by MMAjunkie.com Staff on May 19, 2010 at 10:10 am ET

UFC middleweight contender Chael Sonnen has passed the first test in his bid for a spot in the Oregon House of Representatives.

Sonnen claimed a landslide victory in Tuesday's Republican Party primaries by earning 99.13 percent of the vote in Oregon's 37th District.

In fairness, Sonnen was running unopposed, though he did claim 2,167 votes versus 19 ballots that featured a write-in candidate.

Sonnen now faces Democratic nominee Will Rasmussen, who claimed victory over Gerritt Rosenthal and Joelle Davis with 65.82 percent of the votes cast.

The general election takes place Nov. 2.

Sonnen and Rasmussen are vying to replace Scott Bruun in the Oregon House of Representatives. Bruun recently vacated the seat in order to bid for the Republican nomination for a seat in the United States House of Representatives.

Sonnen, a 33-year-old West Linn, Ore., native, recently toldMMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that his political platform was built on the idea that change was necessary.

"We need change now," Sonnen said. "The taxes (in Oregon) are out of control now. Spending is out of control now. We've got people in the government that really believe it's their job to create jobs. It's not. Government is supposed to create an environment where people like me and people like you will create jobs."

Prior to the general election, Sonnen will make a bid for the UFC's middleweight title when he faces Anderson Silva in the main event of UFC 117 on Aug. 7. It's bound to be a hectic schedule, but Sonnen said he's not concerned.

"I don't find time; I make time," Sonnen said. "If it means I've got to sleep less, then it means I've got to sleep less. Right now, that's what it is. I got my last workout of the day in [recently] at a little past midnight. I walked out my door to start my run. That's what you have to do."