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Oregon Supreme Court will rule on whether Nick Kristof can run for Oregon governor

Nick Kristof speaks with media, answering questions about his campaign for Oregon governor, Oct. 27, 2021 at First Presbyterian Church of Portland.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff
Nick Kristof speaks with media, answering questions about his campaign for Oregon governor, Oct. 27, 2021 at First Presbyterian Church of Portland.

The Oregon Supreme Court will weigh in on whether former New York Times columnist Nick Kristof meets the state’s residency requirement to run for governor.

Last week, Secretary of State Shemia Fagan ruled Kristof does not qualify to run for governor. The state’s Constitution requires a person to live in Oregon for three years before running for governor, and Fagan ruled Kristof did not meet the requirement.

Kristof filed a petition with the Oregon Supreme Court asking justices to overturn Fagan’s
ruling, and has argued for months that he has always considered Oregon to be his home. Kristof grew up in Yamhill County and has long maintained property in the area.

“This is good news. We’re delighted they decided to hear the case, and I think it’s a good thing this is going to be dealt with quickly,” Carol Butler, Kristof’s campaign manager, said.

Kristof campaign officials have argued the state’s highest court should rule on questions to his residency swiftly. The deadline for candidates to qualify for the May primary ballot is March 17.

Copyright 2022 Oregon Public Broadcasting

Lauren Dake is a JPR content partner from Oregon Public Broadcasting. Before OPB, Lauren spent nearly a decade working as a print reporter. She’s covered politics and rural issues in Oregon and Washington.