U.S. House, Oregon 1st Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in Oregon's 1st Congressional District?
Suzanne Bonamici has the strongest record in Oregon's 1st Congressional District. Suzanne Bonamici scores 73 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 6, 2026. Suzanne Bonamici's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Barbara Kahl (6 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Democratic · incumbent
Strongest record
Suzanne Bonamici
73 / 100
Public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 56
- Qualifications
- 80
- Performance
- 81
Republican
Barbara Kahl
On the ballot as Barbara J Kahl
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 6 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 65
- Performance
- NR
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Suzanne Bonamici
- On the record2021-01-06
Voted Nay on both House objections to Arizona's and Pennsylvania's certified electors on Jan. 6 and 7, 2021.
Sources: Clerk of the House, Roll Call 10, Jan. 6, 2021, Clerk of the House, Roll Call 11, Jan. 7, 2021
- Credit2026-01 to 2026-10
Held an open town hall in Forest Grove in January 2026 and scheduled three October 2026 town halls across the district with caseworkers available.
Sources: KOIN via Yahoo News, Jan. 28, 2026, Hillsboro News-Times, Sept. 28, 2026
- Credit2023 to 2024
The Center for Effective Lawmaking rated her Exceeds Expectations for the 118th Congress; GovTrack counts 10 enacted bills she sponsored, including the PRICE Act.
Sources: GovTrack, Suzanne Bonamici, Center for Effective Lawmaking, data download page
- Credit2023
Scored 0.09508 on the Lugar Center Bipartisan Index for 2023, ranked 114 of 436 House members.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores
Barbara Kahl
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Suzanne Bonamici. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026, with no FEC administrative fine. Her 2025 annual House disclosure was filed June 11, 2026 after an extension. No House Ethics matter found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, coverage dates, FEC administrative fines search, committee C00500421
Barbara Kahl. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC from March 10 through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine and no official finding found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, coverage dates, FEC administrative fines search, committee C00942839
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Suzanne Bonamici. No public record found.
Barbara Kahl. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Suzanne Bonamici. Holds open in-person town halls, including a January 2026 Forest Grove town hall and three October 2026 town halls across the district with caseworkers on site.
Sources: Hillsboro News-Times, Sept. 28, 2026, KOIN via Yahoo News, Jan. 28, 2026
Barbara Kahl. No public record found.
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Suzanne Bonamici. State representative, state senator and U.S. representative since 2012 with no censure, reprimand or conduct finding found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Suzanne Bonamici
Barbara Kahl. No public record found.
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Suzanne Bonamici. Voted Nay on the Jan. 6, 2021 objection to Arizona's electors (Roll Call 10) and the Jan. 7, 2021 objection to Pennsylvania's electors (Roll Call 11). No misuse-of-office finding found.
Sources: Clerk of the House, Roll Call 10, Jan. 6, 2021, Clerk of the House, Roll Call 11, Jan. 7, 2021
Barbara Kahl. No public record found.
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Suzanne Bonamici. U.S. representative since February 2012, seeking an eighth full term; earlier in the Oregon House (2006 to 2008) and Oregon Senate (2008 to 2012), and a Federal Trade Commission consumer protection attorney.
Source: Ballotpedia, Suzanne Bonamici
Barbara Kahl. Nearly 20 years running a mobile veterinary practice after two decades in corporate accounting and finance; served as territorial veterinarian in American Samoa and is a public member of a state agriculture advisory committee. Has not held elected office.
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Suzanne Bonamici. Ranking member of the Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education; ten bills she sponsored have been enacted, including the PRICE Act and Save Our Seas 2.0 Amendments Act.
Source: GovTrack, Suzanne Bonamici
Barbara Kahl. Proposes specific measures, including revising the federal ESSA education law to create a tiered Student Teacher Excellence Path and changes to IDEA special education support.
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Suzanne Bonamici. Holds town halls, publishes the Bonamici Bulletin newsletter and a voters' pamphlet statement. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Office of Rep. Bonamici, home page, Hillsboro News-Times, Sept. 28, 2026, Ballotpedia, Suzanne Bonamici
Barbara Kahl. Completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey, published a voters' pamphlet statement and a campaign platform page, and lists public meet-up events.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Barbara Kahl, Oregon Voters' Pamphlet, Nov. 3, 2026, candidate statement, Dr. Kahl for Congress, home page
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Suzanne Bonamici. Long-time Oregonian: University of Oregon law graduate (1983), Lane County Legal Aid and Portland practice, Beaverton-area legislator. About 78 percent of itemized individual contributions by state for 2025 to 2026 came from Oregon (FEC by-state totals).
Source: Wikipedia, Suzanne Bonamici
Barbara Kahl. Describes herself as a fourth-generation Oregonian whose family has lived in Northwest Oregon for over a century; her campaign lists a Gaston address. Itemized contributions total $2,720, too few for a meaningful in-state share.
Sources: Oregon Voters' Pamphlet, Nov. 3, 2026, candidate statement, Dr. Kahl for Congress, home page
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Suzanne Bonamici. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026, with no FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, coverage dates, FEC administrative fines search, committee C00500421
Barbara Kahl. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026, with no FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, coverage dates, FEC administrative fines search, committee C00942839
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Suzanne Bonamici. Center for Effective Lawmaking rates her Exceeds Expectations for the 118th Congress (LES 2.0 of 0.934 against a benchmark of 0.547). GovTrack counts 10 enacted bills she sponsored.
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress, Center for Effective Lawmaking, data download page, GovTrack, Suzanne Bonamici
Barbara Kahl. No public record found.
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Suzanne Bonamici. Missed 118 of 8,230 roll call votes, 1.4 percent, from February 2012 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Barbara Kahl. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Suzanne Bonamici. Keeps a Beaverton district office, offers help with federal agencies, and brings caseworkers to her open town halls.
Sources: Office of Rep. Bonamici, home page, Hillsboro News-Times, Sept. 28, 2026
Barbara Kahl. No public record found.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Suzanne Bonamici. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of 0.09508 in the latest posted House scores (118th Congress, 2023), ranked 114 of 436.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores
Barbara Kahl. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Suzanne Bonamici. No public record found.
Barbara Kahl. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 6, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in Oregon's 1st Congressional District?
Suzanne Bonamici has the strongest record in Oregon's 1st Congressional District. Suzanne Bonamici scores 73 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 6, 2026. Suzanne Bonamici's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Barbara Kahl (6 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in Oregon's 1st Congressional District in 2026?
Suzanne Bonamici (Democratic, incumbent), Barbara Kahl (Republican). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Suzanne Bonamici a good candidate for Congress?
Suzanne Bonamici scores 73 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria: character 56 of 100, qualifications 80 of 100, performance 81 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Barbara Kahl a good candidate for Congress?
Barbara Kahl has public evidence on 6 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every Oregon race scored, the trailing candidate's path to victory, and the Oregon 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.