Oregon labor union gives added $1M to Dem governor candidate

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon’s largest labor union is contributing an additional $1 million to Democratic candidate for governor Tina Kotek as the race appears to be one of the closest in years.

Felisa Hagins, political director for SEIU Local 49, told Oregon Public Broadcasting about the donation on Wednesday. The union had already given almost $700,000 to Kotek’s campaign via five separate political funds.

The total is by far the most that SEIU, which has over 55,000 members in Oregon, has spent on a candidate in the state. State campaign finance records show it contributed less than $1.2 million to Gov. Kate Brown’s re-election in 2018.

Hagins suggested the money was partly needed because 2022 is a massively expensive year. The three-way gubernatorial contest also includes nonaffiliated candidate Betsy Johnson and Republican Christine Drazan.

Together they’re set to shatter political spending records in Oregon. As of Wednesday, the campaigns had reported spending $42.77 million this election cycle. That’s more than the record nearly $40 million spent by Gov. Kate Brown and Republican Knute Buehler in the 2018 governor race.

Recent polling has shown Kotek and Drazan neck-and-neck. Johnson looks like a distant third, but it’s unknown whether the former conservative Democrat will siphon more votes from the Republican or Democratic nominee.

The union donation also comes less than a week after Nike co-founder Phil Knight threw support to Drazan with a $1 million donation. He had previously given $3.75 million to Johnson.