By Terrie Martin
Here is a partial listing of gubernatorial candidate Christine Drazan’s positions to consider from various reports.
On Abortion:
Christine Drazan sponsored a bill to criminalize abortion and jail doctors: HB3423.
According to “Why Sen. Christine Drazan is running for Oregon governor again” (Oregon Statesman Journal, Apr. 25, 2026):
- Drazan is pro-life and endorsed by Oregon Right to Life.
- Drazan said when she ran for governor in 2022 she believed Oregon’s abortion protections were “extreme.”
- She also said at the time she would veto any bills to expand abortion access in Oregon.
On Elections:
She also sponsored a bill to affect vote-by-mail, yet plans to use ballot harvesting to try and win in November. (“Candidate For Oregon Governor Wanted Mail-In Voting Overturned. Now She’s Using It to Boost Her Campaign“, Portland Mercury, Aug. 20, 2026).
HB3872, presented in the 2025 session, would have put a measure on the ballot asking voters to consider changing Oregon’s default voting system to in-person voting on election day, and required voters to show ID at polling locations.
On the National Guard:
Drazan’s statement on Sep. 27: “It’s shameful that state and local leaders have allowed violent mobs and domestic terrorists to assault federal law enforcement, destroy property, and interfere with those seeking immigration services from obtaining assistance and case management.” Then she began backtracking, as documented in the OPB story, “Many Oregon GOP lawmakers silent as Trump seeks National Guard deployment to Portland“(Oct. 8, 2025).
On Tariffs:
She skirts this issue, as reported in “Oregon Republican lawmakers tiptoe around Trump administration’s tariffs, their impact on Oregon ” (The Oregonian, Apr. 23, 2026).
On Climate Change:
Drazan led the walk-out that closed the Oregon legislature.
She has promised to “tear up” Gov. Kate Brown’s 2020 cap-and-trade agreement “on Day One” and repeal climate executive orders (“Oregon governor candidates on how they’d handle climate change,” OPB, Sept. 16, 2022).
On Ethics:
The story of “How Drazan’s consulting firm pocketed nearly $100K from her nonprofit with little oversight” (Oregon Capitol Chronicle, Aug. 4, 2026) is golden.
Overall:
“The Record She’s Already Given Us: Why Christine Drazan Is the Wrong Choice for Oregon” by RealityChecksReddit (Aug. 13, 2026) provides much to take in.
Billionaire Phil Knight backed her last run (but only after Betsy Johnson lost the primary). As far as we know, he has not backed her run this time around.
She has been guided and bankrolled by a rightwing, anti-climate-change lobbyist named Shawn Jillions.
The aforementioned Reddit story concludes:
“Set the pieces side by side. When the Legislature tried to act on climate, she stopped it by leaving. When Oregon’s election system worked, she sponsored a bill to make it harder to use. Her money comes from the industries most opposed to the policies she blocked. And the person who helped build her career is the person who would benefit from it.”
Terrie Martin is a retired journalist, Pulitzer Prize nominee, and member of the Oregon District 2 Indivisible and COIN leadership teams.
Photo: “Christine Drazan for Governor, Oregon – 10/18/22” by Glenn Youngkin.