Maxine Dexter easily winning race to replace U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer

Oregon state Rep. Maxine Dexter appears set to become the Democratic nominee to replace U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, in a vote that all but assures her a seat in Congress next year.

After a heated primary that saw a huge influx of national money, the critical care doctor and two-term state lawmaker was leading handily in early results Tuesday over her two chief opponents to represent the state’s 3rd Congressional District, former Multnomah County Commissioner Susheela Jayapal and Gresham City Councilor Eddy Morales.

Democrats hold a more than 3-to-1 registration advantage in the district, which stretches from the east side of Portland to Hood River. Dexter, who currently lives outside of the district after residing there for a decade, has said she plans to move back across the Willamette River after winning the election.

“Let us celebrate and enjoy now, because tomorrow we are going to get back to work,” she said Tuesday night. ”This is a make or break moment to protect our democracy. We do not have a moment to waste.”

Blumenauer issued a statement Tuesday night congratulating her: “Maxine has proven herself to be a serious and effective legislator,” he said. “I am confident she’ll take this success with her to Washington D.C.”

The physician was not always a sure bet in the contentious race to replace Blumenauer. She announced her candidacy later than either Morales or Jayapal, and didn’t seem to bring any special advantage in terms of name recognition or political connections. That was a partial contrast to Jayapal, who was viewed as an early frontrunner in part because her younger sister, Pramila Jayapal, is a congresswoman from Seattle.

None of the central three candidates offered marked differences in their campaign platforms, all emphasizing priorities like defending the right to an abortion, fighting climate change and protecting democracy.

Dexter countered relatively anemic early fundraising with support from 314 Action Fund, a national super PAC that backs candidates who have a background in science. The group spent more than $2.2 million on ads touting Dexter’s accomplishments.

At the same time, a mystery group trumped even that massive amount of spending. Voters for Responsive Government, a new super PAC, poured more than $3.2 million into attack ads against Jayapal. The group has not offered any hint on where its largesse is coming from or why it decided to get involved in the race.

Speculation has swirled about the source of the outside interest. One news outlet, The Intercept, reported earlier this month that the powerful pro-Israel lobbying group the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, was behind the money. That group’s role in the race appeared partially confirmed earlier this month, when Dexter started reaping a huge amount of direct contributions from national donors who have supported AIPAC or its favored candidates in other places.

“I did not for one second compromise my integrity or my values,” Dexter said Tuesday when asked about the money. “I said what I mean, and I mean what I said, and if people chose to support me, I’m grateful for that. But there’s nothing that I did to pander.”

Dexter told reporters she had given some campaign contributions from donors whose values she doesn’t align with to the Portland social services agency Central City Concern. She did not say how much or go into detail about which donations. Some people who contributed to her campaign have also given to prominent national Republicans like House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas.

The super PAC backing Dexter, 314 Action Fund, disclosed Monday that some of its funding had come from two wealthy donors who have given to numerous causes over the years, but also have signaled support for Israel: former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg and investor Robert Granieri.

At her election night party, Jayapal expressed disappointment in the primary results and frustration in the heavy spending against her: “I’m going to talk a little bit about the role of money in politics. One of the reasons I am is because I believe that one of the biggest threats to our democracy is the role of money in politics,” she said. “We are going to continue to fight to make sure that money does not buy our elections and money is not what creates power in this country.”

Jayapal wasn’t the only one voicing dismay.

“Maxine would’ve won this on her own, but the overlay of all the special interest money that is swirling around, I find really troubling,” said Blumenauer, who showed up to Dexter’s victory party Tuesday night. “They’ve taken the narrative of the campaign and they’ve clouded it.”

Groups like AIPAC have shown interest this year in defeating progressive Democrats who they believe are not sufficiently supportive of Israel. Jayapal has long been viewed as a potential target of such efforts, in part because of her sister’s outspoken stance against the war in Gaza.

But public statements from Dexter and Jayapal on the matter have been similar.

Dexter said she wants a “long-term, negotiated cease-fire that ensures the release of all hostages, the enduring defeat of Hamas and facilitates security in the region.”

Morales, who has traveled to Israel in the past, was less vocal on the issue. He did not have a position statement on Gaza on his website and typically didn’t refer to a “cease-fire” when asked about the matter, though he said he wants hostilities to end.

Joanna Harbour, a lawyer and entrepreneur, was leading in the Republican primary.