Walden easily defeats McLeod-Skinner

(Update: Latest numbers; McLeod-Skinner winning in Deschutes, Hood River counties)

Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., held a more than 17-point lead over Democratic challenger Jamie McLeod-Skinner of Terrebonne in Wednesday’s results in Oregon’s sprawling Second Congressional District. But it was his least-strong victory in 20 years in office.

The first count, released just after 8 p.m. Tuesday, showed Walden defeating the Democrat and Working Families parties’ nominee with nearly 58 percent of the vote (102,277) to 38 percent (66,626) for McLeod-Skinner.

His victory percentage dropped to about 56 percent less than a half-hour later and McLeod-Skinner rose to about 40 percent of the vote.

As of Wednesday morning, Walden had 201,742 votes, or 56.5 percent, to 139,928, or 39.2 percent for McLeod-Skinner, with Roberts at 4.2 percent.

A county breakdown Wednesday showed McLeod-Skinner slightly ahead of Walden in her home county of Deschutes — and well ahead in Walden’s home county of Hood River, at more than 63 percent of the vote to just under 34 percent for Walden, who won in all the other counties in the lare district.

It’s the first time Walden received less than 60 percent of the ballots cast.

Independent Party candidate Mark Roberts had about 4 percent of the vote.

For updates: http://results.oregonvotes.gov/Default.aspx