Democrat Jamie McLeod-Skinner, Who Ran Against Retiring U.S. Rep. Greg Walden in 2018, Hasn’t Ruled Out Another Run for Walden’s Seat

For now she's still running for secretary of state.

U.S. Rep. Greg Walden
By Rachel Monahan

Democrat Jamie McLeod-Skinner, a relatively unknown candidate, made an impressive showing at the ballot last year against the lone Republican in Oregon's congressional delegation. She won 39 percent of the vote against a sitting incumbent, Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.).

Since Walden announced his retirement yesterday, McLeod-Skinner, who is now running for Oregon secretary of state, says she has been getting calls about whether she might consider running again for the seat. 

At this point, McLeod-Skinner will continue to campaign for the Democratic nomination for Secretary of State, but she hasn't entirely ruled it out another run for Congress.

"I've been receiving a lot of calls, and I'm talking to folks," she says. "At this point, I'm continuing on the path I've been on."

There is reason to expect the seat will go to a Republican, not a Democrat, regardless of what Democrats seeks the seat.

Registered Republicans outnumber Democrats by 8 percentage points in the district. For that reason, the district is expected to elect a Republican again next year. This morning, former state Rep. Knute Buehler (R-Bend), the GOP for governor in 2018 and for secretary of state in 2012, announced on Twitter that he's considering a run for Walden's seat.

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