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Wyden wins reelection, will return for 5th full Senate term

In this image from video from Senate Television, the Senate votes at the U.S. Capitol on the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to become a Supreme Court justice Thursday, April 7, 2022 in Washington. (Senate Television via AP)

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Democrat Ron Wyden is keeping his U.S. Senate seat in Oregon.

AP News called the race at about 8:45 p.m. Tuesday. The Oregon Secretary of State reported that as of 9 p.m., 655, 291 people had voted for Wyden. The incumbent senator has the majority of votes at 55.59%

Wyden ran against Republican candidate Jo Rae Perkins, who was also defeated when she ran for Oregon U.S. Senate in 2020. She fell behind with 492,380 votes, at 41.77%.

Green candidate Dan Pulju and Progressive candidate Chris Henry received less than 3% of the votes altogether.

Wyden will serve his fifth full senate term starting next year. He first began serving in the U.S. Senate on Jan. 30, 1996 after Bob Packwood resigned.

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Wyden will continue serving Oregon alongside Jeff Merkley. Merkley has served as the state’s U.S. Senator since Jan. 3, 2009. His current term doesn’t end until Jan. 3, 2027.

Wyden, 73, was first elected in a special election in 1996, then earned his first full term in 1998.