Crowded GOP field targets Gov. Tina Kotek
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Oregon's gubernatorial primary next month features a crowded field of Republicans running for the opportunity to unseat incumbent Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek.
The big picture: The Oregon GOP hasn't occupied the governor's mansion since Victor G. Atiyeh's tenure ended in 1987 and it doesn't control a single statewide office.
- The candidates aren't spending time swiping at each other, instead zeroing in on Kotek, citing her low approval rankings and her support of transportation and gas tax increases.
Zoom in: State Sen. Christine Drazan, the front-runner, is back for a rematch, hoping to reprise the 2022 gubernatorial election but with better results.
- She currently holds a double-digit lead ahead of her fellow GOP opponents, according to recent polling.
- Drazan, a Republican from Canby, ran against Kotek — a former fellow state lawmaker at the time — four years ago but fell short by just 3.5 percentage points in a crowded three-way race.
This time, she's running on a platform of lowering taxes and cost of living, improving public safety and boosting Oregon's dismal business climate.
Zoom out: Ex-Blazer and businessman Chris Dudley is positioning himself as a political outsider, and he has the backing of billionaire Nike co-founder Phil Knight.
- His focus has been on boosting the state's national standing by raising student test scores and tackling other economic challenges, emphasizing the issues facing Portland.
- Dudley lost his last bid for governor in 2010 against Democrat John Kitzhaber.
Meanwhile, state Rep. Ed Diehl, who was elected to represent Scio in the Oregon House in 2022, is campaigning on stricter fiscal management — cutting taxes and state spending.
- Marion County commissioner Danielle Bethell rounds out the top four candidates, based on campaign contributions, and has narrowed in on a tougher response to crime.
- Early in the race, she secured the backing from prominent Republican legislators, despite being under investigation by the state ethics commission over allegations she used her position to benefit her children.