Javadi Seeks House Seat as Democrat After Flipping Party in Oregon Coast District

More than $1 million. That is the amount each candidate has raised for the Oregon House District 32 race, a figure that positions the contest as the state's most expensive House election this year. The campaign war chest has allowed both sides to purchase advertisements in the Portland market, which reaches voters in the coastal district.

Cyrus Javadi, 49, is running for reelection as a Democrat after serving two terms as a Republican. His district covers the North Coast from Astoria to Neskowin. Javadi changed his party registration last year after providing the decisive vote to pass Governor Tina Kotek's transportation tax and fee package. That legislation included a 6-cent gas tax increase. Javadi stated he needed new money to repair the wind- and rain-battered roads in his area.

Max Sherman, 69, is the Republican opponent. He is a farmer and retired high school teacher from Hebo. Sherman argues that agriculture, fishing, and forestry are the economic engines of the North Coast. His campaign message combines traditional Republican themes like cutting regulation and dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives with criticism of Javadi's shifting positions. Sherman described the race as a total toss-up that could be a nail-biter. He calls himself an anti-tax candidate, though he agrees that funding the Oregon Department of Transportation is a priority.

The district contains roughly 55,800 voters. There are about 2,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans, but that margin has not decided recent contests. Republicans flipped the seat in 2020 after Democrats held it for 16 years. Nonaffiliated voters outnumber both parties and could prove decisive. Javadi has been canvassing neighborhoods to reach these independent voters.

Local party leaders have reacted sharply to Javadi's switch. Lisa Lamping, chair of the Clatsop County Republicans, described him as an opportunist. She noted that he previously opposed taxes and abortion but is now endorsed by Planned Parenthood. Lamping said reactions among local Republicans range from anger to good riddance. Betsy Johnson, a former Democratic legislator who represented the area for two decades, has endorsed Sherman in television ads.

Javadi presents his political evolution as a strength. He said he was raised in a very conservative Mormon family in Utah and increasingly found his Republican colleagues' arguments unconvincing. Last year, he supported a Democratic bill making it harder for school districts to ban books, citing his gay son. He also helped argue for a measure using taxes on healthcare providers to raise federal Medicaid funding. He was the only Republican to back Kotek's $4.3 billion transportation tax plan.

Voters rejected that tax package by a landslide in May. Javadi believes the state must find more money for roads but says the vote showed that voters want roads and bridges fixed without a 6-cent gas tax. He said the vote rarely comes up when he meets people on the doorstep, even after speaking with as many as 30 or 40 people in a day. His campaign is promoting the message that he stands by his values.

Some Democrats have welcomed the switch, including a Tillamook woman who called herself a big-time liberal. Javadi has written lengthy Substack posts explaining his changes of position. He said he uses artificial intelligence mainly as an editor and organizer while writing the bulk of each entry himself. He plans to keep knocking on doors until Election Day.