Drazan, Kotek both get $1 million

By Oregon Campaign Watch,

The Washington Free Beacon reports that Democratic Governors Association has poured over a million dollars into the Tina Kotek campaign, its largest contribution yet in the state.  At the same time, the Republican Governor Association has gifted $1 million to the Christine Drazan campaign (their total has been $2.6).

The news comes as more political reports (Cooks and UVA) shift the Oregon gubernatorial race prediction from “Leans Democrat” to “Toss-Up.”

Kotek faces an uphill battle as the left-wing candidate in Oregon, where voters are concerned about rising violent crime. Last year, Portland had the most homicides in its history. While Speaker of the House, Kotek’s own senior staffer was part of the violent riots in Portland and arrested in 2020.

Kotek faces tough opponents in the three-way race: independent candidate Betsy Johnson and Republican Christine Drazan.

The Free Beacon reports: Big Kotek donor, the Democratic Governors Association has come under fire this year for helping Trump-favored candidates win GOP primaries. In June, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D.) and the group spent $32 million to help Illinois state senator Darren Bailey beat a moderate black Republican for the gubernatorial nomination.

The Cook Report says, “With less than two months until Election Day, the 2022 gubernatorial map has seen some surprising shifts since the outset of the cycle. Republicans had initially started targeting the Rust Belt, hoping to flip control in perpetual swing states like Michigan and Pennsylvania. But, saddled with weak and cash-poor candidates, those contests have moved down the priority list as new opportunities have emerged.  No race for governor has been more surprising than Oregon, which we last shifted into the competitive column at the end of July, moving it from Likely to Lean Democrat. Now, we are changing our race rating once again into the Toss Up column.Thanks to the presence of a well-funded independent candidate, private and public polling has shown the GOP nominee, former state House Minority Leader Christine Drazan, neck and neck with Democratic former House Speaker Tina Kotek.”

Washington Examiner says, “The blue dam could be starting to break in the Beaver State, with the nonpartisan Cook Political Report shifting its rating in the governor’s race from “lean Democrat” to “toss up.”Republican contender Christine Drazan has been running strong in the three-way race between former state House Speaker Tina Kotek and former state Sen. Betsy Johnson in polling. Despite Oregon being a traditionally deep-blue state, Democratic Gov. Kate Brown has been unpopular, according to a local outlet, seemingly giving the GOP a rare opening.”