State of Oregon · November 3, 2026

Portland City Council, Governor

3
Candidates: 1
Seats: Vote for one
Method: Nov 3
Due 8 p.m.

Our readingDraft

Compare the mechanisms as well as the goals: expanded childcare, preschool and housing production with new data-center standards; tax, fee and regulatory cuts with stricter accountability for services; and state limits on participation in unauthorized wars. Ask what each would cost and who pays.

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3 candidates, A–Z. Tap any position to read the sentence, how they would deliver it, and the source.

13 more choices, below13 more choices

Jump to a candidate

Where each candidate stands on four issues, in our short reading of their statements. Each position is a button; activate it to read the sentence, how they would deliver it, and the source. Candidates appear alphabetically.
Candidate	2 of 3 documented	3 of 3 documented	3 of 3 documented	3 of 3 documented
Brett SmithWelder and inventor	Homes	Safety	Money	Roads, energy
Christine DrazanState senator	Homes	Safety	Money	Roads, energy
Tina KotekIncumbent governor	Homes	Safety	Money	Roads, energy

What this office decides right now

Decisions ahead

The governor writes the 2027–29 budget the Legislature takes up in January 2027, signs or vetoes what it passes, and runs the agencies behind housing, shelter, roads, schools and the state’s response to federal actions. The term opens with a budget gap, a transportation fund voters declined to refill, and a housing target the state is missing by half.

Each of this office’s 13 live choices is a board below, with every candidate’s stated position or the gap.

2027–29 budget gap
Federal H.R. 1 leaves the Oregon Health Plan about $421 million short in General Fund money for 2027–29, about 1% of the $42.4 billion the state expects to collect. The Chief Financial Office told agencies on February 10, 2026 that 2027–29 proposals must be revenue-neutral. September’s forecast shows $3.46 billion in reserves (9.7% of General Fund revenue) and no kicker due on 2028 returns. No full 2027–29 gap estimate is published yet.
Transportation funding
Voters rejected most of HB 3991’s gas-tax and fee increases in May 2026; lawmakers then redirected existing funds to cover a $297 million ODOT maintenance shortfall through June 2027. ODOT has cut more than $500 million since 2019, and the governor’s workgroup is due to recommend a 2027 package by year’s end.
Housing production
Oregon issued permits for 14,839 homes in 2025, against the state’s own annual production target of 29,359 and the 36,000-a-year goal set by Executive Order 23-04 in January 2023.
Shelter funding cliff
The homelessness emergency runs through January 10, 2027 and the statewide shelter program is funded with $204.9 million through June 2027; the state counts 6,286 shelter beds added or kept and 5,539 people rehoused through September 2025. Both come up for renewal in the next budget.
Data centers
Oregon has 111 operating data centers and 32 more planned or under construction, a September 2026 study found. Their property was billed about $60 million in taxes for 2025–26; Business Oregon reports $233 million exempted under one rural program in 2023–24, and The Oregonian puts 2026 breaks above $450 million. State-land deals are paused through July 1, 2027, and the governor’s advisory committee owes recommendations by the end of 2026.
PERS
PERS held $79.5 billion in assets against $108.7 billion in liabilities at December 31, 2024, 73.1% funded with a $29.2 billion unfunded liability; employer rates for 2027–29 are projected to rise as more than 180 side accounts run out in 2027.
Interstate Bridge
The 2026 estimate puts the five-mile I-5 corridor at $14.4 billion and a core first phase at $7.09 billion; $5.7 billion is committed, including $1 billion from Oregon and $1.5 billion in projected tolls that could start as early as 2028. Completion has slipped from 2034 to 2045.
Carbon cap lawsuit
Nearly 30 business, utility and labor groups petitioned the Court of Appeals on April 16, 2026 to void the Climate Protection Program, which caps fuel emissions toward a 90% cut by 2050 and prices compliance credits at $136 a ton; its first compliance period runs 2025–27.

