Republican Oregon gubernatorial candidate Christine Drazan is releasing a new ad discussing her dreams for a better Oregon.
The ad was first given to NBC News and will run across the state on both digital and television platforms. According to Drazan campaign spokesperson John Burke, it is included in a weekly ad purchase for over $1 million.
The spot points to Drazan’s upbringing and calls out her opponent, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tina Kotek, as well as current Democratic Governor Kate Brown, while pointing to a positive future for the state.
In the ad, Drazan speaks to the camera, saying, “Growing up in a small town, things weren’t always easy, but we believed in Oregon. Lately though, leaders like Tina Kotek and Kate Brown have let us down. They just don’t seem to get it. It’s time for a change, like declaring homelessness the emergency that it is, getting politics out of our schools, and expanding school choice.”
“And let’s make housing more affordable by making it easier to build,” she adds.
“I believe in Oregon,” she concludes. “Always have, always will.”
Drazan has gained significant ground in recent polling, showing that a Republican win in an historically blue state is within reach.
FiveThirtyEight’s forecast shows the governor’s race in Oregon as a toss-up, with Drazan now pulling ahead of Kotek. According to the projection, Drazan has a 52% chance of winning, while Kotek has a 48% chance at success. The site also showed that Kotek was believed to have a better chance of success up until October 13, when the possibility of Drazan winning took over. The race includes a third-party candidate, Betsy Johnson, who used to serve in the legislature as a Democrat and could lend to a party split of the vote.
Homelessness has increasingly been a problem in the state, and recent DHM Research data revealed that 9 in 10 voters in Oregon view it as “a very big problem.” All of the candidates said they would issue a state of emergency over homelessness if elected, but Drazan told The Daily Wire she would do so in the past.
Safety is also a major issue, with one Portland Starbucks recently announcing it will be permanently shutting down because of worries over safety.
Drazan addressed the closure on Twitter, stating, “When even coffee shops can’t stay open in Portland for public safety concerns, something needs to change. Politicians have put their own power before keeping our communities safe. That ends on Day One when I become Governor.”
When even coffee shops can’t stay open in Portland for public safety concerns, something needs to change.
Politicians have put their own power before keeping our communities safe.
That ends on Day One when I become Governor.https://t.co/FVn3fMRm7H #orpol
— Christine Drazan (@ChristineDrazan) October 18, 2022
Kotek’s campaign appears to be concerned over Drazan’s recent rise. The Democratic candidate responded to Drazan’s recent criticisms in her own ad, with a narrator saying Kotek said there should be a state of emergency declared on the homelessness issue in 2020, claiming that “the only change [Drazan is] offering is a hard-Right turn.”
Drazan also recently gathered the support of Nike co-founder Phil Knight, who gave money to Johnson’s campaign in the past, but switched over to Drazan.