This story will be updated at 8 pm with the first election results.

Salem City Councilwoman Virginia Stapleton, a Democrat, is challenging incumbent Rep. Kevin Mannix, a Republican, for Oregon House District 21. in a competitive race for big money.

The district includes downtown Salem and Keizer along with parts of north and east Salem.

Mannix won the seat in 2022 with 51.4% of the vote, flipping the seat previously held by Democrats to Republicans. He previously served in the Oregon House and Senate as a Democrat and then a Republican from 1989 to 2000.

Mannix has criticized Stapleton’s support for Salem’s payroll tax, which was approved by the City Council. before being sent to the voters who rejected it in 2023, and a possible increase in property taxes for address Salem’s budget shortfall.

Stapleton highlighted how her support for reproductive rights and the LGBTQ+ community contrasts with Mannix’s. His campaign brochures claim Mannix has sought to protect the Catholic Church from liability for child sexual abuse and supports banning abortion, even if the mother’s health is at risk.

Mannix, a north Salem resident, runs a law firm in the city.

He said he is focused on advocating for public safety, addressing the housing crisis and advocating for affordability.

“I think people on both sides of the aisle will recognize that I’m a team player,” he said. “I’m a hard worker, I listen, but I also contribute ideas and now we’ve had some successes.”

Stapleton, who lives in north central Salem, was elected to the District 1 City Council seat in 2020.

He said he is running for state representative to reduce costs for families, fully fund police and fire departments, invest in quality education for children, build more affordable housing and address the homelessness, mental health and addictions.

“Our homelessness crisis and our housing crisis are pretty much the same thing, and they have enormous impacts on our community,” Stapleton said.

Mannix’s campaign reported nearly $1 million in cash and in-kind contributions as of Oct. 31, while Stapleton’s campaign reported $311,092 in cash and in-kind contributions.

For questions, comments and news tips, email reporter Whitney Woodworth at [email protected], call 503-910-6616 or follow X on @wmwoodworth

This article originally appeared in the Salem Statesman Journal: Election Results in Oregon Legislative Race House District 21