Where they stand · thirteen more choices

Thirteen choices the next governor faces

One question at a time: every candidate’s answer, A–Z, with its source. Open a topic to compare the answers and see where information is still missing.

Transportation taxesRaise the gas tax and vehicle fees again to fund roads, after voters repealed the 2025 package?2 of 3 on recordNot found: Brett Smith

HB 3991, signed November 7, 2025, would have raised the gas tax from 40 to 46 cents and doubled the transit payroll tax; voters repealed those sections 83% to 17% on May 19, 2026. Lawmakers redirected $297 million to keep ODOT running through June 2027, leaving a durable source to the 2027 session.

Brett SmithWelder and inventor
Not found
Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed; a research gap, not a position.
Christine DrazanState senator
No new road taxes
Said: What they said
Voted no on HB 3991 in the House on September 1, 2025, and told KATU in April 2026 she would “balance the budget without new taxes,” putting potholes, maintenance and preservation first.
Our paraphrase of the candidate’s statement.
Tina KotekIncumbent governor
Signed taxes, sought repeal
What they did
Called the 2025 special session and signed HB 3991’s gas-tax and fee increases; in January 2026 asked lawmakers to repeal it, and after voters did she pledged bipartisan work on a 2027 package.
A recorded action; our summary of the official record.

Kicker refundLet the state hold back part of a kicker refund for other uses?2 of 3 on recordNot found: Brett Smith

The 2026 kicker returned about $1.4 billion to taxpayers. Holding any of it back takes a two-thirds vote of each chamber; the September 2026 forecast puts 2025–27 revenue $526 million under the threshold, so no kicker is due on 2028 returns.

Brett SmithWelder and inventor
Not found
Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed; a research gap, not a position.
Christine DrazanState senator
Protect the kicker
Said: What they said
Would “protect Oregon’s kicker” by vetoing legislative attempts to take it from taxpayers.
Our paraphrase of the candidate’s statement.
Tina KotekIncumbent governor
One-time wildfire hold-back
Said: What they said
Told reporters in May 2025 she would support withholding about $1 billion of the $1.64 billion kicker, one time and from high earners, for wildfire costs; her office later proposed Rainy Day Fund money instead.
Our paraphrase of the candidate’s statement.

Data-center moratoriumPause new data centers statewide until standards are set?3 of 3 on record

On September 8, 2026 the governor backed a moratorium and paused data-center deals on state land through July 1, 2027; her office says only the Legislature can pause private development. An advisory committee's recommendations are due by the end of 2026 for the 2027 session; its preliminary findings, released September 10, take public comments until October 24.

Brett SmithWelder and inventor
Permanent moratorium
Said: What they said
Pledges a permanent moratorium on data centers.
Our paraphrase of the candidate’s statement.
Christine DrazanState senator
Immediate moratorium
Said: What they said
Told KATU on September 8, 2026 that the governor “should issue a moratorium immediately” and that Oregon should have an immediate statewide moratorium; her plan adds community benefit agreements and a ban on blanket NDAs.
Our paraphrase of the candidate’s statement.
Tina KotekIncumbent governor
Moratorium until rules
Said: What they said
Said at the October 1, 2026 debate there “has to be a moratorium on new development of data centers” until the state gets it right, and she will introduce a bill on day one setting rules for them.
Our paraphrase of the candidate’s statement.

Data-center power ratesShould data centers pay a separate, higher electricity rate (the 2025 POWER Act)?2 of 3 on recordNot found: Brett Smith

HB 3546, signed June 16, 2025, lets regulators put large-load customers in their own rate class; the governor's office says PGE's data-center rates rose 29% and other customers' fell. It passed the House 41–16 and the Senate 18–12.

Brett SmithWelder and inventor
Not found
Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed; a research gap, not a position.
Christine DrazanState senator
Voted yes, then no
Said: What they said
Voted for HB 3546 in April 2025 and against it when it returned from the Senate in June; at the October 1, 2026 debate called it “window dressing,” saying regulators could already set large-user rates.
Our paraphrase of the candidate’s statement.
Tina KotekIncumbent governor
Signed the POWER Act
What they did
Signed HB 3546 on June 16, 2025; her office credits it with a 29% rate increase on data-center corporations and rate decreases for other PGE customers.
A recorded action; our summary of the official record.

