Merkley GS ’82 wins Senate seat
Oregon House of Representatives speaker Jeff Merkley GS ?82 (D) has defeated incumbent Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) in a close race for Oregon?s Senate seat, making the two-term moderate Republican the latest casualty in the Democrats? quest to expand their congressional majority.The outcome of the race was up in the air Tuesday night when the polls closed, and the margin remained razor-thin as ballots were counted: Merkley led in the counting Tuesday night, and Smith took the lead early Wednesday morning.




