As we look ahead to the 2026 governor’s race in Oregon, it’s easy to fall into the trap of seeing this as a battle between left and right. When you strip away party labels, Gov. Tina Kotek and Christine Drazan are shockingly similar, particularly in how they see, and operate within, the world of government.

Neither Kotek nor Republican challenger Drazan have built a career outside the public sector. Instead, their careers have largely centered on political work and public sector paychecks. Kotek has been embedded in government and public service roles and has a professional history deep in policymaking, administration and legislative leadership. Drazan also has a resume built entirely around government and politics, roles funded by taxpayers, not by private investment.

Since both have spent their entire careers in public institutions, neither has a track record of creating private sector value. The metaphor “feeding at the public trough” is blunt but accurate. When your entire career is funded by taxpayer dollars, there’s a risk that your incentives align more with maintaining government power than serving the public interest or fostering economic growth.

In short: They are more government insiders than economic builders. This is not a small detail, but something that goes to the heart of what type of leadership they offer. If Oregon is stuck choosing between Kotek and Drazan, what’s really at stake is not just a political party, but a recurring model of governance with a government-first mentality, limited economic innovation and the type of politics that maintains the status quo.

Oregon doesn’t just need a governor with a different political ideology, it needs a governor with a fundamentally different career narrative.

My background is very different, and it’s why I’m a better candidate for Oregon governor than either of them.

My business career spans 40 years. I landed my first job right out of college working for Chevron USA Inc. as a petroleum landman, negotiating oil and gas leases on property the company wanted to drill on. After a lot of hard work and “consistency and persistency,” I soon became the company’s top landman, assigned to its most critical plays, and I reported directly to the general manager of Chevron’s land department. My efforts generated hundreds of millions of dollars in profits for the company over nearly a decade.

I also have more than 30 years of private sector experience in high technology sales, in both individual contributor and management roles. I worked at both IBM and SAP, and most recently served in executive leadership roles at a number of startup and early-stage software companies focused on AI and real-time streaming video analytics technology.

As your governor, I will work hard to support the Oregonian values of lower taxes, fiscal responsibility, smaller government and individual freedom. My commitment is to put people before politics, protect the rights and freedoms of every Oregonian and ensure that our state remains a place where families can thrive and communities can grow stronger.

If we want to restore our economic strength and turn Oregon around, we need leaders who actually understand how to build wealth, not just how to raise money. If we want a breakthrough in Oregon, we should stop treating government as the only or best career path for public service.

Voting is not just about party. It’s about the type of experience we want representing us in Salem. Kotek and Drazan may carry different party labels, but they offer the same old government-first playbook. Instead, we need leadership that has actually stepped into the private sector and built value. Oregon deserves better — and it’s time to demand it.

Matthew Piatt is a Republican candidate for Oregon governor in the 2026 election cycle. He's a business executive with 40 years of sales experience in the oil & gas and technology sectors, who has lived in Beaverton since 1991.