Will Nick Kristof Stay On The Ballot? Court Decision Thursday

Portland OR

17 February, 2022

12:33 AM

Description

PORTLAND, OR —There are several things that are not being disputed. Nick Kristof was born and raised in Yamhill. He lives on the same property where he grew up. He wants to be the governor of Oregon and is trying to run in the Democratic primary. On January 6, Secretary of State Shemia Fagan ruled that because Kristof also lived in New York – his driver's license is from there, he paid taxes there, he voted there as recently as 2020 – he's not been a resident of Oregon for at least 3 years and is not eligible to be on the ballot in Oregon. No one has ever been kicked off the Oregon ballot for not being a resident – a term that's not been defined by the Oregon courts. Kristof appealed Fagan's decision, arguing that just because he also lived in New York doesn't mean he's not an Oregon resident. He cited his ownership of property, the home where he and his wife live, the family farm that he has helped upgrade. On Thursday, the Oregon Supreme Court will decide whether Kristof stays on the ballot. Kristof is a two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize who spent nearly 30 years working for The New York Times before quitting to pursue a campaign to succeed Kate Brown. Whatever the court decides will have a large impact on the race. Kristof has raised close to $3 million already, far outpacing his rivals in the primary. If he's booted off the ballot, former House speaker Tina Kotek and State Treasurer Tobias Reed will benefit in the primary. Meanwhile, Betsy Johnson, who resigned rom the state legislature to run as an Independent, would also benefit from Kristof being out of the race. If the court allows Kristof to remain on the ballot, he wins by being allowed to continue his race. He's positioned himself as a Democrat who is also an outsider which is why he says that members of the state party's establishment doesn't want him on the ballot.