Javadi seeks House seat as Democrat after breaking with GOP on road tax

A former Republican is asking Oregon voters to send him to Salem as a Democrat this November.

Cyrus Javadi, 49, has represented House District 32 for two terms under the Republican banner. His switch to the Democratic Party has made his reelection bid a focal point for state political observers. The district covers a stretch of the North Coast from Astoria to Neskowin. Javadi’s change in allegiance followed a series of actions last year that distanced him from his previous party.

He cast the decisive vote in favor of Gov. Tina Kotek’s transportation tax package. That measure included a 6-cent increase in the state gas tax, a change that proved unpopular among many voters. Following that vote, Javadi officially changed his party registration to Democrat. He explained the move by citing the deteriorating condition of local roads, which he said required new funding sources to address the damage from wind and rain.

The electoral map of the district presents a complex challenge for both candidates. There are roughly 2,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans in the area. However, that numerical advantage did not determine the outcome in recent elections. Republicans took control of the seat in 2020 after a 16-year period of Democratic dominance. Nonaffiliated voters make up the largest single group among the approximately 55,800 registered voters in the district. Their choices may prove decisive, prompting Javadi to spend significant time canvassing coastal neighborhoods.

Max Sherman, a 69-year-old farmer and retired high school teacher from Hebo, is the Republican challenger. His background in agriculture, fishing, and forestry allows him to frame these industries as the economic backbone of the North Coast. His campaign blends traditional Republican themes, such as reducing regulation and ending diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, with specific attacks on Javadi’s shifting political stance. Sherman noted that many residents feel their trust in Javadi has eroded. Like his opponent, he agrees that funding for the Oregon Department of Transportation is essential, but he positions himself as a candidate who opposes new taxes.

Local party leaders have reacted strongly to Javadi’s defection. Lisa Lamping, chair of the Clatsop County Republicans, who helped elect Javadi in 2022 and 2024, has described him as an opportunist. She highlighted the contrast between his previous opposition to taxes and abortion and his current endorsement by Planned Parenthood. Among local Republicans, sentiment ranges from anger to a sense of relief. Betsy Johnson, a former Democratic legislator who represented the area for two decades, has also lent her support to Sherman in television advertisements.

Both campaigns have raised over $1 million, making this potentially the most expensive state House race in Oregon this year. The substantial war chests have enabled both candidates to purchase advertising slots in the Portland market, which covers the district. Sherman has characterized the contest as a total toss-up that could come down to the final moments of the election.

Javadi frames his political evolution as a sign of strength rather than a weakness. He grew up in a conservative Mormon family in Utah and said he increasingly found the arguments of his Republican colleagues to be unconvincing. Last year, he supported a Democratic bill that made it harder for school districts to ban books, a move he linked to his personal experience as a parent of a gay son. He also helped argue for a measure that would use taxes on healthcare providers to increase federal Medicaid funding. He was the only Republican to support Kotek’s $4.3 billion transportation plan, stating that the benefit of doing the right thing outweighed the political cost.

Voters rejected the transportation tax package by a wide margin in May. Javadi maintains that the state still needs more money for road infrastructure, but he acknowledges that the election results showed a preference for fixes without the 6-cent gas hike. He reports that the topic rarely comes up during his door-to-door campaigning, even when he meets 30 or 40 people in a single day. His campaign is currently emphasizing that he remains true to his core values. Some Democrats, including a self-described liberal from Tillamook, have welcomed his switch. Javadi, who publishes detailed Substack posts explaining his policy changes, says he uses artificial intelligence primarily as an editor and organizer while writing most of the content himself. He intends to continue knocking on doors until Election Day.