55,800: The unaffiliated voters driving $2 million Oregon coast race

The cost of convincing Oregon's North Coast to back a party switcher has reached $2 million.

House District 32, which runs from Astoria to Neskowin, is home to roughly 55,800 registered voters. Of that total, nonaffiliated voters outnumber both registered Democrats and Republicans. This demographic reality drives the financial strategy of the two men seeking the seat. Both Cyrus Javadi and Max Sherman have raised more than $1 million for their campaigns. This spending level may make the contest the most expensive state House race in Oregon this year.

Javadi, 49, previously won the district twice as a Republican. He is now registered as a Democrat. The party change followed his vote last year to support Governor Tina Kotek's transportation tax package. That package included a 6-cent gas tax increase. Javadi said he determined that new money was necessary to repair roads damaged by wind and rain. His opponent, Max Sherman, is a 69-year-old farmer and retired high school teacher from Hebo. Sherman identifies as an anti-tax candidate but acknowledges that funding the Oregon Department of Transportation is a priority. He cites his background in agriculture, fishing, and forestry as the economic foundation of the region.

The race has split local political parties. Lisa Lamping, chair of the Clatsop County Republicans, helped elect Javadi in 2022 and 2024. She now calls him an opportunist who opposed taxes and abortion before receiving an endorsement from Planned Parenthood. Lamping said local Republicans feel a range of emotions, from anger to relief. Betsy Johnson, a former Democratic legislator who represented the area for 20 years, has endorsed Sherman in television advertisements. Sherman argues that many residents have lost trust in Javadi due to his shifting positions on key issues.

The financial strength of both campaigns has allowed them to purchase advertisements in the Portland market. Sherman describes the election as a total toss-up that could be a nail-biter. Javadi frames his political evolution as a sign of strength. He was raised in a conservative Mormon family in Utah and said he found Republican arguments less convincing over time. Last year, he supported a Democratic bill to make it harder for school districts to ban books, a move he linked to his gay son. He was also the only Republican to back the $4.3 billion transportation tax plan, stating that doing the right thing was worth the potential political cost.

Voters rejected the tax package by a landslide in May. Javadi maintains that the state needs more money for roads but believes the vote indicated a preference for repairs without a gas tax. He reports that the May vote rarely comes up during door-to-door canvassing, even when he meets 30 or 40 people in a single day. His campaign emphasizes that he stands by his personal values. Some Democrats, including a resident of Tillamook who described herself as a big-time liberal, have welcomed his switch. Javadi uses artificial intelligence to edit and organize his lengthy Substack posts, where he explains his changes of position. He plans to continue knocking on doors until Election Day.