2026 Oregon gubernatorial election
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November 3, 2026
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| Elections in Oregon |
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The 2026 Oregon gubernatorial election will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect the governor of Oregon. Democratic incumbent Tina Kotek is seeking a second term. She is being challenged by 2022 Republican gubernatorial nominee Christine Drazan.
Primary elections took place on May 19, 2026.[1] Kotek won the Democratic nomination with 84% of the vote, while Drazan won the Republican nomination with 41% of the vote.
This election will mark Oregon's first gubernatorial rematch since 1978.
Democratic primary
[edit]Candidates
[edit]Nominee
[edit]- Tina Kotek, incumbent governor (2023–present)[2][3][4]
Eliminated in primary
[edit]- Forest "Fora" Alexander, rabbi and political activist[4]
- James Atkinson IV, inventor and 2024 Portland mayoral candidate[5][4]
- Donnie Beckwith, businessman[4]
- David Beem, salesperson[4]
- Brittany N. Jones, political activist and non-profit founder[6][4]
- Cal Kishawi[7][4]
- Steve Laible, children's author[4]
- Tristan Sheppard, volunteer firefighter[8][4]
- Miranda Weigler, policy and strategy consultant[4]
Endorsements
[edit]Tina Kotek
- U.S. senators
- U.S. representatives
- Suzanne Bonamici, OR-01 (2012–present)[9]
- Maxine Dexter, OR-03 (2025–present)[9]
- Val Hoyle, OR-04 (2023–present)[9]
- Janelle Bynum, OR-05 (2025–present)[9]
- Andrea Salinas, OR-06 (2023–present)[9]
- Statewide officials
- Dan Rayfield, attorney general of Oregon (2024–present)[9]
- Elizabeth Steiner, treasurer of Oregon (2025–present)[10]
- Christina Stephenson, labor commissioner of Oregon (2023–present)[10]
- State legislators
- Rob Wagner, president of the Oregon Senate (2023–present) from the 19th district (2018–present)[10]
- Julie Fahey, speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives (2024–present) from the 14th district (2017–present)[10]
- Local officials
- Keith Wilson, mayor of Portland (2025–present)[11]
- Labor unions
- International Union of Painters and Allied Trades[10]
- Ironworkers Local 29[10]
- International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 48[9]
- Oregon Building Trades Unions[9]
- Oregon AFL-CIO[12]
- Oregon Nurses Association[9]
- SEIU Local 503[13]
- SMART Union[10]
- Western States Regional Council of Carpenters[10]
- Organizations
Declined to endorse
- Labor unions
- Political parties & organizations
- News publications
Results
[edit]
Kotek
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
- 70–80%
- 80–90%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Tina Kotek (incumbent) | 385,999 | 83.6 | |
| Democratic | Brittany N. Jones | 13,939 | 3.0 | |
| Democratic | Forest "Fora" Alexander | 12,684 | 2.8 | |
| Democratic | Miranda Weigler | 10,161 | 2.2 | |
| Democratic | Tristan Sheppard | 6,006 | 1.3 | |
| Democratic | James Atkinson IV | 5,902 | 1.3 | |
| Democratic | David Beem | 4,863 | 1.1 | |
| Democratic | Steve Laible | 3,692 | 0.8 | |
| Democratic | Cal Kishawi | 2,422 | 0.5 | |
| Democratic | Donnie Beckwith | 1,799 | 0.4 | |
| Write-in | 14,228 | 3.1 | ||
| Total votes | 461,695 | 100.0 | ||
Republican primary
[edit]Candidates
[edit]Nominee
[edit]- Christine Drazan, state senator (2025–present), former minority leader of the Oregon House of Representatives (2019–2021, 2025) and nominee for governor in 2022[20]
Eliminated in primary
[edit]- Danielle Bethell, Marion County commissioner[21]
- Hope Dalrymple
- Ed Diehl, state representative from the 17th district (2023–present)[22]
- Chris Dudley, wealth management executive, former Portland Trail Blazers basketball player, and nominee for governor in 2010[23]
- Kyle Duyck, genomics researcher[21]
- David Medina, podcaster, participant in the January 6 United States Capitol attack[24]
- Robert Neuman, business manager and candidate for labor commissioner in 2022[21]
- Brad Peters
- Paul Romero
- DeAngelo Turner
- Wen Waddell
- Martin Ward
- Tim Youker
Endorsements
[edit]Danielle Bethell
- Local officials
- Kevin Cameron, Marion County commissioner (2014–present)[25]
Ed Diehl
- Organizations
- Oregon Right to Life (co-endorsement with Drazan)[25]
Christine Drazan
- Organizations
- Associated General Contractors Oregon-Columbia[26]
- Maggie's List[27]
- Oregon Farm Bureau[28]
- Oregon Right to Life (co-endorsement with Diehl)[25]
- Newspapers
Polling
[edit]| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Danielle Bethell |
Ed Diehl |
Christine Drazan |
Chris Dudley |
David Medina |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hoffman Research Group (R)[31][A] | April 23–24, 2026 | 620 (LV) | ± 3.9% | – | 18% | 35% | 14% | – | 8%[b] | 25% |
