In 2024, the Oregon Legislature passed House Bill 4024, which made sweeping changes to Oregon’s election and campaign finance laws. Among them: new filing deadlines for current elected office holders — incumbents — seeking re-election.

Secretary of State Tobias Read is reminding candidates about important changes to the filing deadlines.

“Candidates may not realize that HB 4024 also made changes to candidate filing deadlines, which is why we’re working to get the word out. Our democracy is always stronger when Oregonians have the tools and information to participate,” said Secretary Read.

HB 4024 changes the 180-day party membership deadline:

• An incumbent seeking re-election to the same partisan office must be registered to vote as a member of the applicable major political party by today, September 4, 2025.
• Non-incumbent candidates and candidates appointed to the position they hold must be registered as a member of the applicable party by September 11, 2025.

HB 4024 also impacts the candidacy filing deadlines:

• Elected incumbents seeking re-election to the same office must file their declaration of candidacy or nominating petition at least seven days before the applicable filing deadline for non-incumbent candidates.
• Incumbent candidates who were appointed to the position to which they are seeking election are subject to the same filing deadline as non-incumbent candidates.

The candidate filing period for the 2026 Primary in May begins September 11, 2025. The deadline to file for an elected incumbent seeking re-election is March 3, 2026, and the deadline to file for non-incumbent candidates is March 10, 2026.

These changes are reflected in the State Candidate Manual; the County, City and District Candidate Manual; and filing forms created by the Elections Division.

Any candidate with questions about this change may contact the Oregon Secretary of State’s Elections Division.