Why It Matters
Oregon Republicans have nominated their best-known statewide candidate for the second consecutive election cycle, setting up a rematch that will test whether the GOP can break a 44-year drought without a Republican governor in Salem. The outcome will ripple beyond Oregon’s borders, with implications for the Mountain West and Pacific Northwest political landscape heading into a consequential fall election.
What Happened
State Sen. Christine Drazan of Canby won the Oregon Republican gubernatorial primary on Tuesday, May 19, defeating a field that included former NBA player Chris Dudley and state Rep. Ed Diehl of Scio. The Associated Press called the race in her favor shortly before 9 p.m., with Drazan holding a lead of nearly 11 percentage points over Diehl in early returns.
On the Democratic side, incumbent Gov. Tina Kotek was comfortably defeating a field of nine lesser-known challengers, clearing the way for a November contest that mirrors the 2022 matchup between the same two candidates.
Drazan, 53, addressed supporters at a winery in Aurora after the race was called, calling for party unity and urging supporters to reach out to voters who have never supported a Republican candidate. “What about now?” she told the crowd, framing the general election as a winnable fight against an incumbent facing broad dissatisfaction among Oregon voters.
The Republican Field
Dudley conceded to a crowd of roughly 50 supporters in Portland, saying he had called Drazan to offer his backing. “You deal with it and you move on,” he said, expressing continued optimism about Oregon’s direction despite the loss. Some Dudley supporters, however, were not immediately ready to back Drazan, with at least two attendees from Sherwood saying they would need time before committing their votes.
Marion County Commissioner Danielle Bethell acknowledged her loss in a brief statement, while Diehl declined to formally concede on election night, instead celebrating the apparent defeat of Measure 120 — the gas tax and vehicle fee increase that Oregon voters were rejecting by wide margins. “There is one thing that we want to call now, and that’s the gas tax,” Diehl said, crediting grassroots opposition for the measure’s failure before announcing he would address the governor’s race the following morning.
By the Numbers
- Drazan led the Republican primary by nearly 11 percentage points as of 9 p.m. Tuesday
- Kotek was defeating nine Democratic challengers in the incumbent party’s primary
- Oregon has not elected a Republican governor since 1982 — a 44-year streak
- Drazan lost to Kotek in 2022 by a few percentage points in a three-way race that also included nonaffiliated candidate Betsy Johnson
- Drazan won her first House seat in 2018 and was elected Senate caucus leader before transitioning to the upper chamber in late 2025
Zoom Out
Drazan’s nomination marks only the third time in Oregon history that both major parties have fielded the same candidates in back-to-back gubernatorial elections. Republicans are banking on voter frustration over homelessness, stagnant educational outcomes, and economic stagnation under Kotek’s administration to make the race more competitive than the last cycle.
The party also points to the successful effort to place the anti-gas tax referendum on the May ballot as evidence of growing public appetite for a change in direction. Oregon has also faced scrutiny over the management of its voter rolls, a concern that Republican candidates have highlighted heading into the general election.
Democrats are expected to lean heavily on Drazan’s connections to national Republican politics, with state party chair Nathan Soltz already framing her nomination as a proxy for President Trump. Drazan has sought to keep her focus on state-level cost-of-living concerns and has worked to separate herself from what she calls divisive national political battles.
What’s Next
The general election matchup between Drazan and Kotek will officially begin with November in sight. Drazan will need to consolidate support from Dudley and Diehl voters, including some skeptical moderates, while broadening her appeal to unaffiliated Oregonians. Kotek’s campaign, backed by the Democratic Party of Oregon and the Democratic Governors Association, is expected to be well-funded and aggressive in linking Drazan to the Trump administration throughout the summer and fall.
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