By Representative David Gomberg, House District 10
11/9/2026
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Most elections are a mixed blessing. You are usually more happy with the outcomes of some races and less happy with others. The election last week was different, and I’m thinking most people were either very pleased or very displeased.
We used to observe that all politics is local. In 2026, all elections were national. A blue wave surged across the nation soaking congress, state legislatures, and local government with Democratic wins.
Democrats have won control of the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate, delivering a shockingly decisive rebuke of Republican governance in Washington and ushering in a new era of congressional resistance to President Donald Trump.
In Oregon, Governor Tina Kotek has been re-elected, and Democrats have increased their supermajority in both the state House and state Senate. This may, in fact, be historically the highest number of Democrats to serve in Oregon state government ever.
And at the county and city level, candidates supported by local Democratic party organizations also largely prevailed.
National reports indicate an average voter turnout of 44%. Here in Oregon, the Secretary of State is reporting a 52.7% turnout representing 1,638,442 votes as of Thursday morning. That includes 48.3% in Lincoln, 71% in Benton, and 49.5% in Lane. (67.16% in Tillamook County) By contrast, in the mid-term General Election of 2022 turnout was 62.3% with a national average at 46.2%.
Let me add that in my report last week, I misspoke when I said, across the state, two House races are uncontested—one in Clackamas County and one here on the Central Coast/Coast Range. There were actually a number of uncontested House races. There were only two where the candidates were on the ballot nominated by the Democrats, Republicans, and Independent Party.
| Examine the interactive turnout map here. |
| For my own part, please let me say that I am honored with the responsibility of again representing you in Salem. That is a responsibility I take seriously each and every day. We are a large and diverse district which I describe as not red or blue but purple. That doesn’t mean more people are in the political center. It means there is a balance of people on the left and right. Not everyone will agree with each of my votes, actions or priorities. But I will listen to each of you, will respond, respectfully when you reach out to my office, will work hard to visit all parts of our district with “annoying frequency,” and communicate as regularly, clearly, and honestly as I am able.
The work is increasingly difficult, divisive, and daunting. Thank you for entrusting me to do it to the very best of my ability. |
|
| After 10 months of legal fights, Newport and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security have settled the city’s lawsuit that sought to keep a planned federal immigration detention center out of the municipal airport in Lincoln County.
Under the settlement, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has stipulated that it currently has no plans to expand existing detention facilities or open new long- or short-term detention facilities anywhere in Oregon. The agreement also confirms that Homeland Security had planned a detention center in Newport. They may have future plans but must give 30 days notice should ICE plan a detention center in Newport.
The legal settlement does not require advance notice if the federal government seeks to open a new ICE detention center in any other part of Oregon. |
|
| The sun sets over the U.S. Coast Guard facility at the Newport Municipal Airport, home to the rescue helicopter and near the area that Immigration and Customs Enforcement was considering for a facility in Newport, OR, on Nov. 17, 2025. Eli Imadali / OPB |
| The state of Oregon earlier in the year joined the Newport case in support of the city, and environmental advocacy groups Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition and Cascadia Wildlands became intervenors in the case to ensure no federal facility would be opened without going through environmental and land-use reviews.
In response to legal action taken by Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield, ICE confirmed in court documents filed October 23 that it has no current plans to construct an immigration detention facility anywhere in Oregon. ICE also agreed to provide prior notice if it resumes plans to open a detention facility in Newport.
Earlier this year, a federal immigration official confirmed in a court filing that the Trump administration had been eyeing a Newport air facility for a temporary detention center and had started an environmental analysis. It scrapped the idea when the community pushed back against the plan and the proposed relocation of a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter—necessary to make way for the project.
The helicopter has been back since December, after a judge ordered its return in a separate lawsuit that is still under way. The district court’s injunction required the U.S. Coast Guard to keep its rescue helicopter stationed in Newport in a related lawsuit. That case was also filed by AG Rayfield. Newport Fishermen’s Wives and Lincoln County were additional plaintiffs in that case.
The legal battle racked up more than $368,000 in legal fees for Newport, and several municipalities including Portland, Yachats, Ashland and Benton County have made contributions to Newport’s legal funds.
Still on the ICE front, a federal judge ruled Monday that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have continued to make arrests in Oregon without warrants.
In a 50-page opinion, U.S. District Judge Mustafa T. Kasubhai concluded that federal immigration officers have systematically defied his 8-month-old order on warrantless arrests in the state—and that at least one officer deliberately falsified arrest records.
According to federal arrest data reported by OregonLive, the share of ICE arrestees in Oregon with no criminal record climbed steeply. By July 2026, 79% of individuals arrested by ICE in Oregon had no criminal record (up from 27% in May 2026), while arrests involving violent convictions dropped to about 1%. |
|
| Thousands of Oregonians could find an unexpected check worth up to $10,000 in their mailbox this month.
The Oregon State Treasury announced that it is mailing about $7 million in unclaimed money to roughly 13,000 people across the state, with checks starting at $50.
The money comes from businesses and other organizations that owed people money but couldn’t get it to them. It could be an old paycheck someone never cashed, money left in a forgotten bank account or a refund that never reached its recipient. State law requires businesses to turn over unclaimed money after a certain period if they can’t find its owners. |
|
| You can search for your name for free at unclaimed.oregon.gov. If you find a match, you can file a claim online to get your money back. |
| Usually, people have to check whether the state is holding any unclaimed money in their name and file a claim to get it back. But through its Checks Without Claims program, the state finds some of those people and mails them checks automatically.
State officials said they sent notices last month telling people they might have money waiting for them. The funds came from businesses and other organizations that reported them to the state in 2024.
