Suzanne Bonamici (D) wins special election for Oregon's 1st Congressional District [View all]
Democrat Suzanne Bonamici swept to victory Tuesday in Oregon's 1st Congressional District as her party continued its nearly four-decade-long hold on the seat covering the northwestern corner of the state.
Partial returns showed Bonamici defeated Republican Rob Cornilles as she carried over 50 percent of the vote in a special election to fill the seat left vacant following the resignation of Democrat David Wu in August.
A former state legislator, Bonamici becomes the only woman in the seven-member Oregon congressional delegation and her campaign expects that she will be sworn in within the next week.
Besides becoming accustomed to Congress, Bonamici also has to get ready for another election in just over four months. To earn a full two-year term starting next year, she needs to run in the May primary and November general election.
Cornilles, who owns a sports marketing business in Tualatin, has not said whether he would mount another challenge later this year. The district will become slightly less Democratic in the election later this year because of the redistricting that accompanies the 2010 Census. Part of the west side of Portland will be removed from the 1st to even out the population in each district.
More at http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/01/suzanne_bonamici_wins_special.html
Phew...That's good relief.