Javadi Sees Sherman in $1 Million Fight for Oregon House Seat

Both candidates in the race for Oregon’s House District 32 have raised more than $1 million, potentially making this the state’s most expensive legislative contest this year.

Cyrus Javadi, 49, is running as a Democrat to represent the district, which stretches from Astoria south to Neskowin. He won the seat in 2022 and 2024 as a Republican. Last year, Javadi changed his party registration after providing the deciding vote for Gov. Tina Kotek’s transportation tax package. That legislation included a 6-cent gas tax increase. Javadi said he made the switch because he believed new funding was necessary to repair roads damaged by wind and rain.

The district contains approximately 55,800 registered voters. Democrats outnumber Republicans by about 2,000, but nonaffiliated voters exceed both major parties. That group could decide the election. Javadi has been canvassing neighborhoods along the coast to reach those voters. His opponent is Max Sherman, a 69-year-old farmer and retired high school teacher from Hebo. Sherman campaigns on cutting regulation and dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. He also criticizes Javadi for changing his political positions. Sherman describes agriculture, fishing, and forestry as the region’s economic engines and positions himself as an anti-tax candidate despite saying the Oregon Department of Transportation needs funding.

Local party leaders have reacted strongly to Javadi’s move. Lisa Lamping, chair of the Clatsop County Republicans, said she helped elect Javadi in 2022 and 2024. She now calls him an opportunist who once opposed taxes and abortion but is now endorsed by Planned Parenthood. She described local Republican reactions as ranging from anger to relief. Betsy Johnson, a former state legislator who represented the area for two decades, has also backed Sherman in television advertisements.

Javadi views his political evolution as a strength. He grew up in a conservative Mormon family in Utah and said he found Republican arguments less convincing over time. Last year, he supported a bill making it harder for school districts to ban books, citing his gay son. He also backed a measure to raise federal Medicaid funding through taxes on healthcare providers. He was the only Republican to support the state’s $4.3 billion transportation tax plan. Voters rejected that package by a wide margin in May. Javadi says the vote showed residents want road repairs without the specific gas tax increase. He claims the topic rarely comes up during his door-to-door canvassing, even when he speaks with 30 or 40 people in a single day.

The race has become a focal point for state political watchers due to the high costs and the unusual circumstances. Both campaigns have used their funding to buy advertisements in the Portland market, which reaches the district. Sherman called the contest a total toss-up that could be very close. Javadi’s campaign promotes the message that he stands by his values. Some Democrats in the area, including a self-described big-time liberal in Tillamook, have welcomed his switch. Javadi writes lengthy Substack posts explaining his changes in position. He uses artificial intelligence mainly as an editor and organizer for those posts. He plans to continue knocking on doors until Election Day.