In the results counted at 3 p.m. as of Friday, Drazan trailed Kotek by 64,000 votes, 47.1% to 43.4%. Kotek’s lead widened significantly Thursday after Multnomah County, Oregon’s largest and bluest county, finished tallying results from ballots received through Wednesday. Drazan, the former state House Republican leader, said Friday that she spoke with Kotek, the former longtime Democratic speaker of the House, and wished her and the state only the best. “I want to express my deepest gratitude to all those who supported me and trusted our campaign,” Drazan said in a statement. “I also want to assure Oregonians that every vote will count and that their voice was heard in this election. Unfortunately, given what we know about the pending ballots, the math for a comeback just doesn’t add up. Although the Oregon gubernatorial campaign has come to an end, I am extremely grateful for all Oregonians who have joined our movement to take our state in a new direction.” Drazan’s concession came two days after The Oregonian/OregonLive announced the governor’s race for Kotek Wednesday. In her statement, Drazan noted that the election was unusual because the presence of three experienced and well-financed candidates meant that a majority of Oregonians did not vote for the winner. Unaffiliated candidate Betsy Johnson received 8.6 percent of the vote as of Friday afternoon. Drazan said the race’s momentum “needs moderation and consistency moving forward.” “The majority of Oregonians voted for someone other than the person who will serve as our governor for the next four years,” Drazan said in a video released Friday. “That would be true no matter who won the match. This is the time to come together and recognize that our differences need not divide us.” The last time Oregon elected a new governor with less than 50% of the vote was in 2002, when Democrat Ted Kulongoski beat Republican Kevin Mannix and Libertarian Tom Cox with 49% of the vote. And in 2010, Oregon voters elected Democrat John Kitzhaber to a third term with just 49.3% of the vote in his race against Republican Chris Dudley and a few minor-party candidates. Drazan had hoped to become Oregon’s first Republican-elected governor in 36 years, and in the fall, many polls showed she had a real chance. But waning support for Johnson and the Democrats’ strong ground game meant it eventually fell flat. Watch Drazan’s message to voters: —Jamie Goldberg? [email protected]; 503-221-8228; @jamiebgoldberg To sign up to receive our weekly newsroom newsletter recapping our top election coverage, just click here. Our journalism needs your support. Subscribe today at OregonLive.com/subscribe
