‘Oregon Is Worth Fighting For,’ Drazan Says in Letter Thanking Supporters

Oregon — Republican state Sen. Christine Drazan thanked supporters, reached out to voters who backed other candidates and reflected on a year of campaigning in a letter Wednesday that struck the tone of a concession. She stopped short of formally conceding to Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek, whom the Associated Press projected would win a second term.

“Oregon is worth fighting for. It was when I entered this race, and it still is today,” Drazan wrote. She acknowledged that news organizations had called the election, but later referred to “whatever the final outcome” and wrote, “I don’t yet know what the coming days will bring.”

Much of the four-page letter focused on what Drazan said she heard from Oregonians on the campaign trail. She described parents who worried their children could never afford homes in the towns where they grew up, small-business owners unsure how long they could keep their doors open, and workers who felt they were falling behind even while holding two or three jobs.

Become a Paid Subscriber for Exclusive Content Access and Support Independent News

Drazan thanked volunteers and supporters for placing their trust in her and urged voters across party lines to see the state’s future as a shared responsibility. “We are neighbors before we are Republicans or Democrats,” she wrote. She closed by thanking supporters again and telling them, “Our work is not finished.”

The promise of Oregon has always been about more than the beauty of our mountains, forests, rivers, and coastline. It’s about the life we can build here. It’s the belief that if you work hard, you can make a good living, put down roots, raise a family and someday watch your kids build lives of their own, right here in the place you call home.

That promise is worth restoring. And it belongs to every Oregonian, regardless of how they voted.

I entered public service because I believe we have an obligation to leave this state better than we found it. That belief has guided me through every difficult fight, every long day and every moment when doing what was right mattered more than doing what was easy. It is a belief I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

To every Oregonian who opened your home, shared your story, offered a prayer, volunteered your time or placed your trust in me, I want you to know that I have never taken that trust lightly. You gave this campaign something far more meaningful than your vote. You gave us your hope for the future. I will always be grateful for that.

And to those who did not vote for me, I want you to know that I have never believed Oregon’s future belongs to one party or one political movement. It belongs to all of us. We are neighbors before we are Republicans or Democrats. We share a home, and we share a responsibility for what becomes of it.

Elections determine who holds office. They do not determine what a state can become.

Whatever the final outcome, the families I met along this journey will still deserve a better future. The challenges facing our communities will still demand durable solutions. And the promise of this beautiful place will still be ours to fulfill.

Kotek led Drazan by 107,638 votes in unofficial returns as of 6:15 p.m. Pacific on Nov. 4. Kotek had 843,263 votes (51.91%) to Drazan’s 735,625 (45.28%). Pacific Green candidate Brett Smith received 43,630 votes (2.69%), and write-ins accounted for 2,009 votes (0.12%).

The governor’s race accounted for 1,624,527 votes in that update. Statewide, election officials had counted 1,638,442 ballots out of 3,109,086 active registered voters, putting reported turnout at 52.70%. Oregon Secretary of State election dashboard

The race was a rematch of the 2022 election, when Kotek defeated Drazan in a three-way contest that included unaffiliated candidate Betsy Johnson.