Oregon Governor Midterm Race Summed Up

Photo Credit: NBC News

Sophie Dalfonsi: Oregon, holding a high-stakes midterm election, battled between two female candidates for governor: Tina Kotek (D) and Christine Drazan (R) . Tina Kotek, the first openly lesbian governor candidate in Oregon, has a lot going for her as one of her main agendas for battling climate change is turning Oregon energy 100% green by 2040. With the catastrophic wildfires that swallow the Pacific Northwest every summer, Kotek’s agenda is very much relevant. As for Christine Drazan, a former House of Representatives member, her agenda consists of reducing the large homeless population in Oregon and undoing the decriminalization of hard drugs.

The two candidates had very similar levels of support as one of Oregon’s larger urban areas, Bend, slowly turns more red. However, Democrats within Oregon’s borders fought relentlessly to keep the government power within the Democratic party. 

Portland, Oregon’s largest urban area, was swept with blue, giving Kotek the win. Yetwhen analyzing the state’s counties, there is a surprising wave of red. Those from Oregon understand Bend as a liberal city filled with California retirees. Despite this label, Bend’s majority voted for Drazan. 

Over the past few weeks, there has been extreme backlash about Kotek’s victory, as the geographic majority of Oregon was rooting for Drazan. However, the two largest urban areas in Oregon were able to make a statement and bring Kotek into power despite the large wave of red across the state.

Now that Kotek is in power, we can only wait and see how the state will react to her new regulations. This was a major win for the Democrats in Oregon due to the shift in power across the country.

Sophie Dalfonsi is a sophomore in the College studying Political Economy and is from Bend, Oregon. In her free time, she enjoys golfing, working out, playing intramural sports, and spending time with friends.