The Clatsop County Courthouse in Astoria, Oregon

Armitage and Bangs make their cases for the North Coast’s open Senate seat

ByDana Whitcomb

Photo: John Stanton, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Ballots are in mailboxes across the North Coast, and one of the closest-watched legislative races in the state is the contest to replace Sen. Suzanne Weber in Oregon’s 16th Senate District.

Weber, a Tillamook Republican, cannot run again. She took part in the six-week Senate walkout in 2023, and under the constitutional amendment voters approved in 2022, lawmakers with more than 10 unexcused absences from floor sessions are barred from seeking reelection.

The district covers a long stretch of coast from Neskowin to Astoria and reaches east into parts of Washington and Columbia counties. It is politically split. Registered Republicans slightly outnumber Democrats, though most voters are not affiliated with either party, and Democrats held the seat for two decades before Weber won it in 2022.

Two candidates with local records

Rachel Armitage, the Democrat, is 35 and lives in St. Helens. She works as a substitute teacher and is studying for a master’s degree at Reed College. She has served in this seat before: county commissioners appointed her in 2022 to finish the term of Sen. Betsy Johnson, who resigned to run for governor as an independent. Armitage served for about a year. According to the Oregon Capital Chronicle, she had raised $80,000 across 2025 and 2026 and had $15,347 on hand as of Oct. 8.

Courtney Bangs, the Republican, is 47 and lives in Knappa. She has served five years on the Clatsop County Board of Commissioners and holds degrees in animal science and agricultural education from Oregon State University. She had raised $540,600 and had about $23,000 on hand as of the same date.

Melisa Finkle is also listed on the ballot as an independent candidate.

What they said in Astoria

The two major-party candidates met Oct. 6 at a forum at Astoria High School moderated by Astoria School District Superintendent Craig Hoppes. The Capital Chronicle’s Mia Maldonado covered the event.

Bangs presented herself as a working mom focused on rural child care, coastal highways and the cost of living. “I’ve always said that if you want to get something accomplished, you ask a busy woman to do it because we don’t have time to waste in accomplishing what we need to get done,” she said. As a commissioner, she helped create a grant program, funded with public and private money, to expand child care on the North Coast.

Armitage described herself as someone involved in the community since she was young and willing to break with her party when the district’s interests call for it.

Roads. Transportation funding drew the most attention. The Oregon Department of Transportation faces a $200 million budget gap for 2027-29 and has warned of layoffs and maintenance cuts if lawmakers do not close it. A 2025 package from Democrats would have raised the gas tax by 6 cents and increased registration and title fees, but a Republican-led referendum blocked it in May.

Both candidates opposed that gas tax. Armitage also opposed moving the referendum to the May ballot. “I don’t think that working families got a fair deal,” she said. She said she would support road user fees for electric commercial fleets, which are now exempt.

Bangs helped gather signatures for the referendum. She said the agency needs more accountability and argued that too much of the package would have gone to administration and the Portland area. She did not name a funding source she would back.

Abortion. Bangs said she does not support abortion because of her faith but does not expect access in Oregon to change, and would rather do more to support women. Armitage said she believes in a woman’s right to choose and that the state should make it easier and less expensive to raise children.

Jobs. Armitage said she would push to cut red tape, fund small business grants and invest in wastewater treatment so communities can add jobs. Bangs said she would follow recommendations from Gov. Tina Kotek’s prosperity council, starting with lower payroll taxes and a higher threshold for the corporate activity tax.

Getting your ballot in

Counties mailed ballots starting Oct. 14. Tuesday, Oct. 27, is the last recommended day to return a ballot by mail. After that, use an official drop box. Ballots must be in a drop box by 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Voters can confirm their registration and track their ballot through the Oregon Secretary of State’s My Vote page. A recording of the full Oct. 6 forum is available from KMUN.

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