PORTLAND — Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber appears ready to announce he will run for a fourth term.
In a news release sent Sunday from “John Kitzhaber for Governor 2014,” he said he would be holding a news conference in Portland on Monday morning to talk about his plans for the coming year.
The announcement says he will also speak on his progress in the areas of economic development, education and health care.
A call to a campaign spokeswoman was not immediately returned Sunday.
By the end of October, Kitzhaber’s campaign had already reported contributions of nearly $232,000 in 2013. He matched the amount he raised in all of 2012 by this Oct. 30.
Nike and Comcast have each contributed $10,000 to the Democrat’s campaign. He’s received 12 other contributions of at least $5,000, including from Portland General Electric employees, PacifiCorp and several attorneys and business executives.
He has nearly $140,000 in the bank, according to campaign finance disclosures to the state of Oregon.
Kitzhaber narrowly beat Republican Chris Dudley in 2010, beginning an unprecedented third term after eight years out of office. He’s widely expected to face a much easier race if he decides to run again. With a tea-party fueled wave of support for the GOP, 2010 was one of the toughest years in memory for Democrats.
Republicans Dennis Richardson, a state representative from Central Point, and Jon Justesen, a rancher from Eastern Oregon, have announced plans to challenge him in 2014. Richardson has raised $135,000, including $20,000 from Stimson Lumber, and Justesen has collected $40,000.
