Brown defeats challenger Buehler to win full term

(Update: Wednesday numbers)

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has been re-elected, winning her first full term as leader of the state.

Brown on Tuesday bested Republican Knute Buehler, who proved to be a strong challenger in a state where the GOP has a difficult time winning high-profile offices.

Brown, who also defeated Buehler to become Oregon’s secretary of state, was first appointed governor in February 2015 after Democrat John Kitzhaber resigned. She easily was elected in her own right in 2016 to finish out the term of Kitzhaber, who resigned amid accusations of influence peddling involving his fiancee.

The 58-year-old Brown was a long-time state lawmaker before becoming secretary of state in 2009.

Brown was leading by roughly 11-point margin in the first round of election results Tuesday night. But the margin narrowed to six points before 8:30 p.m.

Brown had nearly 53 percent to Buehler’s nearly 42 percent in the votes count released shortly after 8 p.m., which included more than 1 million votes. But before 8:30 p.m., the winning margin narrowed to 50-to-44 percent. On Wednesday, she led 49.5 percent to 44.2 percent over Buehler.

Buehler and Brown engaged in a hard-fought battle as the Republican challenger attempted to become the first member of his party to win the governorship in about three decades.

It also was the most expensive gubernatorial race in state history, by far, with the two main candidates raising more than $35 million, double the amount spent in the 2010 race between Gov. John Kitzhaber and Republican Chris Dudley.

Check updates at: http://results.oregonvotes.gov/Default.aspx