Oregon — Republican gubernatorial candidate Ed Diehl’s campaign is calling on fellow Republican candidate Christine Drazan to withdraw from the governor’s race following an ethics complaint tied to political text messages targeting Diehl supporters.
In a press release issued Monday, the Diehl campaign said Representative Dwayne Yunker filed an ethics complaint after anonymous political text messages criticizing Diehl were distributed last week. According to the campaign, the same phone number later sent pro-Drazan campaign materials that included Drazan PAC identification information.
The Diehl campaign alleged the messages were deceptive and potentially unlawful, and called for an investigation into the source, funding, coordination, and legality of the text campaign.
FCC rules require that:
- Political text messages sent to a mobile phone using an autodialer require the called party’s prior express consent. Messages sent manually can be sent without prior consent.
- The identity of the individual, or other entity initiating the call must be clearly stated.
- If you are receiving texts that you didn’t ask for, report the sender by forwarding the texts to 7726 (or “SPAM”).
- Campaigns should also honor opt-out requests if you reply “STOP.”
Campaign manager Mark Campbell said the developments raised “serious questions” about the Drazan campaign and its allies. “What happened here is unacceptable and beneath the office Christine Drazan claims she wants to hold,” Campbell said in the statement. “Oregonians deserve a campaign based on integrity, transparency, and compliance with election law.”
The campaign further argued that the use of the same number for both anti-Diehl and pro-Drazan messaging created what it described as “a credibility crisis” for Drazan’s campaign. The release did not provide evidence directly linking Drazan or her campaign to the anonymous text messages, beyond the shared phone number and PAC disclosures referenced in the statement. The Diehl campaign said Republican voters are seeking “principled leadership and honesty” and argued that voters deserve an explanation regarding the messages and any possible coordination involved.
Right Now Oregon reached out to the Drazan campaign, Diehl campaign, and other gubernatorial campaigns. As of noon on May 19, 2026 the Drazan campaign has not responded to the request for comment. In the request to the Drazan campaign RNO specifically asked if the campaign had sent the text blast in question. The Diehl campaign stated that they had not heard anything from the Drazan camp, they declined to comment on if they would endorse or support Drazan if she emerges as the nominee.
Candidate Danielle Bethell issued the following statement:
Campaigns can get heated, especially at the end of a long election cycle, but I do think it says something when candidates spend more time attacking others than explaining why they are prepared to lead.
I also find Representative Diehl’s criticism interesting given his own approach to campaign rules throughout this race, from out-of-compliance signage to ignoring the house fundraising moratorium during the recent legislative session.
At the end of the day, I believe Republicans — and all Oregonians — deserve a nominee who is ready on day one to do the actual job of Governor, not just campaign for it. Oregon needs executive leadership capable of taking on Tina Kotek and delivering real results for this state.
With today being the final day for Oregonians to turn in their ballots it is unclear what impact this controversy may have. If the Drazan camp is tied to this incident it will likely cement distaste for Drazan among Diehl’s supporters. Whichever candidate emerges victorious from the Republican Primary will have a steep hill to climb to gather the support and votes necessary to defeat incumbent governor Tina Kotek.
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