Two of Three Major Democratic Candidates File to Run for Oregon Governor

Nicholas Kristof’s spokeswoman says the delay is not intentional.

kotek Tina Kotek in a North Portland neighborhood. (Nathan Williams)
By Nigel Jaquiss

State Treasurer Tobias Read and House Speaker Tina Kotek (D-Portland) have filed to run for governor in the Democratic primary, on Nov. 15 and 16, respectively.

Nicholas Kristof, the former journalist who has raised as much as his two foes combined, has not.

One significance of filing, WW has learned, is that it triggers an automatic check by the Secretary of State’s Office to confirm the candidate meets the constitutional qualifications to run.

For Kotek and Read, who’ve held elected office since 2006, that won’t be an issue. For Kristof, who voted in New York last year, meeting the three-year residency requirement to run for governor could be a hurdle. His attorney insists he meets the standard, but voters won’t know until the secretary of state rules.

Kristof’s spokeswoman Melissa Navas says the delay is not intentional.

“There is no requirement that a candidate file immediately after announcing for office, and it hasn’t really been the norm here in Oregon,” she says. “Right now, we’re focused on building up the campaign.”

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