QuickTake:

Republican state Sen. Christine Drazan is running for governor and could face incumbent Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek. During a stop in Coburg, Drazan talked about the need to tackle problems like drug addiction and the high cost of living.

Republican Christine Drazan made a campaign stop in Lane County Friday, casting herself as an alternative to Democratic incumbent Gov. Tina Kotek.

Drazan, a state senator from Canby and former House Republican leader, is the most prominent GOP candidate running for governor. Drazan’s Friday visit to a Freightliner Northwest trucking facility in Coburg was her first public campaign event since she announced her bid for governor Oct. 27.

Kotek has not yet filed to run for governor in 2026 but is expected to seek a second term. The two faced off in 2022, but a third candidate — Betsy Johnson, a nonaffiliated but relatively prominent former conservative Democratic legislator — was also on the ballot. Kotek outpolled Drazan by more than 3 percentage points.

Drazan is casting herself as a candidate who can tackle Oregon’s most pressing problems, from drug addiction to the cost of living and affordable housing. She said Kotek has had a chance to improve conditions in Oregon, but has not succeeded. 

“We live in one of the most bountiful, beautiful places on the globe,” Drazan said. “But today, people are leaving. They are leaving because Tina Kotek is running our state under the ground. Oregonians are hungry. They’re frustrated and they’re hurting, but they’re not just hungry for food. They are hungry for a win.”

Drazan didn’t unveil detailed policy proposals during the campaign appearance, but spoke broadly of the need to make Oregon more attractive and affordable for families and businesses.

“We are going to make Oregon the number one state in the nation to raise a family, to start a business, to grow your business, to learn a trade and to get a world-class education,” Drazan said.

Rep. Shelly Boshart Davis, R-Albany, Drazan’s former colleague in the House, introduced Drazan to a group of about 30 area residents. 

“Through the years, one thing I’ve learned about her is she’s tough as nails,” Boshart Davis said.

In an interview, Drazan said Oregonians are hurting under the strain of high income and property taxes, rising fees — like vehicle registration and hunting and fishing licenses — and day-to-day costs. She said more needs to be done to address taxes and to make Oregon more affordable. 

“I think these conversations are going to be complicated,” Drazan said. “I think they’re going to be hard, but we can’t act like that’s a reason not to tackle these challenges.”

Before the general election, Drazan will need to win the May primary for the GOP nomination. Currently, 10 Republican candidates have filed to run in the primaries, but Drazan has the highest profile in the GOP field, and won statewide attention with her legislative battles against Democrats — including with Kotek when the governor was House speaker.

Even if she clinches the nomination, Drazan faces a formidable challenge in winning election: The last Republican elected governor in Oregon was Vic Atiyeh, who served from 1979 to 1987. The deadline to file is March 10, 2026, for major party candidates and March 3, 2026, for the incumbent, Kotek.

Ben Botkin covers politics and policy in Lane County. He has worked as a journalist since 2003, most recently at the Oregon Capital Chronicle, where he covered justice, health and human services and documented regional efforts to combat fentanyl addiction. Botkin has worked in statehouses in Idaho, Nevada, Oklahoma and, of course, Oregon. When he's not working, you'll find him road tripping across the West, hiking or surfing along the Oregon Coast.