PORTLAND, Ore — New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof is one step closer to running for Oregon governor in 2022. On Tuesday he filed paperwork to form a candidate committee, which allows him to fundraise for a political campaign and hire staff.
Kristof’s committee is called “Nick for Oregon.”
“Nick has been exploring the idea of running for the governor of Oregon for the past few months and this is an important next step,” said Carol Butler, who has been serving as an advisor to Kristof.
While filing to form a committee is an important step in the process, it doesn’t mean he’s officially running. He would need to file additional paperwork to declare as a candidate for governor. He has not said when or if he will take that next step.
Kristof, 62, is a two-time Pulitzer prize winner who is best known for his writing on human rights and global affairs. He grew up on a sheep and cherry farm in Yamhill County and considers Oregon home.
Back in June, he told KGW’s Laural Porter he was considering a run in the Democratic primary for governor.
"I have friends trying to convince me that here in Oregon, we need new leadership from outside the broken political system. I’m honestly interested in what my fellow Oregonians have to say about that," Kristof said.
In July, Kristof confirmed he was mulling a run and then took a leave of absence from the New York Times to test the political waters.
Kristof has been critical of the leadership in Portland specifically, citing the ongoing problems of homelessness, vandalism and violence.
If he chooses to run, Kristof would be among the more well-known candidates in the Democratic primary for governor, which already includes Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek and State Treasurer Tobias Read. Multnomah County chair Deborah Kafoury and state Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum are also believed to be considering campaigns.
The Democratic primary will be an open race in 2022 as current Gov. Kate Brown finishes her term.
