OREGON: “In total, Democrats outspent Republicans on television about 4-to-1, according to Smart Media Delta, a GOP buying firm. Bonamici spent about a half a million dollars on television, the Democratic Congressional Committee almost a million, in addition to spending from a few other Democratic groups,” Nathan Gonzales notes, adding, “Democrats took a page from Republicans’ playbook from last year’s special election in Nevada, where the National Republican Congressional Committee spent heavily on early television ads to make sure that the race never got out of hand. A difference is that Republicans were defending a district where John McCain won by just 89 votes.

More: “This election in Oregon is notable because of the absence of Obama. Cornilles never focused on the President and Bonamici hardly talked about him either. That dynamic makes this special election different than the dozens of races that will decide the House in November, when the President’s performance will be a huge topic of debate.”

WASHINGTON: “The Washington state Senate is set to take a crucial vote Wednesday on a proposal to legalize same-sex marriage,” AP writes. The bill has narrow support in the Senate, but is expected to pass because supporters have secured 25 ‘yes’ votes -- the minimum required for approval. Five senators, two Democrats and three Republicans, have not indicated how they will vote. If passed by the Senate, the measure moves to the House, which has enough votes to pass the bill by a more comfortable margin.”

More: “Same-sex marriage is legal in New York, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and the District of Columbia. Lawmakers in New Jersey and Maryland are expected to debate gay marriage this year, and Maine is likely to see a gay marriage proposal on the November ballot.”