You can search for your name for free at unclaimed.oregon.gov. If you find a match, you can file a claim online to get your money back. There’s no deadline to get your money back, and the process to claim it is free.
Since launching the automatic payment program in 2020, the state has returned about $30 million to more than 70,000 people. But there’s plenty more money waiting to be claimed. Treasury officials said Oregon has returned more than $745 million over the past 20 years, but still holds about $1 billion in unclaimed funds. Until people claim their money, the state invests it and uses the earnings to help fund Oregon’s public schools.
Anyone with questions can contact the state’s Unclaimed Property Program at 503-378-4000 or email claims@ost.state.or.us. |
|
| Here is some more news from the Oregon Treasurer. Embark is the new name for the Oregon College Savings Plan.
Open an account before your child’s first birthday and receive an automatic $100 contribution with Oregon’s Baby Grad program.
Oregon’s “Baby Grad” bonus offers families a $100 contribution when they open an Embark account before their child’s first birthday with as little as $25 opening deposit. Embark is Oregon’s official 529 education savings program, designed to make saving simple and accessible for all families.
- Any Oregon baby under one year old is eligible for Baby Grad, when an account is opened on their behalf.
- All qualified accounts will receive the $100 contribution within three months of the account being opened.
- There’s a limit of one $100 contribution per baby.
Already had that baby and celebrated their first birthday? There is a similar program for kindergartners.
Open an Embark account for your kindergartner, and get an extra, automatic $100 contribution with the Kinder Grad program.
- Any Oregon Kindergartner who is 5 or 6 years old is eligible for Kinder Grad when an account is opened on their behalf.
- All qualified accounts will receive the $100 contribution within three months of the account being opened.
- There’s a limit of one $100 match per child.
|
| Use this online savings calculator to see how compound interest adds up over time. |
|
| Anybody with a Social Security number or tax ID can open an Embark account.
Every Embark account has a personalized gifting page with its own URL. Share the link with your friends and family, and make it easier for everyone to support your baby’s future. And here’s another option: When you return your cans and bottles with BottleDrop, you can put those savings toward your kid’s future. Transfer your deposits to your Embark or Oregon ABLE account, and save for whatever their future holds.
Interest earned is tax free, and anyone who contributes to an Embark account can earn an Oregon income tax credit worth $190 for single filers or $380 for joint filers.
Students with a college savings account—even a small one—are 2.5 times more likely to go to college than those with nothing set aside.
Your kids can use their Embark funds for educational expenses including tuition, books, computers, equipment, and more. If a beneficiary decides not to go to school or doesn’t use all of their savings, excess funds in an Embark account can be transferred, saved, or withdrawn. You can transfer the extra funds to another family member. Or you can save the unused funds for retirement by rolling them over into a Roth IRA for the beneficiary. |
|
| The Oregon Department of Justice may also have money for you.
We’ve recently had several big settlements holding drug manufacturers accountable for illegally driving up costs of prescription drugs—and there’s a website where you can check whether you’ve been impacted or are eligible for compensation.
This two minute video explains the process. |
| Multiple settlements have been reached with some generic prescription drug manufacturers in three lawsuits brought by the Oregon Attorney General alleging that consumers paid artificially inflated prices for certain generic prescription drugs. You may be eligible for payment of settlement proceeds if you purchased one or more of these generic drugs between May 1, 2009 and December 31, 2019.
No receipts are necessary for submitting a Claim Form and you can simply estimate your total out-of-pocket spending. Payments will be made after the Claim Deadline passes, claims are reviewed, disputes are resolved, and the Court grants final approval of the plan
The deadline for submitting a claim is March 8, 2027. To receive payment, you must submit a signed, completed Claim Form by that date and certify eligibility and purchases during the Time Period. You may submit a Claim Form online here, or download a Claim Form and mail it to the address on the form. Only complete and valid claims submitted by the Claims Deadline will be included in the Initial Distribution. |
|
| Over the past two weeks, I’ve been out and about our large district.
I joined supporters of Habitat for Humanity to review plans for seven new homes in Lincoln City. I spoke to Soil and Water Conservation Districts from across Oregon at their annual conference. I spoke to the Samaritan Community Leaders Reception about the future of Health Care in our region and the need for water and generator fuel storage. And I drove from Otis to Junction City—from one corner of the district to the other, or about 100 miles—to present an Innovator Award to Brigadoon Winery for their commitment to organic agriculture and a rootstock program that is LIVE and salmon safe certified. |
|
| At the end of the week, I stopped by the Lincoln City Chamber awards dinner and then joined community leaders celebrating the affiliation of Samaritan Health Services, the nonprofit health system that serves Lincoln, Benton, and Linn counties, with MultiCare of Washington State.
MultiCare, a not-for-profit system based in Tacoma has committed to investing $700 million in Samaritan’s service area over the next 10 years. According to Samaritan, that money is earmarked for expanding access to care, recruiting and retaining clinicians, workforce development, and upgrades to facilities and technology across the three counties. |
|
| In my remarks, I observed that one-third of our population is over age 65. This affiliation can help create a more stable, connected, and resilient future for health care on the coast. Our hospitals do more than provide care. They support families, sustain local jobs, strengthen our economy, and serve the many people who live on and visit the coast each year. This affiliation gives us an opportunity to build on that foundation by strengthening local services, investing in our workforce and facilities, and better connecting patients to specialized care. |
|
| Next up, Susie and I are taking a few days off on a long awaited, long delayed vacation. But I prepared two newsletters for you before we left, so you won’t miss a beat.
Thanks for reading! |
|
