Tina Kotek Will Be The Next Governor Of Oregon

@TinaKotek

The AP has called the governor’s race in Oregon for Tina Kotek. Kotek will be one of the first out lesbian governor’s elected to office in the country. 

Updated November 11, 22 at 2:33 E.T.

The AP has called the governor’s race in Oregon for Tina Kotek. Kotek will be one of the first out lesbian governor’s elected to office in the country.

GO’s original article, published on November 10, 2022, appears below:

While Oregon’s governor’s race remains too close to call, The Oregonian projects that Democratic candidate Tina Kotek will prevail over Republican opponent Christine Drazan. 

The Oregonian, one of the country’s oldest publications, made the call Wednesday as Kotek’s lead over Drazan grew to over 30,000 votes. Outstanding votes from Oregon’s Multnomah County, which leans Democrat, favor Kotek by over 70%. While outstanding votes remain in counties that favor Drazan and Republicans, the projection predicts that these margins aren’t enough to overcome Kotek’s lead. 

 The AP, which is tracking election results around the country, has yet to call this race due to the number of outstanding votes remaining. In Oregon this election cycle, votes-by-mail postmarked by 8 p.m. on Election Day can be received and counted through November 15. 

In a press release Wednesday night, the Kotek campaign cited The Oregonian’s projections, with Kotek promising “to be a Governor for all of Oregon,” as reported by local affiliate KPIC.

She continued, saying that she would work “tirelessly to deliver results on issues of shared concern across our state,” including housing, student and small business support, and mental healthcare access. 

The Drazan campaign also released a statement, saying that it was continuing to monitor election results and expected that the race would become closer as more votes come in, KPIC reports. 

If elected, Kotek would be one of the first openly lesbian governors ever in the United States, along with Maura Healey, who won her bid to be the next Governor of Massachusetts in Tuesday’s midterms.

A third candidate in the Oregon governor’s race, Betsy Johnson, conceded Tuesday night.


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