CBS News projected Wednesday that Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek would win reelection over Christine Drazan, extending Democratic control of the office after a campaign centered on affordability and homelessness.
Drazan, a former statehouse leader, faulted Kotek and the Democratic majority in the legislature for Oregon’s economic problems and homelessness. Kotek sought to associate Drazan with President Trump, who lost Oregon by more than 14 points in 2024.
A September DHM Research poll cited by CBS News found that 58% of Oregonians disapproved of Kotek, while 59% disapproved of the state’s direction. CBS News reported that Oregon’s largest public education union declined to endorse either candidate this year. The outlet said major labor unions backed Kotek in 2022.
An Oct. 15 shooting at a school in Bend left three students and a teacher dead. Kotek and Drazan both visited Bend afterward; Kotek declared an emergency to help deliver aid to the area.
The election brought Kotek and Drazan together again four years after Kotek won their first contest by a narrow margin. No Republican has won Oregon’s governorship since 1982.
