Nicholas Kristof speaks at AOL BUILD Speaker Series. Photo: Paul Zimmerman/WireImage via Getty Images
Former New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof on Wednesday officially announced his candidacy for governor of Oregon.
Driving the news: Earlier this month, Kristof formed a political action committee and officially left the Times as he explored the political bid.
What he's saying: "It's time to do something about a system that's rigged against so many ordinary Oregonians, but nothing will change until we stop moving politicians up the career ladder year after year, even though they refuse to step up to the problems Oregon faces," Kristof said in an announcement video Wednesday.
- “I exist only because Oregon showed compassion for a refugee... [it’s] that Oregon — the one of hope and opportunity, the one that reveals the best in us, even when things are at their worst, that I believe in," Kristof added.
The big picture: Kristof will join what is expected to be a crowded Democratic primary field, with several Democrats filing or announcing their intent to run, according to local Portland station KGW8.
- The primaries are set for May 2022.
- Go deeper: Nicholas Kristof is leaving New York Times