Lawmakers and advocates spar over HJR 201 to open Oregon primaries; supporters cite enfranchisement, opponents warn of harms to minor parties

Summary

Supporters urged HJR 201 to let unaffiliated voters vote in primary elections and create a single primary ballot with top-two advancement; opposition from the Democratic Party and the Libertarian Party warned the proposal could narrow choices, advantage well-funded candidates, and disrupt minor-party nomination methods.

The House Rules Committee heard more than two hours of testimony on House Joint Resolution 201 on Feb. 5, 2026, a proposed constitutional amendment to open Oregon's primary elections to registered electors regardless of party affiliation and to list most candidates on a single primary ballot.

Representative Cyrus Javidy, sponsor of HJR 201, framed the measure as a response to the state's growing share of nonaffiliated voters, which he said now represents about 37% of the electorate, and argued closed primaries exclude many voters from deciding the most consequential contests. "An Oregon primary will fix that," Javidy said, describing a model in which all candidates appear on one ballot and the top two advance.

Supporters from a cross-section of groups—including the Voter Fairness Coalition, Veterans for All Voters and business groups—argued the…

Lawmakers and advocates spar over HJR 201 to open Oregon primaries; supporters cite enfranchisement, opponents warn of harms to minor parties

Summary

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