Ex-NYT columnist Kristof files to run for Oregon governor

PORTLAND — Former New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof said Monday he has officially filed to run for Oregon governor in the Democratic primary.

Kristof, who announced his candidacy in October and raised more than $1 million in less than a month, says the state needs a political newbie to solve problems like homelessness and rural despair.

Kristof joins a crowded field of Democrats in the 2022 gubernatorial election, including Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek and state Treasurer Tobias Read. Democrats have held the governor’s office since 1987.

Republicans seeking their party’s nomination include state Rep. Christine Drazan, R-Canby, former Republican nominee Bud Pierce and Sandy Mayor Stan Pulliam.

Former Democratic state Sen. Betsy Johnson is running as an independent.

Kristof has faced questions of whether he’s eligible to run for governor. According to the law, a candidate must have been a resident of the state for at least three years before an election. Kristof voted in New York state in November 2020.

A legal opinion by lawyers working for Kristof said Kristof has always considered Oregon his home, even though his job required him to live around the world.

Kristof and his wife, Sheryl WuDunn — who also was a New York Times reporter — bought a 150-acre property in Yamhill in 1993.