Republicans Surge In Oregon As Blue State May Flip In November

Christine Drazan, a former state House Minority Leader, won Oregon’s Republican gubernatorial primary on Tuesday.

Drazan emerged from a crowded field of candidates competing for the opportunity to flip the governor’s office in a state Democrats have controlled for nearly four decades.

The Republican primary field also included former Portland Trail Blazers player and businessman Chris Dudley, state Rep. Ed Diehl, and Marion County Commissioner Danielle Bethell.

Drazan entered the race as one of the best-known Republicans in the state after her narrow loss to Democratic Governor Tina Kotek in 2022.