Cyrus Javadi Faces Farmer Max Sherman in Million-Dollar Oregon Coast Race

Oregon’s House District 32 is currently the center of the state’s most expensive legislative contest, with both candidates having raised more than $1 million. The race pits Cyrus Javadi, a former Republican now registered as a Democrat, against Max Sherman, a 69-year-old farmer and retired high school teacher. Javadi won the seat twice as a Republican but is seeking a third term under a new banner after a contentious shift in party affiliation.

Javadi, 49, altered his political standing last year with two distinct moves. He provided the deciding vote to pass Governor Tina Kotek’s transportation tax package, which included a 6-cent gas tax increase. Shortly after, he changed his party registration to Democrat. He stated that new revenue was necessary to repair the wind and rain-damaged roads in his district, which stretches from Astoria to Neskowin. Although the state’s general assembly approved the plan, voters rejected the tax package by a large margin in May.

Sherman is challenging Javadi with a platform focused on the region’s economic sectors, specifically agriculture, fishing, and forestry. He describes these industries as the North Coast's economic engines. His campaign mixes standard Republican themes, such as cutting regulation and ending diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, with direct criticism of Javadi’s shifting positions. Sherman called the race a total toss-up that could be a nail-biter. He noted that a lot of local residents have lost trust in Javadi, though he agrees that funding the Oregon Department of Transportation is a priority.

The district contains roughly 55,800 registered voters, with about 2,000 more Democrats than Republicans. However, nonaffiliated voters outnumber both parties and could determine the outcome. Republicans took the seat in 2020 after Democrats held it for 16 years. Lisa Lamping, chair of the Clatsop County Republicans, described Javadi as an opportunist. She noted that local Republican reactions range from anger to good riddance. Former legislator Betsy Johnson also endorsed Sherman in television ads.

Javadi frames his evolution as a strength rather than a liability. He said he was raised in a very conservative Mormon family in Utah and increasingly found his former colleagues’ arguments unconvincing. Last year, he supported a Democratic bill making it harder for school districts to ban books, citing his gay son. He also helped argue for a measure using taxes on healthcare providers to raise federal Medicaid funding. He was the only Republican to back Kotek’s $4.3 billion transportation tax plan, saying the reward for doing the right thing was worth the potential costs.

Javadi says the tax vote rarely comes up during his door-knocking sessions, where he meets as many as 30 or 40 people in a day. He believes the state must find more money for roads but says the May vote showed voters want infrastructure fixes without the specific gas tax increase. His campaign promotes the message that he stands by his values. Some Democrats, including a Tillamook woman who called herself a big-time liberal, have welcomed his switch. Javadi uses artificial intelligence mainly as an editor and organizer while writing the bulk of his Substack posts himself.

Both campaigns are buying ads in the Portland market to reach voters in the district. The high spending level has positioned the race as a potential record-breaker for the year. Sherman continues to emphasize his anti-tax stance while supporting DOT funding. Javadi plans to keep knocking on doors until Election Day, aiming to convince nonaffiliated voters that his recent actions align with their interests on the coast.