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Good morning, Northwest.
The countdown is on for Oregon’s 2026 primary election. In just a week, voters will decide some races and finalize other matchups for November.
We at OPB have a robust ballot guide ahead of Election Day.
And probably the most surprising candidate for Oregon governor? A school supply with a point.
OPB’s Dirk VanderHart reports on Pencil’s campaign to raise awareness about education in the state.
Here’s your First Look at Tuesday’s news.
— Chrissy Booker
Top Story
An unopened Oregon ballot for Washington County and a Voters' Pamphlet for the 2026 primary election are seen on a table on Monday, May 11, 2026.
Meagan Cuthill / OPB
What to know ahead of Oregon’s primary election next week
A week from today, voters across Oregon will make their choices in the May 19 primary election — the first major step toward November’s general election.
For registered Democrats and Republicans, primary voting will determine which candidates by party will be on the fall ballots for races, including the Oregon governor and seats in Congress.
Every voter can weigh in on nonpartisan races and ballot measures appearing on the primary ballot.
Ballots sent by mail must be postmarked by Election Day, or ballots must be cast at official drop sites on Election Day by 8 p.m.
Check out OPB’s 2026 ballot guide for our full election coverage.
3 Things to Know
J. Schuberth, who is running for Oregon governor as Pencil, speaks with voters and curious passersby as they walk around downtown Portland, Ore., to campaign on April 23. Schuberth is an advocate for reforming the state's K-12 school system.
Eli Imadali / OPB
- Picture a smiling office supply store mascot: Pointy lead tip just above its bespectacled face. Big yellow barrel of a body. Pink eraser down around the knees. That’s Pencil, Oregon’s most unlikely gubernatorial candidate this year. (Dirk VanderHart)
- U.S. Rep. Janelle Bynum, a Clackamas County Democrat, raised and spent more money in the month leading up to the May primary than any other candidate running to represent Oregon in the U.S. House of Representatives. (Mia Maldonado, Oregon Capital Chronicle)
- Appealing to voters’ anxieties about the soaring cost of living is central to Democrats’ messaging in their hopes of big wins in this year’s midterm elections. In Oregon, a question on the primary ballot is complicating that strategy. (Claire Rush, AP)
Northwest Headlines
For the filling in Hazelnut Pear Parfaits With Cardamom Cream, Paige Common chooses only red varieties like d'Anjous or Bartletts like these from Kiyokama Family Orchards of Parkdale at the Montavilla Farmer’s Market in Southeast Portland.
Jo Mancuso / OPB
• Hood River Valley pear growers seek federal aid after bad season (Alejandro Figueroa)
• West Coast’s first yellow-legged hornet intercepted in Vancouver, Washington (John Ryan KUOW)
• Oregon hopes to move from drone testing hot spot to drone building destination (Kristian Foden-Vencil)
Listen in on OPB’s daily conversation.
Noon and 8 p.m. weekdays on OPB Radio, opb.org and the OPB News app.
Today’s planned topics:
Topics subject to change.
• OHSU researchers connect tinnitus with elevated serotonin activity in the brain
• Three of Oregon’s minor parties weigh in on the state of democracy under two-party system
One More Look
John "Coach" Fantini, middle, waits to bowl during a Monday night league game at Allen's Crosley Lanes in Vancouver, Wash., on May 4, 2026
Malya Fass / OPB
71-year-old Vancouver bowling center endures with help of family, loyal patrons turned volunteers
About eight years ago, word got out that Crosley Lanes was up for sale. A prospective buyer came forward, but the deal fell apart.
Still, the news rattled Vancouver’s bowling community. A lot of people in the bowling leagues left for other places to roll.
Some patrons remained loyal, though, and last summer the family-owned bowling center celebrated its 70th birthday.
Since then, business has taken off, so much so that owner Rachael Allen is rethinking selling the 42-lane business.
“Our family motto is ‘Allens don’t quit, and we’re in it to win it,’” she said. “So I’ve got myself and my kids and my grandkids, and we’re just going to keep going until we hear something different.” (Sheraz Sadiq)
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