State

Kalshi Hires Oregon Lobbyists and Gives Rayfield $12,500

Last June, Rayfield signed Oregon on to a multistate effort to oppose Kalshi before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

By Garrett Andrews
Oregon State Capitol (Edmund Garman)

Ascendent New York City-based prediction market Kalshi has hired a pair of experienced Oregon lobbyists and made a $12,500 campaign contribution to Attorney General Dan Rayfield.

Earlier this month, Kalshi reported hiring prominent Oregon lobbyists Mike Freese and Danelle Romain to the Oregon Government Ethics Commission.

Kalshi is a privately owned financial exchange that’s been skyrocketing in value—closing on a target valuation of $40 billion. Kalshi is legal to access in Oregon and controlled by the federal agency that regulates derivative futures, though state attorneys general have increasingly pushed for greater control. For one, Washington Attorney General Nick Brown sued Kalshi for running an illegal gambling operation and defrauding consumers, and successfully convinced a state judge to halt Kalshi’s activity in the state.

In his first term as Oregon AG, Rayfield has emerged as one of the most prolific filers of litigation against the second Trump administration. Last June, he signed Oregon on to a multistate effort to oppose Kalshi before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Rayfield is up for reelection in 2028. His office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Garrett Andrews

Garrett Andrews

Garrett Andrews is WW’s general assignment reporter. Over two decades as a journalist, he’s covered a hodgepodge of content areas—crime in Bend, the Roseburg art scene, Oregon’s construction industry, among others. He’s an adjunct professor of political science at Portland Community College where he teaches courses on American Government. Go Cougs.

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