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This story was produced by the Oregon Journalism Project, a nonprofit newsroom covering the state.
The first big check in the 2026 Republican primary for governor arrived this week—and it didn’t go to House Minority Leader Christine Drazan, the 2022 GOP nominee and next year’s likely frontrunner, if she chooses to run.
Instead, filings with the Oregon Secretary of State’s office show that Marion County Commissioner Danielle Bethell recorded a $25,000 contribution from Rob Freres, the president of Freres Lumber Co.
Freres and his family company are among the biggest Republican donors in Oregon. In 2022 Freres gave former Sen. Betsy Johnson (D-Scappoose) $250,000 when she ran for governor as an unaffiliated candidate. Freres is also the president of Freres Timber, which also gave Johnson $250,000.
Bethell, the former executive director of the Keizer Chamber of Commerce and a former member of the Salem-Keizer School Board, was first elected to the Marion County Commission in 2020 and won reelection last year.
Bethell amended her political action committee in February to show she’s running for governor. The Salem Reporter first noted her candidacy for the state’s highest office.
On her campaign website, Bethell outlines a fairly standard platform, saying as governor she would focus on “safer communities, a stronger economy, and a government that actually works for the people it serves [and] tackling the housing crisis, supporting small businesses, and ensuring our schools prepare the next generation for success.”
She will compete for the nomination to challenge the Democratic nominee, who is likely to be incumbent Gov. Tina Kotek. Kotek reeled in a $25,000 check of her own last week, from Felicity Davis, a Silverton health care business owner. Kotek has now raised $321,000 this year and has $915,000 in her campaign account.
Drazan (R-Canby) says she’s not ready to talk about her plans for next year. She raised $22.6 million in 2022 and lost to Kotek, 47% to 43.5%. (Johnson got 8.6%.)
As House minority leader, Drazen has spent the session playing defense against the Democratic supermajority, which hopes to bring House Bill 2025, the controversial transportation funding package, for a House vote early this week.
“I am focused on protecting the kicker, stopping the largest tax increase in Oregon’s history [HB 2025] and trying to get Oregon back on track,” Drazan says in response to a question about 2026. “That’s it right now.”