Victor Atiyeh served as governor of Oregon from 1979 to 1987. He was the last Republican to hold this office. After 35 years, the Democrats' gubernatorial run in the Beaver State may end, with Republican candidate Christine Drazan close to regaining the office.
A RealClearPolitics poll projects Drazan to get 37.3% of the vote in the midterms, three percentage points more than Democratic challenger Tina Kotek (34.3%). Independent candidate Betsy Johnson is projected to receive 16% support.
The gap between Drazan and Kotek is widening in favor of the Republican candidate, who may even come close to an outright majority according to other polls.
With an election campaign focused on fighting crime and Oregon's poor economic situation, Christine Drazan looks to take Kate Brown's place in Mahonia Hall (the governor's official residence in Salem) and turn Oregon's administration around.
Drazan's policies
Drazan has drawn voters' attention with her firm opposition to legislation carried out by the Democratic Party for 35 years. Inside of her roadmap, she emphasizes numerous problems. First is the state's social crisis: Oregon has the highest number of homeless children and the second highest rate of drug addiction in the country. She also mentions improving education and restoring safety. Homicides in Portland, the state's largest city, increased by 207% between 2019 and 2021.
A staunch defender of the right to life, Drazan welcomed the Supreme Court's ruling that abortion is not a constitutional right. She tweeted this the day Roe vs. Wade was overturned:
Life wins! My statement regarding today's historic ruling at the U.S Supreme Court: https://t.co/XGrOMFWivM #orpol pic.twitter.com/26lMJws6ET
- Christine Drazan (@ChristineDrazan) June 24, 2022
