Crowded list of candidates for Oregon governor continues to grow

Former New York Times journalist Nicholas Kristof announced his candidacy this week for Oregon governor, saying the state needs a political newbie to solve problems like homelessness and rural despair.

He joins a crowded field that already includes more than a dozen other candidates, including the state treasurer, state house speaker, a Salem doctor and two Oregon mayors.

In his campaign video, Kristof said the state's current political leaders have been unable to resolve issues such as drug addiction, homelessness, unaffordable housing, a spiraling homicide rate in Portland and weak mental health support.

“Nothing will change until we stop moving politicians up the career ladder year after year, even though they refuse to step up to the problems Oregon faces,” said Kristof, wearing a jacket with the logo of Portland-based Columbia Sportswear.

Kristof has faced questions of whether he's even eligible to run for governor. According to the law, a candidate must have been a resident of the state for at least three years before an election. Kristof voted in New York state in November 2020.

“I probably should have changed my registration. I wasn’t focused on paperwork. I was focused on voting to remove President Trump and vote for Joe Biden,” Kristof told reporters in Portland on Wednesday.

A legal opinion by lawyers working for Kristof, first reported by Willamette Week newspaper, said Kristof has always considered Oregon his home, even though his job required him to live around the world.

“Nothing in the Oregon Constitution or the historical sources used to interpret its meaning suggest that registration to vote in another jurisdiction alone disqualifies a person from residential eligibility for governor,” said the opinion, co-written by Misha Isaak, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown’s former general counsel.

More on Oregon's governor race

• Democratic state Sen. Betsy Johnson to launch an independent campaign for Oregon governor
• Oregon Treasurer Tobias Read joins crowded Democratic field in gubernatorial campaign launch

Kristof and his wife, Sheryl WuDunn — who also was a New York Times reporter — bought a 150-acre property in Yamhill in 1993 and have worked the land and paid Oregon property taxes on it.

Democratic Gov. Kate Brown is term-limited and can’t run for the state's top office again. Kristof joins a crowded field of Democrats seeking their party's nomination to be the candidate in the 2022 election. Democrats have held the governor’s office since 1987.

Eight other Democratic candidates have formally announced or filed to run:

• Wilson Bright, a retired textile business owner from Portland.
• Peter Hall, a Haines city council member. 
• Tina Kotek, the Oregon House speaker said she was running to expand health care access, push for racial and economic justice, address climate change and prioritize affordable housing.
• Casey Kulla, a farmer and Yamhill County commissioner from Dayton.
• Dave Lavinsky, a business and strategic advisor from Bend.
• Keisha Merchant, an artist from Albany.
• Tobias Read, the Oregon state treasurer said he will focus on Oregon's kids, making pre-K more accessible, extending the school year, expanding technical training and investing in clean energy. 
• Michael Trimble, a customer service rep from Portland. 

Democratic state Sen. Betsy Johnson is running as an unaffiliated candidate. 

“Having to choose between another left-wing liberal promising more of the same or a right-wing Trump apologist – is no choice at all,” Johnson wrote in an email to supporters and obtained by OPB. “Oregonians deserve better than the excesses and nonsense of the extreme left and radical right… That’s why I have decided to run for governor as an independent leader unaffiliated with any party and loyal only to the people of Oregon.”

Nine Republican candidates have also announced or filed to run for their party's nomination:

• Bridget Barton, a publisher from West Linn.
• JIm Huggins, a filmmaker and veteran from Bend.
• Nick Hess, a Tigard telecommunications business owner. 
• Kerry McQuisten, a publishing company owner and Baker City mayor.
• Brandon Merritt, a marketing consultant from Bend. 
• Bud Pierce, a Salem doctor who announced in December, prior to his wife's death, that he would run. He said he would focus on solving the homelessness crisis, reforming K-12 education, reducing taxes and regulations on small businesses and lowering health care costs. 
• Stan Pulliam, an insurance executive and Sandy mayor.
• Amber Richardson, a massage therapist from White City. 
• Marc Thielman, Alsea School District superintendent from Cottage Grove.

The Salem Statesman Journal and Associated Press/Report for America journalist Sara Cline contributed to this report.