Homelessness emergencyKeep the state homelessness emergency and its state-funded shelter beds going?2 of 3 on recordNot found: Brett Smith

The emergency declared January 10, 2023 was extended by Executive Order 26-01 through January 10, 2027; the state counts 6,286 shelter beds added or kept and 25,942 households helped to stay housed through September 2025. HB 3644 funds shelters with $204.9 million through June 2027.

Brett SmithWelder and inventor
Not found
Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed; a research gap, not a position.
Christine DrazanState senator
Audit, shift to recovery
Said: What they said
Would declare an emergency on addiction and mental health, audit homeless spending and shift money to recovery programs and homeless services, not measuring success by low-barrier shelter beds; her plan does not address the homelessness emergency.
Our paraphrase of the candidate’s statement.
Tina KotekIncumbent governor
Extended emergency to 2027
What they did
Extended the homelessness emergency by Executive Order 26-01 through January 10, 2027, with goals of rehousing 1,400 more households and preventing homelessness for 8,000, after signing HB 3644’s $204.9 million shelter program.
A recorded action; our summary of the official record.

Climate Protection ProgramKeep the Climate Protection Program's declining cap on fuel emissions?2 of 3 on recordNot found: Brett Smith

The program caps greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels used in Oregon and lowers the cap each year, to 50% below baseline by 2035 and 90% by 2050; the state re-adopted it in November 2024 after a court voided the first version on procedure. Nearly 30 business, utility and labor groups sued on April 16, 2026 to strike it down. The Court of Appeals has let six environmental justice, climate and business groups join the state’s defense and agreed to expedite the case, with briefing through December.

Brett SmithWelder and inventor
Not found
Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed; a research gap, not a position.
Christine DrazanState senator
Rescind on day one
Said: What they said
Said at the October 1, 2026 debate she will rescind the program on day one, saying it will “drive up the cost of utilities and power” and calling it a political agenda that “harms families.”
Our paraphrase of the candidate’s statement.
Tina KotekIncumbent governor
Keep the carbon cap
Said: What they said
Said at the October 1, 2026 debate she is “100% supportive” of the program and supports the Legislature taking up next year how to align with Washington, California and Quebec; until then, she said, it stays.
Our paraphrase of the candidate’s statement.

Vote by mailKeep Oregon's vote-by-mail elections as they are?2 of 3 on recordNot found: Brett Smith

Oregon has run its elections by mail since voters approved Measure 60 in 1998. HB 3872 (2025) would have made in-person voting on election day the standard method, with a mail ballot for voters who ask at least 21 days ahead because they are “for any reason unable” to vote in person; it also required photo ID to vote or request a ballot and referred the change to voters. It never left the House Rules Committee.

Brett SmithWelder and inventor
Not found
Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed; a research gap, not a position.
Christine DrazanState senator
Add in-person voting
Said: What they said
Said at the October 1, 2026 debate she backed the 2025 in-person voting bill over Postal Service concerns, not distrust, and wants people able to vote in person; calls herself a “strong supporter” of vote by mail.
Our paraphrase of the candidate’s statement.
Tina KotekIncumbent governor
Keep vote by mail
Said: What they said
Said at the October 1, 2026 debate that vote by mail, used in Oregon for more than 25 years, “is trusted” and “convenient,” and urged voters to read the 2025 bill to return to polling places.
Our paraphrase of the candidate’s statement.

Sanctuary lawKeep Oregon's sanctuary-law limits on helping federal immigration enforcement?2 of 3 on recordNot found: Brett Smith

The 1987 sanctuary law and the 2021 Sanctuary Promise Act bar public resources for immigration enforcement without a judicial warrant. Executive Order 26-04 (January 30, 2026) created an interagency council on the state's response, and eight bills signed April 9, 2026 set rules for schools, hospitals and courts.

