Nike founder, Phil Knight, says he will do anything to take away Oregon’s gubernational seat from Democrats. The billionaire has poured a massive amount of cash into Betsy Johnson’s campaign, who is a former Democrat now running as an independent. Johnson’s candidacy is giving Republican Christinze Drazan the opportunity she needs in a liberal electorate no longer confident in the state’s recent far-left policies. Knight explained how radical his state has become to the New York Times, “One of the political cartoons after our legislative session had a person snorting cocaine out of a mountain of white. It said, ‘Which of these is illegal in Oregon?’ And the answer was the plastic straw.”
Oregon has not elected a Republican governor since 1982, but polls show Drazan with a solid chance of taking the election over Democrat Tina Kotek. Drazan has styled herself as a moderate Republican in the race, focusing heavily on the issues of crime and homelessness. Phil Knight describe himself as “an anti-Tina person,” to NYT. In a recent ad, Drazan described her plan for Oregon:
“We need a new direction. My roadmap for Oregon cleans up our streets, stops the tax increases, and makes life more affordable for Oregon families. The stakes couldn’t be higher, but together we can do this”