| Nelson Research[32] | April 14–17, 2026 | 515 (LV) | ± 4.3% | 2% | 18% | 37%[c] | 18% | 7% | – | 18% |
Results
[edit]
Drazan
- 30–40%
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
Diehl
- 30–40%
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Christine Drazan | 172,474 | 40.5 | |
| Republican | Ed Diehl | 140,458 | 33.0 | |
| Republican | Chris Dudley | 71,929 | 16.9 | |
| Republican | David Medina | 21,742 | 5.1 | |
| Republican | Danielle Bethell | 9,629 | 2.3 | |
| Republican | Brad Peters | 1,827 | 0.4 | |
| Republican | Paul Romero | 1,615 | 0.4 | |
| Republican | Kyle Duyck | 1,562 | 0.4 | |
| Republican | Robert Neuman | 680 | 0.2 | |
| Republican | Martin Ward | 539 | 0.1 | |
| Republican | Hope Dalrymple | 534 | 0.1 | |
| Republican | DeAngelo Turner | 377 | 0.1 | |
| Republican | Wen Waddell | 321 | 0.1 | |
| Republican | Tim Youker | 248 | 0.1 | |
| Write-in | 1,622 | 0.4 | ||
| Total votes | 425,557 | 100.0 | ||
Third-party and independent candidates
[edit]Declared
[edit]- Brett Smith, welder, pipefitter, inventor (Pacific Green Party)[33]
General election
[edit]Predictions
[edit]| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[34] | Lean D | September 10, 2026 |
| Decision Desk HQ[35] | Likely D | September 23, 2026 |
| Fox News[36] | Lean D | October 6, 2026 |
| Inside Elections[37] | Lean D | September 3, 2026 |
| RealClearPolitics[38] | Lean D | October 5, 2026 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[39] | Lean D | October 6, 2025 |
| Silver Bulletin[40] | Likely D | August 25, 2026 |
Debates
[edit]| No. | Date | Host | Moderators | Link | Participants | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P Participant A Absent N Non-invitee I Invitee W Withdrawn | ||||||
| Tina Kotek | Christine Drazan | |||||
| 1 | October 1, 2026 | University of Oregon | Kendall Bartley | [41] | P | P |
Post-primary endorsements
[edit]Tina Kotek (D)
- Individuals
- Jane Fonda, actress and activist[42]
- Labor unions
- Organizations
- Political parties
- Oregon Working Families Party[46]
Christine Drazan (R)
Declined to endorse
- Organizations
- Political parties
Polling
[edit]Aggregate polls
| Source of poll aggregation |
Dates administered |
Dates updated |
Tina Kotek (D) |
Christine Drazan (R) |
Other/Undecided [d] |
Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Bulletin[49] | through October 1, 2026 | October 8, 2026 | 45.9% | 43.9% | 7.2% | Kotek +2.0% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Tina Kotek (D) |
Christine Drazan (R) |
Other | Undecided | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GBAO (D)[50][B] | October 1–4, 2026 | 800 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 46% | 42% | 6%[e] | 6% | ||||||||
| DHM Research[51][C] | September 24 – October 1, 2026 | 549 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 46% | 44% | 3%[f] | 7% | ||||||||
| DHM Research[52][D] | September 17–27, 2026 | 915 (LV) | ± 3.2% | 46%[g] | 47% | 3%[f] | 5% | ||||||||
| 44% | 46% | 3%[f] | 8% | ||||||||||||
| DHM Research[53][E] | September 3–9, 2026 | 600 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 43% | 45% | 4%[h] | 13% | ||||||||
| Public Opinion Strategies (R)[54][F] | June 22–24, 2026 | 600 (RV) | ± 4.0% | 44% | 48% | — | 8% | ||||||||
| Primary elections | |||||||||||||||
| Hoffman Research Group (R)[55][G] | May 11–12, 2026 | 603 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 45% | 45% | — | 10% | ||||||||
| FM3 Research (D)[56][H] | January 28 – February 4, 2026 | 1,065 (LV) | ± 3.1% | 45% | 40% | — | 15% | ||||||||
Hypothetical polling
Tina Kotek vs. Ed Diehl
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Tina Kotek (D) |
Ed Diehl (R) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FM3 Research (D)[56][H] | January 28 – February 4, 2026 | 1,065 (A) | ± 3.1% | 43% | 37% | 20% |
Tina Kotek vs. Chris Dudley
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Tina Kotek (D) |
Chris Dudley (R) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hoffman Research Group (R)[55][G] | May 11–12, 2026 | 603 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 44% | 48% | 9% |
| FM3 Research (D)[56][H] | January 28 – February 4, 2026 | 1,065 (LV) | ± 3.1% | 45% | 35% | 20% |
Results
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Tina Kotek (incumbent) | ||||
| Republican | Christine Drazan | ||||
| Pacific Green | Brett Smith | ||||
| Write-in | |||||
| Total votes | 100.0 | N/A | |||
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 Key:
A – all adults
RV – registered voters
LV – likely voters
V – unclear - ↑ "Some other candidate" with 8%
- ↑ With voters who lean towards a given candidate
- ↑ Calculated by taking the difference of 100% and all other candidates combined.