Brett SmithWelder and inventor
Not found
Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed; a research gap, not a position.
Christine DrazanState senator
Sanctuary law too far
Said: What they said
Told KATU in April 2026 that Oregon’s sanctuary laws “have gone too far,” citing Corrections declining a U.S. attorney’s request about 30 people, and wants law enforcement able to work with federal law enforcement.
Our paraphrase of the candidate’s statement.
Tina KotekIncumbent governor
Keep sanctuary limits
What they did
Created an interagency council on the state’s response to federal enforcement (EO 26-04, January 30, 2026), signed eight immigrant-protection bills April 9, 2026, and opposes ICE detention facilities in Oregon.
A recorded action; our summary of the official record.

School instructional timeRequire districts to keep and add classroom hours even when budgets are short?2 of 3 on recordNot found: Brett Smith

Executive Order 26-06 (April 16, 2026) bars districts from cutting instructional time to close budget gaps, ends waivers below the minimum hours, and requires districts that cut time in 2025–26 or 2026–27 to restore it by 2027–28. Permanent rules, up for a State Board of Education vote in October 2026, would let a district that cuts time either justify the cut publicly or restore it within two school years. Oregon students get fewer hours than those in all but a handful of states, per the order.

Brett SmithWelder and inventor
Not found
Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed; a research gap, not a position.
Christine DrazanState senator
School-day standard
Said: What they said
Would increase classroom time by moving Oregon from an instructional-hours system to a school-day system with statewide standards for a school day; her plan does not say how districts should keep hours when budgets are short.
On the topic; the exact choice is unsaid. Our paraphrase.
Tina KotekIncumbent governor
Protect class time
What they did
Executive Order 26-06 directs the state to prioritize rules stopping further budget-driven cuts to class time, requires districts that cut time to plan its restoration, and ends most waivers below the minimum.
A recorded action; our summary of the official record.

New state taxesRaise new state taxes to cover the 2027–29 budget gap, or hold to cuts?3 of 3 on record

The state's Chief Financial Office told agencies on February 10, 2026 that federal H.R. 1 is projected to open a gap between the cost of current programs and revenue, and that 2027–29 proposals must be revenue-neutral. The governor’s Medicaid advisory group puts H.R. 1’s 2027–29 General Fund gap for the Oregon Health Plan at $421 million, about 1% of forecast revenue. The September 2026 forecast expects $400 million left over at the end of 2025–27 and $3.46 billion in reserves.

Brett SmithWelder and inventor
Wage-gap surcharge
Said: What they said
Would impose a surcharge on employers with 50 or more workers paying below a living wage, which his campaign models at $700 million to $3.4 billion a year for the Oregon Health Plan and food aid.
Our paraphrase of the candidate’s statement.
Christine DrazanState senator
Cut business taxes
Said: What they said
Says business taxes are too high and Salem should tighten its belt; would raise the Corporate Activity Tax threshold past the $2 million the governor’s Prosperity Council suggested, reform the estate tax and selectively preempt local taxes.
Our paraphrase of the candidate’s statement.
Tina KotekIncumbent governor
Offset any tax cuts
Said: What they said
Open to raising the Corporate Activity Tax threshold for small businesses if trimming tax breaks that haven’t helped competitiveness pays for it; wants an outside-led tax review; did not say whether she would seek new taxes.
On the topic; the exact choice is unsaid. Our paraphrase.

Interstate BridgeBuild the Interstate Bridge replacement as planned, with tolls, or scale it back?2 of 3 on recordNot found: Brett Smith

The program's 2026 estimate puts the five-mile corridor at $14.4 billion and a core first phase at $7.09 billion, with $5.7 billion committed, including $1 billion from Oregon and $1.5 billion in projected tolls. Tolling could begin as early as 2028.

