U.S. House, Oregon 3rd Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in Oregon's 3rd Congressional District?
Maxine Dexter has the strongest record in Oregon's 3rd Congressional District. Maxine Dexter scores 67 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 6, 2026. Maxine Dexter's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Loran Ayles (1 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.
Republican
Loran Ayles
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 1 of 15 criteria
- Character
- NR
- Qualifications
- 25
- Performance
- NR
Democratic · incumbent
Strongest record
Maxine Dexter
On the ballot as Maxine E Dexter
67 / 100
Public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 56
- Qualifications
- 75
- Performance
- 69
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.
Loran Ayles
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Maxine Dexter
- On the record2020-06
Was appointed to the Oregon House in 2020 to finish the term of Rep. Mitch Greenlick, who died after she won the Democratic primary for the seat.
Source: Wikipedia, Maxine Dexter
- Credit2026-01-20
Her FAST VETS Act, on veterans' vocational rehabilitation plans, was signed into law Jan. 20, 2026, with two Republican cosponsors.
- Credit2025-11 to 2026-10
Held open town halls in Portland in November 2025 and October 2026, taking questions on the shutdown, immigration and affordability.
Sources: KPTV, Nov. 8, 2025, KOIN via Yahoo News, Oct. 4, 2026
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Loran Ayles. No public record found.
Maxine Dexter. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026, with no FEC administrative fine. Her 2025 annual House disclosure was filed Aug. 2, 2026 after an extension. No House Ethics matter found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, coverage dates, FEC administrative fines search, committee C00859108
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Loran Ayles. No public record found.
Maxine Dexter. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Loran Ayles. No public record found.
Maxine Dexter. Holds open in-person town halls, including Portland events in November 2025 and October 2026.
Sources: KPTV, Nov. 8, 2025, KOIN via Yahoo News, Oct. 4, 2026
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Loran Ayles. No public record found.
Maxine Dexter. Pulmonary and critical care physician, state representative from 2020 to 2024 and U.S. representative since 2025, with no censure, reprimand or conduct finding found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Maxine Dexter
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Loran Ayles. No public record found.
Maxine Dexter. Has held sworn state and federal office since 2020. She was not in Congress for the January 2021 electoral count; no misuse-of-office finding found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Maxine Dexter
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Loran Ayles. No public record found.
Maxine Dexter. State representative for House District 33 from 2020 to 2024 (appointed, then elected twice) and U.S. representative since January 2025; a practicing pulmonary and critical care physician.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Maxine Dexter, Wikipedia, Maxine Dexter
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Loran Ayles. No public record found.
Maxine Dexter. Ranking member of the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations; her FAST VETS Act became law in January 2026, and she introduced a wildland firefighter health bill in September 2026.
Sources: GovTrack, Maxine Dexter, GovTrack, H.R. 4446 (FAST VETS Act)
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Loran Ayles. Chose not to submit a 2026 voters' pamphlet statement and has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey; no campaign website or published issue positions were found.
Sources: Oregon Voters' Pamphlet, Nov. 3, 2026, List of Candidates, Ballotpedia, Loran Ayles
Maxine Dexter. Completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey, holds town halls and published a voters' pamphlet statement.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Maxine Dexter, KPTV, Nov. 8, 2025, Oregon Voters' Pamphlet, Nov. 3, 2026, candidate statement
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Loran Ayles. No public record found.
Maxine Dexter. Lives in North Portland, inside the district. About 75 percent of itemized individual contributions by state for 2025 to 2026 came from Oregon (FEC by-state totals).
Source: Wikipedia, Maxine Dexter
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Loran Ayles. No public record found.
Maxine Dexter. 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 C00859108
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Loran Ayles. No public record found.
Maxine Dexter. Sponsored the FAST VETS Act, on veterans' vocational rehabilitation plans, signed into law Jan. 20, 2026 (Pub.L. 119-72). No Center for Effective Lawmaking score yet for her first Congress.
Sources: GovTrack, H.R. 4446 (FAST VETS Act), GovTrack, Maxine Dexter
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Loran Ayles. No public record found.
Maxine Dexter. Missed 8 of 676 roll call votes, 1.2 percent, from January 2025 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Loran Ayles. No public record found.
Maxine Dexter. Keeps a Portland district office, offers federal agency help and holds regular town halls. No independent casework totals found.
Sources: Office of Rep. Dexter, home page, KOIN via Yahoo News, Oct. 4, 2026
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Loran Ayles. No public record found.
Maxine Dexter. Her enacted FAST VETS Act had two Republican cosponsors. She is not in the Lugar Center's latest posted House scores (2023), which predate her term.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Loran Ayles. No public record found.
Maxine Dexter. 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 3rd Congressional District?
Maxine Dexter has the strongest record in Oregon's 3rd Congressional District. Maxine Dexter scores 67 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 6, 2026. Maxine Dexter's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Loran Ayles (1 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 3rd Congressional District in 2026?
Loran Ayles (Republican), Maxine Dexter (Democratic, incumbent). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Loran Ayles a good candidate for Congress?
Loran Ayles has public evidence on 1 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.
Is Maxine Dexter a good candidate for Congress?
Maxine Dexter scores 67 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria: character 56 of 100, qualifications 75 of 100, performance 69 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
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.