[5]
By Oregon Business & Industry [6],
Pre-session poll: OBI on Friday released the results of a January voter survey conducted by DHM Research [7] in advance of the 2026 legislative session. OBI commissioned this research to better understand what Oregonians see as the state’s most urgent challenges, with an emphasis on taxes, regulations, affordability and economic competitiveness. The findings indicate that voters are concerned about the direction of the state and are looking for solutions that improve economic competitiveness and reduce cost pressures. Voters are not looking for more taxes or regulations.
Among the survey’s key findings:
- Voters are pessimistic about the direction of the state. Only 26% say the state is heading in the right direction, with positivity remaining stubbornly low since 2021. Most voters say the problems facing the state are getting worse.
- Elected leaders get low ratings for job performance. Sixty four percent disapprove of Gov. Kotek’s performance, 64% disapprove of the Oregon Legislature’s performance, and 55% disapprove of President Trump’s performance.
- Economic outlook is poor and Oregonians are struggling to get by. Seventy three percent rate Oregon’s current economic conditions as poor, up from 60% in 2021, and 68% say conditions are getting worse, up from 62% in 2021. Nearly half struggle to pay for essentials.
- Voters blame high taxes and excessive regulations for Oregon’s sluggish economy. Fifty two percent think Oregon’s economic growth rate is slower than the national average (it is), 42% think it’s about the same, and 4% think it’s faster. Asked to explain the slow growth, 23% mention high taxes and 21% mention excessive regulations. No other reasons are cited as often.
- Voters favor a pro-growth strategy to tackle upcoming state budget deficits. Fifty two percent prefer reducing regulations and creating incentives to spur economic growth, jobs and tax revenue. Twenty seven percent support spending cuts, and only 12% favor raising taxes to fully fund programs. Voters in all parties favor the first approach.
Learn more: Go here [8] to learn more about the poll’s results.