# Christine Drazan Former Oregon House Republican Leader and the Republican nominee for governor in both 2022 and 2026. In 2022, she came within 3.4 points of defeating [[Tina Kotek]] in a three-way race that included independent candidate Betsy Johnson, the closest a Republican has come to winning Oregon's governorship since 2002. Drazan returns as the leading R challenger to Kotek in 2026, running on public safety, homelessness, and cost-of-living issues that have strained Democrats' hold on the state. Her rematch candidacy tests whether Oregon's progressive lean is durable or whether Kotek's narrow first victory was a warning sign. ## Related - [[Tina Kotek]] — Democratic incumbent she is challenging - [[2026 Governor Races Hub]] · [[2026 Midterms Hub]]