC ACTION FUND INC. $922K (39%) (an organization: its own funders aren't reported to the FEC); LCV VICTORY FUND $500K (21%)
Bundled through PACs
$20K through 2 PACs · FEC bulk data of 2026-11-01 JSTREETPAC — $18K from 17 gifts Lobbyist/registrant PAC NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BROADCASTERS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (NABPAC) — $1,900 from 2 gifts Lobbyist/registrant PAC
83 PACs gave directly — alphabetical; the legal limit is $5,000 per election
  • A NEW DIRECTION PAC $10K
  • ACTORS' EQUITY ASSOCIATION PAC $1,000
  • ADVANCING DEMOCRACY AND MOBILIZATION PAC $10K
  • AIR LINE PILOTS ASSOCIATION PAC $5,000
  • ALL FOR OUR COUNTRY LEADERSHIP PAC $5,000
  • ALSOPAC $10K
  • AMALGAMATED TRANSIT UNION (ATU) $2,500
  • AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS $2,500
  • AMERICAN AMBULANCE ASSOCIATION FEDERAL PAC (AMBU-PAC) $2,000
  • AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR JUSTICE (AAJ PAC) $5,000
  • AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF NURSE ANESTHETISTS PAC $5,000
  • AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF NURSE PRACTITIONERS PAC $5,000
  • AMERICAN FEDERATION OF STATE, COUNTY, AND MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES (AFSCME) $7,500
  • AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS $10K
  • AMERICAN MOBILIZATION PAC $5,000
  • AMERICAN NURSES ASSOCIATION PAC (ANA PAC) $5,000
  • AMERICAN POSTAL WORKERS UNION COMMITTEE ON POLITICAL ACTION $2,500
  • AMERICAN SPEECH-LANGUAGE-HEARING ASSOCIATION PAC (ASHA PAC) $1,000
  • ASCO ASSOCIATION PAC $1,500
  • BARNES & THORNBURG PAC $1,000
  • BLUE HEN PAC $10K
  • CLEAN PAC $1,000
  • CMHA BLOCK & PAVER PAC $2,000
  • CMTE TO ELECT SUE RIEKE SMITH $1,000
  • COMMON GROUND PAC $5,000
  • COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS OF AMERICA (CWA) $2,500
  • COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAM PAC $7,500
  • CONGRESS MAJORITY PAC $1,000
  • D.R.I.V.E. - DEMOCRAT, REPUBLICAN, INDEPENDENT VOTER EDUCATION PAC $10K
  • DEFEND THE DREAM $10K
  • END CITIZENS UNITED PAC (ECU) $7,500
  • FOLLOW THE NORTH STAR FUND $5,000
  • FORWARD TOGETHER PAC $10K
  • FRIENDS OF MARIA $2,000
  • GIDDY UP PAC $5,000
  • GRANITE VALUES PAC $10K
  • HAWAII PAC $5,000
  • HEALTH JOBS JUSTICE $10K
  • HOOPS PAC $5,000
  • HUMANE WORLD ACTION FUND PAC $1,000
  • I GOT YOUR BACK PAC $10K
  • IN OUR HANDS $10K
  • INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCE OF THEATRICAL STAGE EMPLOYEES (IATSE) $2,500
  • INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SHEET METAL, AIR, RAIL AND TRANSPORTATION WORKERS (SMART) $5,000
  • INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF ELECTRICAL WORKERS (IBEW) POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $5,000
  • INTERNATIONAL UNION OF BRICKLAYERS AND ALLIED CRAFTWORKERS $5,000
  • INTERNATIONAL UNION OF OPERATING ENGINEERS (IUOE) $10K
  • JANE FONDA CLIMATE PAC $2,500
  • K&L GATES LLP PAC $6,000
  • KEYSTONE AMERICA PAC $10K
  • LABORERS' INTERNATIONAL UNION OF NORTH AMERICA $4,000
  • LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS ACTION FUND PAC $2,500
  • LOBO PAC $2,500
  • M-PAC $10K
  • MAPLE PAC $5,000
  • MARK KELLY FOR SENATE $4,000
  • MITTEN PAC $5,000
  • MOTOR CITY PAC $5,000
  • NARRAGANSETT BAY PAC $10K
  • NASW INC. POLITICAL ACTION FOR CANDIDATE ELECTION (PACE) $2,000
  • NATIONAL ACTIVE AND RETIRED FEDERAL EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION PAC $5,000
  • NATIONAL AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS ASSOCIATION PAC (NATCA) $5,000
  • NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LETTER CARRIERS OF U.S.A. POLITICAL FUND $5,000
  • NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS (RPAC) $5,000
  • NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION (NEA) $5,000
  • NATIONAL POSTAL MAIL HANDLERS UNION $1,000
  • NATIONAL RURAL LETTER CARRIERS' ASSOCIATION $10K
  • NUTMEG PAC $2,500
  • OCEANS PAC $10K
  • OFF THE SIDELINES PAC $10K
  • PERIMETER PAC $5,000
  • PINEAPPLE PAC $10K
  • PORTLAND GRAY PANTHERS PAC $20
  • PROFESSIONAL AVIATION SAFETY SPECIALISTS PAC $5,000
  • PURPOSE PAC $10K
  • REV UP PAC $10K
  • SEIU COPE (SERVICE EMPLOYEES INTERNATIONAL UNION COMMITTEE ON POLITICAL EDUCATION) $6,000
  • SMART SOLUTIONS PAC $5,000
  • THE PEOPLES VOICES PAC $10K
  • TRANSPORT WORKERS UNION OF AMERICA POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS COMMITTEE $5,000
  • TURQUOISE PAC $10K
  • UNITED FOOD AND COMMERCIAL WORKERS INTERNATIONAL UNION ACTIVE BALLOT CLUB GENERAL FUND $10K
  • VICTORY NOW PAC $10K

