Oregon Voters Say They’ve Lost Patience With Democrats

Elections

‘When I drive through Portland, I’m scared’

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tina Kotek speaks to her constituents during a rally on October 22, 2022 in Portland, Oregon. Josh Christenson • October 26, 2022 5:00 am

SALEM, Ore.—After nearly four decades of Democratic control, voters in Oregon are ready for a change of leadership.

“I don’t like the Democratic approach to anything that’s happening,” said Terri, who lives with her husband outside of Salem and dropped her party affiliation two years ago. “I used to be a Democrat for 40 years.”

Like many voters who spoke with the Washington Free Beacon, Terri is fed up with President Joe Biden and Oregon governor Kate Brown (D.). She said both have attempted to woo progressives with policies that undermine public safety and contribute to record inflation.

“I want law and order. I want people who have committed crimes to be prosecuted,” she said before gesturing to her liberal friend seated next to her. “We want help for those who need it—not help for everybody, like this administration is doing, just handing out money willy-nilly.” Her friend agreed.

That dissatisfaction is threatening Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tina Kotek’s chances in Oregon, where voters rank crime and the economy as top concerns. Even after Biden visited the state to stump for Kotek, the Democrat trails her Republican opponent Christine Drazan in recent polls. Statewide surveys also show a majority of Oregonians have an unfavorable view of both Biden and Kotek.

“Kotek is Brown,” Terri said, a remark similar to others the Free Beacon has heard while visiting the state. Kotek has sought to distance herself from the least popular governor in America. She criticized Brown in interviews this year but accepted Brown’s endorsement.

Residents’ talk often centers on Portland, where Kotek lives and which has long been a hotbed of far-left activism in Oregon. Anti-police protests inspired by the killing of George Floyd gripped the city for over 100 days in 2020, with rioters damaging businesses and clashing violently against federal and local law enforcement. Data for Progress, a left-wing think tank, found two years later that 62 percent of voters want to see more police in their communities.

“When I drive through Portland, I’m scared. I didn’t used to be scared, but I’m scared,” Chris, who volunteers for a nonprofit that helps the homeless, told the Free Beacon.

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