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[Canis]

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[BuckeyeNut]

Brown's a lesbian from Portland; Wyden's a white guy originally from Kansas.

[Kingpoleon]

Wyden is simply more popular and more likeable.

[Mister Mets]

Wyden's been in the Senate for over twenty years. Congressional elections are also nationalized, since it is a vote for what party controls the legislature.

Brown is a newer figure. She had been Governor for less than two years, and gained the position under icky circumstances (her predecessor resigned in disgrace.)

Wyden's opponent had failed in some races for state house, so he was less impressive than a guy who had served as a Marine and a doctor, and earned key endorsements.

http://koin.com/2016/10/18/portland-tribune-endorses-bud-pierce-for-govenor/

While there are also different requirements of Governors than Senators, it does seem Wyden was better as Senator than Brown was as Governor.

[Ye We Can]

To echo what Mister Mets said, the GOP hasn't elected a governor in Oregon since Vic Atiyeh, so that combined with Kitzhaber's corruption, and probably a bit of bigotry thrown in caused her to underpreform. 

Had Kitzhaber's scandal come out say, before 2014, Brown probably would of been smoked without the benefit of presidential turnout/Wyden.

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Wyden is more moderate.

[KingSweden]

Wyden is also an institution now. Brown was a half-term Governor with a scandal-plagued predecessor

[Virginiá]

Brown's win was actually on the upper end of gubernatorial wins since the late 80s. The only person to truly get landslide wins (or close to it) was Kitzhaber, and that was once in the 90s. Since then, most of the elections have been decided by single digit margins, often on the low-mid side of it.

So yes, she did under-perform Wyden, but that was a federal race. I don't think Brown should have ever really been expected to match his margin.

[Mike Thick]

I think that a lot of this has to do with the fact that Wyden is an Oregon institution, but it's also important to note that Mark Callahan was an astonishingly crappy candidate.