All filings at the FEC ↗

David Brock Smith (REP)

Raised
$311K through 2026-10-14 individuals $294K · PACs $14K · cash on hand $44K
Outside spending
$25K supporting Smith · latest reported 2026-05-08
Largest outside spenders
REVIVE OREGON — $25K supporting Smith
Bundled through PACs
none reported · FEC bulk data of 2026-11-01
10 PACs gave directly — alphabetical; the legal limit is $5,000 per election
  • ALEK FOR OREGON $1,000
  • CRH AMERICAS, INC. PAC $2,000
  • DOUGLAS COUNTY REPUBLICAN CENTRAL COMMITTEE $500
  • ENERGY MARKETERS OF AMERICA SMALL BUSINESS COMMITTEE PAC (EMA SBC PAC) $1,500
  • FRIENDS OF BOBBY LEVY $1,000
  • FRIENDS OF VIRGLE OSBORNE $1,000
  • HEARD LEADERSHIP FUND PAC $1,000
  • HEART OF MAIN STREET PAC $1,000
  • LINTHICUM FOR OREGON $1,000
  • STARR LEADERSHIP FUND $1,000

All filings at the FEC ↗

Jo Rae Perkins (REP)

Raised
$11K through 2026-06-30 individuals $9,476 · PACs $0 · candidate's own money, incl. loans $1,522 · cash on hand $249
Outside spending
none reported
Bundled through PACs
none reported · FEC bulk data of 2026-11-01

All filings at the FEC ↗

No campaign ads analyzed for this race yet.

What this page is

  • An ad is on this page because its own "Paid for by" line is a campaign in this race; or it comes from a national Senate group and ran mostly in OR; or it ran mostly in OR and names a candidate — unless its sponsor is a campaign for some other office. Ads from outside groups appear alongside the campaigns' own.
  • Campaigns run one text as many separate ads. Identical text from the same sponsor is one card here, marked with its number of variants.
  • A technique is a specific rhetorical move in the wording, found by our model and explained in one line. It is not a claim that the ad is false.
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