Apart - maybe - from the race for the U.S. Senate, the immediate issue in Oregon politics for 2008 is the Oregon House: Whether Democrats will retain control of it next session and if so, by how much.
While in theory the control of every legislative chamber in the Northwest could change each cycle, in practice only a few have such close partisan splits that there's a credible chance of a change in control. Democrats now run the Oregon House (and with it, hold unified control in Oregon governor) by the barest of majorities, 31-29. Considering that they gained five seats last election to reach that number, the prospect of a shift in a few seats next time is realistic. So every seat is being watched closely.
You pick up something more than uneasiness on the part of Republicans, and confidence on the part of Democrats, that the new majority will be retained and maybe expanded. Will it? You can never be sure; at this point in the last cycle, Democrats talking about a House takeover were often dismissed as dreamers.
But let's take an early look and see how it shakes out.