Governor candidates rematch for the Beaver State
A Bearcat guide to the election and voter registration
Oregon is in full election season for 2026! Races for the Senate, House of Representatives and other stateside positions are happening this November. Oregon residents now have the opportunity to cast their vote, if registered, by Election Day, Tuesday Nov. 3. The final day to register to vote in Oregon is Oct. 13.
One of the biggest and most contested races is for the seat of governor of Oregon. The three candidates running for governor are Gov. Tina Kotek, Sen. Christine Drazan-R Camby, and Brett Smith. However, in 2022, Kotek defeated Drazan to become the current governor of Oregon; they will face again to become governor in the upcoming election.
Candidates and their platforms
On Oct. 1, Kotek and Drazan faced off in the first official televised debate for the 2026 election. Both candidates argued about the National Guard, data centers and mail in voting. Drazan argued that Kotek had not done enough for Oregon in the areas of economic development, homelessness and education. Drazan focused on the governor’s desire to increase taxes through the transportation tax legislation that was eventually voted down by voters. Kotek fought back by mentioning Drazan’s past voting in the Oregon Legislature to prove she was not going to keep corporations, data centers or the federal administration accountable in Oregon.
Both candidates faced off in the second official debate on Oct. 7, in Medford, Oregon.
As the Democratic candidate and incumbent, Kotek’s website states that she is tackling Oregon’s biggest issues, “ … fighting to help Oregonians struggling to make ends meet, increasing affordable housing, reducing homelessness, expanding access to mental health and addiction treatment, improving our schools, and so much more.”
Kotek plans to implement policies combating corporate price gauging, creating new affordable housing and fighting the Trump administration's federal overreach in Oregon. She also plans to create new jobs in renewable energy, place a moratorium on the construction of new data centers, stand up to ICE and prevent the establishment of ICE detention facilities in Oregon.
Kotek’s website also mentions her current term as governor serves as evidence of Oregon improving and as reason to be reelected. “I’m running for reelection because Oregon values are on the line,” Kotek said.
Drazan is running again as the Republican candidate for governor. Her website shows her “Drazan Plan,” with her platform prioritizing lowering the cost of living, reigniting Oregon’s economy, breaking the cycle of homelessness and addiction as well as restoring graduation requirements for high schoolers.
Drazan plans to achieve these objectives by cutting taxes, reducing unnecessary regulations, prioritizing addiction recovery and implementing reading standards for third graders before they are able to advance to the next grade level.
Her website also shows why she is running for governor, with Drazan stating, “Families are working harder and falling further behind. Businesses are closing their doors. And too many Oregonians are wondering whether opportunity will ever come back around. But it will. … We are going to make Oregon the #1 state in the nation.”
Smith is running as the candidate of the Pacific Green Party. Smith previously ran for the federal House of Representatives in 2024. According to the New York Times, in the race for Congressional District 5, he won 18,665 votes, roughly 4.7% of the vote.
According to his website, his platform consists of achieving affordability, accountability and ending corruption in government. If elected, he plans to surcharge large corporations if the salary they paid did not allow for Oregonians to live without the need for public social services like Medicaid or SNAP benefits.
He also stated he intends to have a public audit to assess government expenditures, focusing on expanding public services such as healthcare and education for all. Smith wants to use the public audit to crack down on corruption within the government saying, “the audit is to find where that waste is [in government spending].”
Smith’s message to Willamette students is, “young people are the future, that’s how it works. When young people get engaged, they win, always.”
“My sole reason [in running for governor] is to help Oregonians,” said Smith. Because of this, he mentioned that he does not take any donations in the form of money, and instead tells his supporters to donate to causes such as the fires that took place in Warm Springs, Oregon.
“If people were asking about donating to me, I would redirect them to a more worthwhile cause,” Smith said.
Registering to vote
Information on registering to vote can be found at the Oregon Secretary of State’s website. Registering to vote in Oregon requires an individual to be 16 years old, a U.S. Citizen and an Oregon resident. Residents of Oregon are automatically registered to vote when they receive their driver’s license. Students from other states must choose whether to register in Oregon or in their state of origin and can only vote in one in each election period. The final day to register to vote in Oregon is Oct. 13, however it could vary in different states.
Registering to vote requires having a permit, drivers license or Social Security card. Registering can be done online at Online Voter Registration, or with a voter registration form that must be mailed to the county elections office. Registration status can be checked at My Vote - State of Oregon.
Casting your vote
To cast a vote, you must be 18 years old by Election Day. For those registered to vote in Oregon, ballots will be distributed by mail to the address on file starting Oct. 14. Voters can contact their local election office if their ballot has not been sent. Absentee ballots can also be requested at Absentee and Early Voting.
Each state varies in deadlines to cast a vote. Oregon voters can return their ballot at a local dropbox location by 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3, or by mail if postmarked by that day.
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