- ↑ Brett Smith (G) with 6%
- 1 2 3 Brett Smith (G) with 3%
- ↑ With voters who lean towards a given candidate
- ↑ Brett Smith (G) with 4%
Partisan clients
- ↑ Poll commissioned by Crosstabs, a podcast that supports Republicans
- ↑ Poll sponsored by Kotek's campaign
- ↑ Poll conducted on behalf of The Oregonian
- ↑ Poll conducted on behalf of Oregon Public Broadcasting
- ↑ Poll conducted on behalf of Grow Oregon
- ↑ Poll sponsored by Drazan's campaign
- 1 2 Poll sponsored by Dudley's campaign
- 1 2 3 Poll commissioned by Charlie Health, an online behavioral health provider
References
[edit]- ↑ "2026 State Primary Election Dates". National Conference of State Legislatures. May 9, 2025. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
- ↑ Dake, Lauren (November 21, 2025). "Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek inches closer to reelection announcement". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Retrieved November 22, 2025.
- ↑ "Gov. Kotek announces campaign for reelection". KPTV. December 4, 2025. Retrieved December 4, 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Governor (Democratic primary) | Voter Guide: 2026 Primary Election • Oregon". Oregon Capital Chronicle. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Atkinson, James". Secretary of State, Oregon. Retrieved February 3, 2026.
- ↑ "Brittany Jones discusses plan to unseat Gov. Tina Kotek in May's Democratic primary". KOIN. KOIN 6 News. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
- ↑ Oliver, John (January 6, 2026). "Oregon Governor Hopeful Cal Kishawi Says His Mission Is to "Stand United," Centering Schools, Infrastructure, and Practical Problem-Solving". Grants Pass Tribune. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
- ↑ "Sheppard, Tristan". Secretary of State, Oregon. Retrieved February 3, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek announces that she's running for reelection in 2026". KGW. December 4, 2025. Retrieved December 5, 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Governor Tina Kotek announces she will run for re-election, could again face Republican Christine Drazan". KTVZ. December 4, 2025. Retrieved December 5, 2025.
- ↑ Fuentes, Carlos (December 4, 2025). "Oregon Gov. Kotek announces 2026 reelection bid, setting up Drazan rematch". The Oregonian. Retrieved December 5, 2025.
- ↑ Villanueva, Mia (March 4, 2026). "Gov. Kotek loses out on two previous endorsements as 2026 election looms". KOIN.
- ↑ "SEIU Members Endorse Governor Tina Kotek!". SEIU503 Local. Retrieved April 8, 2026.
- ↑ "Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek announces reelection bid". OPB. Retrieved December 5, 2025.
- ↑ "Endorsements". GIFFORDS. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
- 1 2 "Oregon Working Families Party, state's largest teachers union decline to endorse in governor's race". Oregon Capital Chronicle. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
- ↑ "Our Voter Guide for the May 2026 Primary". Portland DSA. May 7, 2026. Archived from the original on May 7, 2026. Retrieved May 6, 2026.
- ↑ "The Mercury's May 2026 Election Endorsements". Portland Mercury. Archived from the original on May 1, 2026. Retrieved May 6, 2026.
- 1 2 "Unofficial Results: 2026 Primary - Governor". Oregon Secretary of State. May 19, 2026. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
- ↑ Fuentes, Carlos (October 27, 2025). "Republican Christine Drazan will run for governor in 2026". The Oregonian. Retrieved October 27, 2025.
