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This story was produced by the Oregon Journalism Project, a nonprofit newsroom covering the state.
The governor’s race is coming to an end. The debates are over, the ballots mailed, yet nonstop campaign ads still dominate everyone’s devices. Polling suggests either Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek or Republican nominee Christine Drazan could win.
Behind each candidate is a network of financial backers. OJP analyzed the giving to determine the top contributors for each candidate—and who backed them in their 2022 matchup but didn’t show up in 2026.
In 2022, when Kotek and Drazan ran against each other along with unaffiliated candidate Betsy Johnson, more money was raised and spent than likely will be spent this election. In the 2022 contest, Kotek raised almost $30 million, Drazan brought in $22.5 million, and Johnson $17.5 million. That advantage helped Kotek pull out the win, defeating Drazan by 3.4%, with Johnson a distant third.
This year, Drazan has raised $16 million, and her top contributor is Don H. Jones Jr., an Ashland car dealer who has given nearly $2 million to her campaign in cash and in-kind contributions since January 2025. During her 2022 governor’s bid, Jones’ company, Spartan Management, gave Drazan $100,000.
The Republican Governors Association, Drazan’s second-biggest donor, has given her campaign $1 million this year, a far cry from the $7 million it gave during her 2022 run.
Another big 2022 donor is even less evident: Nike co-founder Phil Knight has yet to give Drazan a penny this election. He supported one of her primary opponents, Chris Dudley, and hasn’t contributed to another Oregon gubernatorial candidate this year.
Knight has not been completely absent from Drazan’s campaign. The Nike co-founder is the biggest supporter of the Bring Balance to Salem PAC, an effort by former GOP Congressman Greg Walden to elect more Republicans. Knight has contributed $9 million to the group since 2022, and the PAC is Drazan’s fifth-largest donor this cycle, giving her $410,000 in October.
Kotek raised nearly $20 million for the Nov. 3 election. As it was when she first ran for governor, Kotek’s biggest supporter is the Democratic Governors Association, which gave her $4.1 million this cycle.
