Oregon, My Oregon

Christine Drazan

At Da Caller, Blue-State Candidate Could Become First Republican Governor Since 1987: POL

Republican Christine Drazan is effectively tied with Democrat Tina Kotek in the Oregon gubernatorial race, giving her a chance to become the blue state’s first GOP governor since 1987.

A poll of 600 likely Oregon voters found Drazan with 32% support, Kotek with 31%, and independent former Democrat Betsy Johnson with 18%. Conducted by DHM Research for The Oregonian from Sept. 23-24, the survey has a margin of error of four percent, making the two front-runners effectively tied. No Republican has served as chief executive of Oregon since 1987, when Victor Atiyeh left office.

We left Oregon in 1983, when Atiyeh was Governor. He must have been OK; I don't remember him doing much.

Tina Kotek

Drazan, Kotek, and Johnson are running to replace term-limited Democrat Kate Brown, one of the least-popular governors in the U.S. Drazan led Republicans in the state House from 2019-21, while Kotek served as speaker of the state House from 2013-22. Johnson served in the state Senate from 2005-2021. She left the Democratic Party shortly after stepping down from her seat to run for governor, saying that “having to choose between another left-wing liberal promising more of the same or a right-wing Trump apologist—is no choice at all.”

I'd like to believe the denizens of Portlandia were smartening up, but I ain't convinced. Yet.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Oktoberfest and FMJRA 2.0: Shadows Of The Night ready at the The Other McCain.