Republican Christine Drazan is currently holding a slight lead over her Democratic opponent, Gov. Tina Kotek, in Oregon’s gubernatorial race as the GOP seeks to seal its first win for the office since 1982. A poll from DHM Research found Drazan leading Kotek by two points, 43% to 45%, showing a much tighter race than many likely expected.
Pacific Green Party candidate Brett Smith pulled in 4% support, while a total of 13% of voters in the state are still undecided. DHM Research surveyed a total of 600 likely voters for Grow Oregon, a business-backed organization, on September 11, 2026. Drazan’s lead does fall within the poll’s four-point margin of error.
“This poll confirms what we already see on the ground: Oregonians are ready for change, and they see Christine as the leader who can deliver it,” Drazan campaign strategist Trey Rosser went on to say. “Four years ago, Tina Kotek made big promises on homelessness, housing, education, and affordability, but today, Oregonians are paying more, getting less, and watching the same problems get worse.”
According to Breitbart News, the poll also discovered that 59% of voters disapprove of the job Kotek is doing as governor, compared to the 37% who are fans of her agenda. A total of 58% said that Oregon is headed in the wrong direction. The top concern for voters is affordability, with 87%. That’s followed by K-12 education at 85%, and housing affordability at 78%.
Taxes and homelessness each pulled in 77%, while crime stood at 73%. Drazan also took the lead in several polls during the 2022 election cycle before Kotek pulled ahead just before Election Day. Kotek ultimately defeated Drazan 47% to 43.5%, while Betsy Johnson, who had no party affiliation, received 9%. Kotek’s campaign employed a strategy of going after undecided voters and connecting Drazan to President Donald Trump.
“There are still a lot of voters who are undecided in this race, but the choice couldn’t be any clearer,” Kotek campaign spokesman Federico Araujo explained. “Christine Drazan is ready to open the door to Trump’s agenda, and Gov. Kotek is fighting every day to protect Oregonians from federal overreach and harm.”
When it comes to fundraising, Kotek has raised $12 since the start of 2025 and currently has $8.2 million at her disposal. Drazan has raised $9.4 million and only has $2.4 million on hand after fighting through a highly competitive GOP primary. Both candidates will go head-to-head in a debate scheduled for October 1 at the University of Oregon.
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It’s been a very long time since a Republican won a gubernatorial race in Oregon. The last member of the GOP to do so was Victory Atiyeh. He was reelected that year and went on to serve until January 1987. Every governor that has been elected since then has, unfortunately, been a Democrat. Republicans have pointed out that the closeness of the race indicates that residents of liberal-leaning states like Oregon are growing increasingly jaded with Democratic Party policies, which over promise and under deliver, creating opportunities for the conservative message to gain ground in places previously thought unreachable.
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