2022 Oregon gubernatorial election


The 2022 Oregon gubernatorial election took place on November 8, 2022, to elect the governor of Oregon. Incumbent Kate Brown took office when fellow Democrat John Kitzhaber resigned on February 18, 2015. She won the subsequent 2016 special election and a full term in 2018. Due to term limits, she was unable to run again in 2022.
The Oregonian anticipated the election to have "the first competitive Democratic primary in more than a decade and potentially the closest such race since 2002." Willamette Week anticipated a "wide open field of Democrats", citing the lack of an incumbent. Almost 20 Republican Party candidates ran for the office, including two previous nominees for governor in 1998 and 2016, as well as 15 Democrats and some non-affiliates/third-party members. This was the state's first gubernatorial election since 2002 in which there was no current or former governor on the ballot.
In the May 17 primary elections, former Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek was declared the winner of the Democratic primary half an hour after the ballot deadline. The next day, former House Minority Leader Christine Drazan was determined to have won the Republican primary. Notably, the general election featured three prominent female candidates, including former state senator Betsy Johnson, who was a moderate Democrat, running as an independent.
Oregon was considered a possible Republican pickup, as Kate Brown had the lowest approval rating of any governor in the United States at the time and Johnson could have siphoned votes from Kotek. Nonetheless, Kotek narrowly won the election, becoming Oregon's 7th consecutive Democratic governor. Notably, none of Oregon's counties flipped parties from the 2018 or 2016 gubernatorial elections. Kotek became one of the first lesbian governors in the United States, along with Maura Healey, who was elected Governor of Massachusetts the same day.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

Endorsements

Polling

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

Endorsements

Polling

Results

Independents and other parties

Candidates

Candidates for general election

  • Betsy Johnson, former Democratic state senator from Oregon's 16th Senate district
  • R. Leon Noble
  • Donice Noelle Smith, Army veteran and talk show host

    Withdrew

  • Nathalie Paravicini, naturopathic doctor ''''

    Failed to qualify for general election

In order to be listed as candidates on the general election ballot, non-affiliated candidates for governor needed to collect 23,744 signatures from Oregon voters.
  • Tim Harrold, security expert
  • Dustin Watkins, dishwasher

    Not nominated

  • Kevin Levy, real estate broker
  • Paul Romero, refrigeration repair technician, Republican candidate for Oregon's 2nd congressional district in 2016 and 2018, and Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in 2020

    General election

Predictions

Debates

Post-primary endorsements

Polling

Aggregate polls

Graphical summary

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		Tina
Kotek 		Christine
Drazan 		Betsy
Johnson 		OtherUndecided
Data for Progress November 1–6, 20221,393 ± 3.0%48%44%7%1%–
Emerson CollegeOctober 31 – November 1, 2022975 ± 3.1%44%40%8%1%6%
Emerson CollegeOctober 31 – November 1, 2022975 ± 3.1%46%41%9%4%–
Nelson ResearchOctober 31 – November 1, 2022577 ± 4.1%43%45%6%1%5%
Blueprint Polling October 26 – November 1, 2022585 ± 4.0%45%41%10%<1%4%
FM3 Research October 24–26, 2022741 ± 4.0%40%38%13%–8%
The Trafalgar Group October 18–22, 20221,161 ± 2.9%40%42%13%1%4%
Hoffman Research Group October 17–18, 2022684 ± 3.8%35%37%17%–12%
Data for Progress October 16–18, 20221,021 ± 3.0%42%43%12%–2%
CiviqsOctober 15–18, 2022804 ± 4.3%47%39%7%2%5%
GBAO October 10–13, 2022800 ± 3.5%40%38%14%–8%
Clout Research October 8–9, 2022842 ± 3.4%38%44%11%1%5%
Emerson CollegeSeptember 29 – October 1, 2022796 ± 3.4%34%36%19%2%9%
Clout Research September 23–26, 2022422 ± 4.8%35%39%16%2%8%
DHM ResearchSeptember 23–24, 2022600 ± 4.0%31%32%18%4%15%
DHM ResearchSeptember 23–24, 2022600 ± 4.0%33%35%21%–12%
Nelson ResearchSeptember 19–20, 2022620 ± 3.9%32%33%19%–16%
Clout Research August 10–14, 2022397 ± 4.9%32%33%21%–15%
Cygnal June 28–30, 2022600 ± 3.9%31%32%24%–13%
GS Strategy Group June 23–29, 2022600 ± 4.0%33%23%30%–15%
Nelson Research May 25–27, 2022516 ± 4.3%28%30%19%–24%
GS Strategy Group May 2022– –34%24%22%–20%
GS Strategy Group March 2022– –23%18%19%–41%

Tina Kotek vs. Christine Drazan

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		Tina
Kotek 		Christine
Drazan 		Undecided
Clout Research September 23–26, 2022422 ± 4.8%47%53%–

Generic Democrat vs. generic Republican vs. Betsy Johnson

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		Generic
Democrat		Generic
Republican		Betsy
Johnson 		Undecided
DHM ResearchJanuary 18–22, 2022400 ± 4.9%31%22%11%36%

Generic Democrat vs. generic Republican

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		Generic
Democrat		Generic
Republican		Undecided
Clout Research September 23–26, 2022422 ± 4.8%50%50%–
DHM ResearchFebruary 17–23, 2022600 ± 4.0%29%47%23%
DHM ResearchJanuary 18–22, 2022400 ± 4.9%40%31%29%

Generic Democrat vs. generic Republican vs. generic independent

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		Generic
Democrat		Generic
Republican		Generic
Independent		Undecided
DHM ResearchFebruary 17–23, 2022600 ± 4.0%16%26%21%37%