Oregon governor’s race may be shifting, new poll shows

Key Points:

• A new poll of 549 likely Oregon voters shows Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek leading Republican state Sen. Christine Drazan 46% to 44%, though the margin is within the poll's 4.2% error rate, indicating a statistical tie.
• The poll suggests a potential shift toward Kotek similar to the 2022 governor’s race, with early leads for Drazan narrowing as Election Day nears; Drazan's campaign highlights Kotek's low favorability ratings as a call for change.
• Favorability ratings are low for both candidates, with 60% of respondents holding a negative impression of Kotek and 47% negative toward Drazan; 7% remain undecided, and 3% favor Pacific Green Party candidate Brett Smith.
• Support patterns show Kotek favored in the Portland area and among women and college graduates, while Drazan has more backing from men and voters with less education; key issues for undecided voters include the economy and homelessness.
• Both campaigns continue to attack each other on key issues, with Kotek linking Drazan to former President Trump and Drazan criticizing Kotek's performance on state challenges; ballots will begin mailing next week ahead of the Nov. 3 election.