Brett SmithWelder and inventor
Not found
Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed; a research gap, not a position.
Christine DrazanState senator
A cheaper bridge
Said: What they said
Says the state “can’t afford the I-5 bridge that they’re proposing,” objecting to the share of deck for biking, walking and transit, and would build a bridge Oregon can afford.
Our paraphrase of the candidate’s statement.
Tina KotekIncumbent governor
Build the core bridge
What they did
With Washington's governor, said March 17, 2026 the states remain “fully committed” to replacing the bridge, starting with a substantially funded core set of projects and adding the rest when funding is identified.
A recorded action; our summary of the official record.

Farmworker overtimeKeep the farmworker overtime schedule, which drops to 40 hours a week in 2027?2 of 3 on recordNot found: Brett Smith

HB 4002 (2022) phased in overtime pay for farmworkers: after 55 hours a week in 2023–24, 48 in 2025–26 and 40 from January 1, 2027. Employers can claim a refundable tax credit for a share of the extra pay through 2028. It passed the House 37–23 and the Senate 17–10.

Brett SmithWelder and inventor
Not found
Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed; a research gap, not a position.
Christine DrazanState senator
Overtime relief for farms
Said: What they said
Asked at the October 1, 2026 debate about raising the farm overtime threshold, said farmers need relief from the overtime rules to stay in business and that farm overtime clearly needs to be addressed.
Our paraphrase of the candidate’s statement.
Tina KotekIncumbent governor
Keep farm overtime
Said: What they said
Said at the October 1, 2026 debate it is “fair and moral” that people who work hard in the fields get paid overtime, and that supporting farms does not mean overlooking it.
Our paraphrase of the candidate’s statement.

Unemployment pay during strikesKeep unemployment benefits for workers on strike, public employees included?2 of 3 on recordNot found: Brett Smith

SB 916 (2025), in effect since January 1, 2026, lets striking workers collect unemployment after the first week of a strike, for up to 10 weeks, or 8 when the trust fund is on a higher tax schedule; it makes no exception for public employees. It passed the Senate 16–12 and the House 35–22 and was signed June 24, 2025.

Brett SmithWelder and inventor
Not found
Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed; a research gap, not a position.
Christine DrazanState senator
Opposes strike benefits
Said: What they said
Voted no on SB 916 in 2025; said at the October 1, 2026 debate that union members have strike funds and the law makes the unemployment insurance fund “less stable.”
Our paraphrase of the candidate’s statement.
Tina KotekIncumbent governor
Signed strike benefits
Said: What they said
Signed SB 916 in June 2025; said at the October 1, 2026 debate she stands with union workers “when they are out on strike, making sure that they can put food on the table.”
Our paraphrase of the candidate’s statement.

What the fundraising records show

Cash contributions from January 1, 2025 through November 4, 2026, before refunds. Both committees existed before this race, and the newest filings can still change. Analysis dated October 10, 2026.

Governor: typical named gifts and funding sources

January 1, 2025–2026-11-04, before refunds. Median, mean and mode cover named individual donations only. They exclude aggregate small contributions, other undisclosed sources, City matching deposits, businesses, committees, labor and candidate/family entries. We cannot calculate the median of all donations from combined records because the underlying gift amounts are unavailable. An even-sized median can have a half cent; displayed amounts round to cents.

Small contributions reported in aggregate is ORESTAR’s “Miscellaneous Cash Contributions $100 and under” category. The disclosure threshold applies to a contributor’s total to a committee in a calendar year; a combined row can contain many gifts and exceed $100. Other undisclosed sources are shown separately. Oregon reporting rules, pages 72–73.

Named individual size bands add all recorded gifts to each reported donor group over this window: a group giving five $25 gifts belongs in the $100.01–$1,000 band. These are conservative filing groups, not verified unique people. Aggregate rows do not reveal donor counts or individual gift sizes. Committees include known committee IDs and reported unregistered or party committees. Reported businesses are not automatically large corporations; PAC and union affiliations need separate review.

These bars exclude City matching. Each bar shows 100% of the candidate’s recorded cash excluding City matching, before refunds.

