[Portland, OR] – Former House Speaker and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tina Kotek has earned the endorsements of The Oregonian, Bend Bulletin, Portland Tribune, Willamette Week, Portland Mercury, Eugene Weekly and Bend Source Weekly, earning seven out of the eight editorial board endorsements announced thus far in the primary:
The Oregonian
“Democrats should choose Kotek as their nominee for her unflinching determination to tackle big challenges and an indisputable record of effectiveness.”
Bend Bulletin
“Kotek would do more to get the most out of government agencies. She would do more to achieve Democratic priorities. She would make a better governor for Oregon. It’s about her personality. It’s about her skill.”
Portland Tribune
“Despite her reputation, she’s pragmatic at her core. Her approach to the job reminds us of another forceful House Speaker from Portland named Vera Katz, who went on to have a successful run as Portland Mayor.”
Willamette Week
“Kotek is smart, strategic and decisive. She figured out how to pass difficult bills that make working-class Oregonians’ lives better—from a minimum wage increase that acknowledged employers in rural Oregon couldn’t pay as much as ones in Portland, to family medical leave, to an end to no-cause evictions. Under her leadership, Democrats passed a school funding increase they’d been chasing for 30 years.”
Portland Mercury
“There’s only one candidate for governor who has a proven record of addressing the state’s housing crisis: Tina Kotek…. Kotek has the chops to negotiate and reach consensus with lawmakers across the political spectrum. ”
Eugene Weekly
“Oregon’s former speaker of the House has the best ideas and strongest record of getting things done of any of the other contenders. Kotek is smart, she’s competent and she has the charm of your cool lesbian aunt compared to the rest of the candidate pool. As speaker since 2013, she’s got the legislative contacts and experience to help bring about solutions to the state’s biggest problems, from homelessness and the pandemic to climate change, and she has good ideas to push forward.”
Bend Source Weekly
“Kotek’s history in working toward real solutions to address the housing crisis is one place she can truly rest on her laurels. The advent of House Bill 2001—which allows for multi-family housing in areas previously only zoned single-family—was a landmark bill that we believe will help transform our communities and get more housing units built sooner … She was also instrumental in getting Project Turnkey funded—which opened up former motels as homeless shelters, something we have seen positively impact people in our community already. It is due to creative solutions like this that we place our endorsement with Kotek.”
Tina Kotek locked up early support from progressive organizations in the Democratic primary, earning the endorsements of almost all major advocacy organizations from Planned Parenthood PAC of Oregon to the Oregon League of Conservation Voters and the Oregon Nurses Association.