Oregon governor 2026

Compare candidates running in this Oregon federal race. Review their positions, voting records, campaign promises, and donor information.

Christine Drazan

Party: Republican

Tina Kotek

Party: Democrat

OBJ SPEAKING

Create StoryTimelinesVoter ToolsRegional AnalysisPolicy GuideAll StoriesCommunity PicksUSWorldPoliticsBusinessHealthEntertainmentTechnologyAbout
← US Map>Oregon>governor
governor

Oregon governor

Election: Nov 3, 2026Updated: Apr 10, 2026
safe d— Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, and Sabato's Crystal Ball all rate the race as Solid Democratic

While Oregon is a deep blue state that has not elected a Republican governor since 1982, Kotek's historically low approval ratings (lowest among all 50 governors) and public dissatisfaction create unusual vulnerability. However, Republicans face structural disadvantages in the state's Democratic-leaning Willamette Valley population centers, and 2026 is expected to be a wave cycle favoring Democrats nationally. The race matters because it tests whether an unpopular incumbent in a safe state can survive, and whether Trump-era backlash in blue states can overcome local dissatisfaction.

Christine DrazanR
Tina KotekD

Summary

Christine Drazan is the Republican nominee for Oregon governor and frontrunner in the GOP primary. She is a State Senator (since 2025) representing Senate District 26 and previously served in the Oregon House of Representatives (2019-2022, 2025) where she was Minority Leader. She was the Republican nominee in 2022, narrowly losing to Kotek by 3.5 percentage points. Drazan is the most prominent Republican in the state legislature and a leading voice for tax cuts, deregulation, and opposition to Democratic policies.

Tina Kotek is Oregon's 39th governor, serving since January 2023. She is the first openly lesbian governor of Oregon and one of the first two openly lesbian women to serve as governor of any U.S. state. Before becoming governor, Kotek served as the longest-serving Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives (2013-2022) and represented Oregon House District 44 (2007-2022). She began her career as a public policy advocate for the Oregon Food Bank and policy director for Children First for Oregon. Kotek is from York, Pennsylvania, and moved to Oregon in 1987.

View Christine Drazan's Full Profile →View Tina Kotek's Full Profile →

Campaign Promises

Economy
  • Lower taxes and reduce government spending
Public-Safety
  • Address homelessness through different approach
Housing
  • Reduce housing costs through deregulation
Education
  • Restore parental rights in education
Housing
  • Declare a state of emergency on homelessness and increase housing production to 36,000 units per year
Other
  • Build trust across state and increase government accountability
Healthcare
  • Address mental health and addiction services crisis

Key Issue Positions

Cost of Living and Affordability
Attributes high costs to Democratic policies, taxes, and overregulation; proposes tax cuts and deregulation
Frames election as choice between current Democratic path and her alternative approach. Points to rising costs for housing, food, energy.
Public Safety and Homelessness
Criticizes Kotek approach; proposes more law enforcement and less harm reduction
Campaign message emphasizes 'fewer needles and more cops.' Opposes tent distribution and argues for tough approach.
Response to Trump Administration
Walking careful line; did not explicitly endorse or condemn Trump's National Guard deployment to Portland
Told KATU-TV that National Guard deployment would be appropriate 'as long as the chief of police and the mayor do their job.' Has echoed Trump's claims about Portland violence but avoided explicit position on deployment.
Homelessness and Housing
Supports aggressive state intervention including emergency orders, shelter funding, and housing production incentives
Signed HB 3644 establishing permanent statewide shelter program. From January 2023 to September 2025, provided 6,300 shelter beds, rehoused 5,500 people, and prevented 26,000 households from homelessness.
Education
Supports public school funding and mental health in schools
Signed executive order requiring schools to ban student cellphone use. Prioritizing early literacy and consistent K-12 funding.
Reproductive Rights
Strong abortion access advocate
Signed HB 2002 protecting reproductive health care access. Proclaimed 'Abortion Provider Appreciation Day' in 2025.
Labor and Worker Rights
Pro-union, though constitutional limits on executive power constrained this
Issued EO 24-31 requiring union labor on state construction projects, but court ruled it unconstitutional in March 2026.

Top Donors

No donor data available.

SEIU (Service Employees International Union)
$2,000,000Labor Union
Spent nearly $2 million backing Kotek in 2022, more than any previous candidate
Oregon Nurses Association
UnknownUnion
Endorsed in 2026
EMILYs List
UnknownSuper PAC
Pro-choice Democratic women Super PAC, endorsed in 2026

Contradictions

No contradictions documented.

Claim: Will increase housing production to 36,000 units per year
Contradiction: Housing permits issued in 2024 were at the lowest level in 12 years, representing decline not growth

What Opponents Say

Democratic Governors Association

Drazan is 'bringing Donald Trump's agenda to Oregon' and has supported gutting Medicaid, dangerous abortion bans, and pandering to 'far-right extremists, including January 6th rioters'

DGA opposes Drazan's reelection bid and supports incumbent Kotek

Tina Kotek campaign

Drazan is 'Trump in disguise trying to reshape our state according to his own right-wing agenda' and would cut food assistance

Kotek email to supporters contrasts her anti-Trump stance with Drazan's perceived alignment

Christine Drazan

Kotek's policies have 'wrecked our economy' with the largest tax increase in state history, green energy regulatory schemes, and policies legalizing tent cities

Drazan contrasts Kotek's management against her own proposed approach of lower taxes and deregulation

Ed Diehl

Kotek dismissed 250,000 petition signatures against her transportation package despite 'overwhelming public opposition'

Diehl led referendum effort against 2025 transportation funding bill, calling it the 'one of the largest and fastest petition drives in Oregon history'

Endorsements

State Sen. David Brock Smithindividual
Rep. Shelly Boshart Davisindividual
House Republican Leader Lucetta Elmerindividual
Portland Mayor Keith Wilsonindividual
Oregon Nurses Associationorganization
Working Families Partyorganization