Named individuals giving $100 or less in totalNamed individuals giving $100.01–$1,000 in totalNamed individuals giving more than $1,000 in totalReported businessesPolitical committees / PACsReported labor organizationsOther named source typesSmall contributions reported in aggregate

Christine Drazan$18,664,888.23 excluding City matching

Tina Kotek$18,660,559.57 excluding City matching

Named individual donations only · median, mean and mode exclude aggregate small contributions · exact amounts and source details on each candidate’s profile
Candidate	Gift records	Median	Mean	Mode	Largest gift	Businesses	Committees / PACs	Individuals giving ≤ $100 total
Christine Drazan	6,562	$100.00	$1,137.77	$100.00	$500,000.00	$5,121,881.9527.4% of non-City cash	$4,831,436.4725.9% of non-City cash	$38,824.910.2% of non-City cash
Tina Kotek	13,590	$26.73	$329.41	$25.00	$100,000.00	$1,477,099.507.9% of non-City cash	$7,368,182.1539.5% of non-City cash	$90,270.740.5% of non-City cash

Missing candidate committees are not $0. These records may include activity preceding the 2026 race; recent filings and manual-export coverage remain provisional. Download these statistics and source totals (JSON).

Christine Drazan and Tina Kotek have reported $37.3 million in cash contributions between them. Brett Smith has no committee in these records, which is missing coverage and does not mean no money was raised.

Named individuals supplied 40% of Drazan’s cash and businesses 27%. Unions and their committees supplied at least 30% of Kotek’s, and national Democratic governors’ groups 23%.

The same dates and definitions for every candidate, listed alphabetically.
Candidate	Cash raised	From named individuals	Recorded payments	Coverage
Brett Smith	Not available	Not available	Not available	No committee in these records
Christine Drazan	$18,664,888	$7,466,037	$15,183,979through November 3	Payment coverage is provisional; later filings and amendments may be missing.
Tina Kotek	$18,660,560	$4,476,735	$5,315,668through October 12	Kotek’s source exports have a payment coverage gap. The ledger contains 0 September cash payments and 2 October cash payments. These are observed records, not complete spending totals.

Payment coverage is incomplete. A shared latest-payment date does not establish complete records for either campaign, so no current cash balance is calculated. Fundraising totals do not measure voter support.

Read the full investigation: who gave, when, where it came from and what it paid for Inspect Christine Drazan’s contribution records Inspect Tina Kotek’s contribution records Accounting and identity methods

About this race

How to vote

You vote for one candidate. How it works

Election Day: November 3, 2026 · official drop boxes close at 8 p.m.

Find an official ballot drop box

The League of Women Voters' VOTE411.org shows every race on your ballot from your address, in your choice of language, with candidates' answers to the League's questions where they gave them.

What this office can do

The governor directs state agencies, proposes a budget and can sign or veto legislation. The Legislature controls appropriations and changes to state law. Federal policy is outside the governor’s unilateral control.

How this list was made

Same questions for everyone, A–Z. Each short label summarizes a sourced position; we do not endorse, rank or score.

Original research reviewed September 18, 2026. AI-assisted; a separate human editorial review is still pending.

Terms explained

Amendment: A proposed change to a measure before the final vote. Voting for an amendment is not the same as voting for the whole measure.
Supplemental budget: A mid-year change to the city budget after the main budget is adopted.
Appropriation: Permission to spend money on something. It does not mean the money has been spent or the result achieved.
PCEF: The Portland Clean Energy Fund: a tax on large retailers that pays for climate projects. Council has debated using its interest for other services.
Term sheet: Starting terms for a negotiation. Approving one is not a final contract.
Social housing: Housing owned by the public or a nonprofit and rented at controlled prices.
CEI Hub: The fuel-storage area along the Willamette in Northwest Portland, where Zenith Energy operates.
Ranked choice: You rank candidates in order. If your first choice is eliminated or already elected, your vote counts toward your next choice.