Once polls closed on election day, Dudley had led in early vote counts, but Kitzhaber narrowly won due to wide margins in Multnomah and Lane counties.

Oregon first used its new cross nomination system, a form of fusion voting, in the 2010 general elections.

[1] As a result, the Independent Party of Oregon did not file a candidate and instead chose to hold a month-long online primary in July.

[8] Republican Chris Dudley did not apply for the Independent Party nomination by the required date, so he was not on the ballot, but he could be written in.

[11] Throughout the last few months of the campaign, opinion polls showed a tight race with the lead apparently changing frequently.