Three women. One election. Oregon’s future.
This November, Oregonians will choose their next governor as part of the 2022 midterms. This race is possibly one of the most interesting races Oregon has seen in decades. This is the first time Oregon has had three female candidates running for governor, and polls show a close race, a surprise in this typically Democratic state. Here’s some information about the candidates and how they plan to address some of the major issues facing the state.
Betsy Johnson (Independent)
Betsy Johnson served as a Democratic state senator from 2005-2021. While in office, she frequently broke with her party on major issues, voting against a 2015 bill establishing universal background checks and a bipartisan 2017 red flag law, which allows guns to be taken away from people who could potentially pose a threat to themselves or others. Johnson resigned as senator in 2021 leaving her party to launch her gubernatorial campaign as an independent. She claims to reject the extremes of both parties and states that as governor, she would force them to work together by vetoing any legislation that doesn’t have bipartisan support.
Abortion:
Johnson is pro-choice.
Homelessness:
Johnson plans to address homelesness by creating more designated camping areas and emergency shelters, with the goal of reducing tent cities and homeless camps. She says she is going to make a substantial effort to provide homeless people with adequate services and job training to help them integrate back into society.
Public Safety/ Policing:
If elected, Johnson would work to repeal Measure 110, which decriminalized possession of hard drugs in Oregon. She would also boost funding for the state police, law enforcement training programs and crime labs. Johnson supports capital punishment and would lift the moratorium on executions that has been in place since 2011 if elected.
Climate Change:
Johnson believes that climate change is real and that action must be taken, but she thinks that our current approach to climate change often hurts the economies of rural and working-class communities. If elected, she would revoke Governor Kate Brown’s executive order that implemented a cap and trade program, which imposed limits on emissions and required businesses to obtain permits to emit greenhouse gasses. Johnson also has a strategy for preventing wildfires with sustainable forestry practices like controlled burns and the thinning of overgrowth.
What do the candidates have to say to high schoolers?:
Betsy Johnson Statement: “You’re not imagining it. The world is going to hell in a handbasket and the people in charge aren’t doing it right. However, the thing that is different than you think is one person can actually make a hell of a difference. I’ve seen that in my life. As a state senator, my office has changed thousands of lives, from people needing food and shelter to help getting a building permit to starting a business. And now I’m trying to make the biggest change I can imagine in Oregon. So, I’d like to leave you with this: if you’re not frustrated, you’re not paying attention, but if you’re not doing something about it, you don’t have a right to complain.”
Tina Kotek (Democrat)
Tina Kotek, the Democratic candidate in Oregon’s gubernatorial race, is a familiar face in Oregon politics. First elected in 2006 as a state representative, she was the Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives from 2013–2022, the longest tenure of any speaker. In that position, she was a progressive juggernaut, helping passing pieces of legislation addressing climate change, abortion rights and gun control.
Abortion:
Kotek is pro-choice.
Homelessness:
As governor, Kotek’s goal is to end homelessness for veterans, young children and seniors by 2025. She plans to achieve this goal through investments in services for the homeless and creating a workforce who helps homeless people find housing. She wants to address the housing shortage by streamlining the permitting process for building homes and making sure that housing production goals are met in an equitable manner, with the goal of building enough housing to address the present demand and being able to keep up with future demand by 2033.
Public Safety/ Policing:
Kotek plans to tackle the issues of public safety and policing in a couple of different ways. She wants to raise the age to buy a firearm in Oregon to 21 years old and invest in initiatives expanding access to specialists trained to help people suffering from mental health crises. Like the other candidates, she supports increasing funding for the police, but she wants to make sure that police officers meet or exceed standards on justice and safety.
Climate Change:
When it comes to climate change, Kotek’s plan involves preserving our existing environmental protections and increasing the usage of zero emission vehicles. She also plans to increase investments in public transit, use wildfire mitigation methods such as prescribed burns and support communities affected by wildfires.
What do the candidates have to say to high schoolers?:
Kotek’s campaign didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Christine Drazan (Republican)
The Republican candidate running for governor previously served as House Minority Leader from 2019-2020. During her tenure, Republicans, led by Drazan, walked out on several occasions to deny the Democrats (who hold a supermajority in both the State House and Senate) a quorum, preventing them from conducting legislative business. One of the more high profile cases involved a cap and trade bill that died due to one of these walkouts.
Homelessness:
If elected, Drazan would declare a homelessness state of emergency. She plans to further address the crisis by improving our support systems for mental health and addiction. Like Johnson, she supports repealing Measure 110. When it comes to housing, Drazan supports giving more incentives to housing providers and getting rid of regulations that she believes drive up costs.
Abortion:
While Drazan does consider herself pro-life, she has stated she will respect current law on this issue. Oregon has some of the strongest protections in the nation when it comes to abortion rights.
Public Safety:
Drazan plans to rebuild the trust and confidence of law enforcement by fully funding state police, offering quality salaries to law enforcement and giving them a hiring bonus. Her plan to create safer communities also includes working with authorities at all levels to reduce the drugs on Oregon streets and cartel activity in southern Oregon.
What do the candidates have to say to high schoolers?:
We were unable to obtain comment from Drazan’s campaign.
Voting in Oregon
Registration
In Oregon, you can register to vote as soon as you’re 16 years old, though you won’t receive a ballot until you’re 18. You can register online, by mail or in person at your county’s election office. In order to vote in the upcoming gubernatorial election, you must register by October 18. If you have more questions about registration, visit the Oregon Secretary of State website for more information.
Receiving Your Ballot and Voting
If you’re registered to vote, you’ll receive a ballot in the mail. Fill out this ballot and return it by either mailing it or dropping it off at your closest official drop box by election day. Oregon’s governor race will take place on November 8.
