Astoria, OR. — The race for Oregon House District 32, spanning the state’s North Coast, has quickly become one of Oregon’s most closely watched contests following Representative Cyrus Javadi’s decision to switch from Republican to Democrat and seek reelection under his new party affiliation.
Javadi, a Tillamook dentist first elected in 2022, announced the move in early September in a Facebook post that stunned party members and reshaped the political landscape of the coastal district. In that post, he defended his record and insisted his convictions hadn’t changed, only his party had.
“Had enough? I have,” Javadi wrote. “I didn’t run for office to chant slogans or toe a party line. I ran to solve problems that don’t check voter registration before they land on our doorstep.” He cited his priorities as keeping hospitals open, fixing roads and bridges, expanding housing, and defending free speech.
Javadi’s defection came amid heavy criticism from Republicans for supporting Governor Tina Kotek’s transportation funding proposal, which included billions in new or increased gas taxes, payroll taxes, and vehicle registration fees. Javadi’s vote was pivotal to the bill’s passage, and it drew fierce backlash from conservatives who saw it as a betrayal of campaign promises to oppose new taxes. In his 2023 campaign Javadi cited one of the highlights of his efforts in the legislature as “[o]pposing efforts to increase taxes, including a $22 Billion new tax for Universal Health Care.”
Representative Ed Diehl (R–HD17), one of Javadi’s GOP colleagues, blasted the move in a post on Facebook, accusing the Governor of “manufacturing a crisis” and calling Javadi’s support for the measure “the theater of the absurd.” Diehl argued that the bill “saddles families, small businesses, and rural communities with higher costs while ODOT keeps pouring money into bloated megaprojects and climate vanity schemes.”
The controversy further deepened when Javadi deleted a social media post showing him alongside U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D–OR) after the two discussed health care policy in Tillamook. The deletion, which removed a series of critical public comments, raised questions about whether the removal violated First Amendment standards for official pages. Javadi later told Right Now Oregon that the deletion was accidental and that the post would be restored, reaffirming his commitment to “transparency and free expression.”
Now, the political consequences of Javadi’s switch are beginning to take shape. Recent voter registration data from August 2025 show 16,419 registered Democrats and 14,029 Republicans in District 32, a narrow but potentially decisive Democratic advantage heading into 2026. In the 2024 election Javadi narrowly beat the then Democratic candidate Andy Davis by 1,717 votes a margin of less than 5%.
One of the first to step forward to challenge Javadi is Christian Honl, a retired Intel professional who grew up in Astoria, and has since become a community advocate and currently serves on the Clatsop County Care Health Board. Honl formally filed to run as a Republican, describing Javadi’s switch as a “betrayal” of coastal voters who trusted him to oppose new taxes and defend law enforcement.
“Our friends and neighbors are dealing with illegal encampments, illicit drug use, unaffordable rent, bad roads, and the loss of family-wage jobs while Salem and Portland politicians keep making excuses and throwing good money after bad,” Honl said. “Our current state representative has chosen to trust those who created this mess and not the people who put him in office.”
Honl’s campaign emphasizes “safe and clean streets, job growth, lower costs, and accountability in Salem.” His platform calls for stronger enforcement against open drug use, investment in rural infrastructure, support for traditional industries such as fishing and forestry, and tax relief for working families.
“Whether you agree or disagree with me on every issue, you know I’m a lifelong Republican and I will always be open and consistent about who I am,” Honl said in his announcement. “Together we can build a safer, stronger, more prosperous future for the North Coast.”
The North Coast district, which includes Clatsop, Tillamook, and parts of Columbia counties, has long been a swing region. With his new party affiliation, Javadi will now face a potentially bruising primary battle within the Democratic Party and an energized Republican challenge from Honl or another contender in the general election.
As both men begin to campaign across the district, from Astoria’s working waterfront to Tillamook’s dairy country, voters are preparing for one of the most unpredictable and ideologically charged races in Oregon’s 2026 legislative cycle.
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