Republican Candidate Surges Before Midterms
(UnitedVoice.com) – The midterms are coming up quickly, and it’s do or die for both parties. Republicans are trying to win back the majority in the House and Senate to stop President Joe Biden’s agenda in its tracks. It’s not just federal elections capturing peoples’ attention; candidates are also battling for statehouses and governors’ mansions.
Oregon is one of the states holding a gubernatorial election this year. The Democratic Governors Association is pouring money into the race, hoping to keep the state Blue. Still, the Republican running for the seat is surging, and the race is heating up.
Beaver State Battle
On September 14, the Democratic Governors Association cut the biggest check for the national party this midterm season. The group donated $1.25 million to a PAC to elect House Speaker Tina Kotek (D), who hopes to replace Governor Kate Brown (D) this fall. The donation comes as Republican candidate Christine Drazan is surging in the polls.
Cook Political Report switched its Oregon election projection from “lean Democrat” to “toss-up.” In July, the race shifted from “likely Democrat” to “lean Democrat.” So, the surge isn’t exactly sudden, but it has clearly made the Left nervous about what’s happening. Kotek is reportedly facing an uphill battle because of her far-left politics.
Kotek supported the protesters during the 2020 riots that lasted more than 100 days in Portland. Businesses along with federal and local buildings suffered incredible damage during the summer of violence. Rioters targeted police, and people died. It cost millions of dollars to repair the devastation mobs left in their wake.
Instead of supporting the police efforts to get the riots under control, Kotek criticized law enforcement for using tear gas in 2020. The Statesman Journal reported she called the officers’ efforts “unnecessary escalation” and claimed the rioters were just “exercising their freedom of assembly and freedom of speech.” Voters seem to have remembered that.
Who Is Drazan?
Oregon hasn’t elected a Republican voter in almost 40 years, but Drazan hopes to change that. The conservative grew up in the southern part of the state, in the country. According to her website, her family suffered as the lumber industry declined. She worked as the chief of staff to the GOP speaker of the House in the state legislature and later as a representative for the 39th district.
Drazan has made education a key part of her platform. The mother of three has served on her local school district’s budget committee. The state rep has said she wants to improve schools and keep politics out of children’s classrooms. She also wants to restore law and order in Oregon by regaining the trust of law enforcement and cracking down on drugs.
The election is still a couple of months away, so polling numbers could shift again. It will come down to what direction the state’s residents want to go.
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