An NBA legend running for Governor of Oregon is capitalizing on March Madness mania to make the case that it is time for a major change in the Beaver State with a six-figure ad buy.
Chris Dudley, a Republican who narrowly lost his previous bid to helm the state in 2010, is running again, challenging Gov. Tina Kotek (D., Ore.). In his latest ad, obtained exclusively by the Washington Reporter, Dudley makes the case that his 5,400 rebounds in the NBA will help him power his adopted home state’s comeback.
“Oregon needs a rebound,” Dudley, a former Portland Trailblazer, says in the ad. “We’re going backwards on education, affordability, and safety.” Dudley is the first candidate in his race to go on television with an ad; his campaign, which has raised millions of dollars, is backed by Phil Knight, himself a legend in the athletic world due to his years helming Nike.
Despite Oregon’s solid blue voting record on a federal level, Kotek narrowly defeated one of Dudley’s opponents in the GOP primary, Christine Drazan, in 2022. During that election, Kotek won with under 50 percent of the vote, and Republicans think she is beatable this time around.
When Kotek announced her plans to run for reelection, the Republican Governors Association (RGA) eagerly spotlighted her track record presiding over Portland’s “urban doom loop,” low education rankings, and historic job losses.
“Chris is barnstorming the state and meeting with Oregonians who feel they no longer have someone in Salem who represents their voice,” Brittany Yanick, a Dudley spokeswoman, told the Reporter. “From affordability and job growth to homelessness, addiction, education, and public safety — the concerns raised by many are clear. With just over a month to go, the momentum is on our side and Chris isn’t slowing down anytime soon because he’s committed to helping Oregon rebound in November.”
Oregon’s primary is on May 19.