- 1 2 3 Moore, Madeleine (April 27, 2025). "Danielle Bethell, former Keizer chamber official, announces run for governor". Keizertimes. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
- ↑ Fuentes, Carlos (January 20, 2025). "Oregon Republican who led anti-tax referendum effort will run for governor". The Oregonian. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
- ↑ Fuentes, Carlos (January 26, 2026). "Former Blazer Chris Dudley will run for Oregon governor, setting up heated Republican primary". oregonlive. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
- ↑ "Man charged as Jan. 6 rioter running for Oregon governor". Portland, Oregon: KPTV. January 20, 2026. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
- 1 2 3 "These Republicans running for Oregon governor are raising the most money, readying TV ad blitz". Oregon Live. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
- ↑ "AGC Oregon-Columbia Chapter is proud to officially endorse Christine Drazan for Oregon Governor". Instagram (AGC Oregon-Columbia). April 16, 2026. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
- ↑ "Christine Drazan - Maggie's List". Maggie's List. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
- ↑ "Farm Bureau endorses Drazan". Oregon Catalyst. February 17, 2026. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
- ↑ "Editorial endorsement May 2026: Republicans should choose Christine Drazan for a gubernatorial rematch". The Oregonian. April 26, 2026. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
- ↑ "WW's May 2026 Endorsements: Statewide". Willamette Week. April 29, 2026. Retrieved May 23, 2026.
- ↑ Knopp, Reagan; Iverson, Bryan (April 28, 2026). "EXCLUSIVE: Crosstabs Releases Governor Poll". Crosstabs. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
- ↑ "Nelson Research Republican primary poll" (PDF). Nelson Research. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
- ↑ "Candidate Information". Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved August 26, 2026.
- ↑ "2026 CPR Governor Race ratings". The Cook Political Report. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
- ↑ "2026 Governor Forecast". Decision Desk HQ. Retrieved September 22, 2026.
- ↑ "Fox News Power Rankings: The top races to watch as 36 states choose their next governor". Fox News. Rémy Numa. Retrieved July 24, 2026.
- ↑ "Gubernatorial Ratings". Inside Elections. Retrieved February 7, 2025.
- ↑ "2026 Governor Races | RealClearPolitics". RealClearPolitics. Archived from the original on June 1, 2026. Retrieved October 5, 2026.
- ↑ "2026 Governor". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Retrieved May 1, 2025.
- ↑ Silver, Nate (August 20, 2026). "FLIPR 2026 midterm election forecast". www.natesilver.net. Retrieved August 20, 2026.
- ↑ "ELECTION 2026: Kotek, Drazan face off in televised debate in Oregon governor's race". KATU. October 1, 2026. Retrieved October 2, 2026 – via YouTube.
- ↑ Kavanaugh, Shane (September 30, 2026). "Jane Fonda weighs in on governor's race: The latest on Oregon's 2026 election". OregonLive. Retrieved September 30, 2026.
- ↑ "Oregon AFSCME 2026 Endorsements". Oregon AFSCME. Retrieved September 30, 2026.
- ↑ "Endorsements—End Citizens United". End Citizens United. Retrieved June 6, 2026.
- ↑ "2026 General Election Candidate Endorsements". Sierra Club Oregon Chapter. Retrieved September 30, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 VanderHart, Dirk (August 21, 2026). "Kotek snags final minor-party nomination, likely cementing a three-way race for Oregon governor". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Retrieved August 27, 2026.
- ↑ "For Immediate Release: Oregon Fraternal Order of Police and Oregon State FOP Labor Coalition". Facebook. Retrieved August 28, 2026.
- ↑ "NFIB Endorses Christine Drazan for Oregon Governor". National Federation of Independent Business. September 29, 2026. Retrieved September 30, 2026.
- ↑ "FLIPR 2026 midterm election forecast". Silver Bulletin. Retrieved September 13, 2026.
- ↑ VanderHart, Dirk (October 8, 2026). "2 new polls suggest Kotek may lead in Oregon governor's race". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Retrieved October 9, 2026.
- ↑ Fuentes, Carlos (October 8, 2026). "Oregon governor's race may be shifting, new poll shows". The Oregonian. Retrieved October 8, 2026.
- ↑ VanderHart, Dirk (September 30, 2026). "OPB poll shows Oregon governor's race virtually deadlocked". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Retrieved September 30, 2026.
- ↑ Jaquiss, Nigel (September 15, 2026). "New Poll Shows Drazan With Slight Lead in Governor's Race". Oregon Journalism Project. Retrieved September 15, 2026.
- ↑ Fuentes, Carlos (July 9, 2026). "New poll shows Oregon governor's race is far from settled". The Oregonian. Retrieved July 9, 2026.
- 1 2 Mason, Anastasia. "Poll shows candidate leading Kotek in hypothetical general election". Yahoo. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Fuentes, Carlos (February 13, 2026). "Who will be Oregon's next governor? First poll of 2026 names this candidate". The Oregonian. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
External links
[edit]- Official campaign websites