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This story was produced by the Oregon Journalism Project, a nonprofit newsroom covering the state.
House Minority Leader Christine Drazan (R-Canby) disclosed a $55,000 expenditure to the Virginia polling firm Public Opinion Strategies on Aug. 10. That’s the clearest sign yet that Drazan is considering a rematch against Gov. Tina Kotek next year.
Kotek, a Democrat, defeated Drazan 46.96% to 43.54% in 2022, with nonaffiliated candidate Betsy Johnson taking 8.63% of the vote. The opportunity for Drazan, some in her camp think, is to convince Johnson voters she is a better choice than Kotek.
Marion County Commissioner Danielle Bethell has already announced her candidacy for the GOP nomination. Kotek has not yet officially announced she’ll seek reelection, but she is raising money and paying campaign staff.
In a statement, Drazan said her eyes are on the present: “The special session is just around the corner and I remain focused on continuing to fight for agency accountability and to do all I can to stop out-of-touch politicians from driving costs higher with new taxes. I am here to make a difference and will always do what I can to help make things better for Oregonians.”
