Drazan Loses Big at Eugene Debate By Doubling Down on MAGA Policies

For Immediate Release
Friday, October 2, 2026
Contact: [email protected]

Portland, OR - Yesterday, Governor Tina Kotek debated MAGA Republican Christine Drazan in Eugene in the first of three scheduled televised debates. Over the course of the debate, Christine Drazan repeatedly aligned herself with Donald Trump and the MAGA wing of the Republican party, pushing an extremist agenda that Oregon voters have repeatedly rejected in statewide elections.

On taxes: Christine Drazan offered the same solution as Trump: tax cuts for the wealthy, service cuts for working families. In an earlier meeting with Greg Gianforte - who previously pleaded guilty to assaulting a reporter - Drazan discussed offsetting tax breaks for the wealthy with cuts to services, saying that the state government cannot be "all things to all people."

On abortion: Drazan also trotted out tired Republican rhetoric on abortion access, stating "I do think it's important that we recognize that Oregon is an outlier across the nation in our approach to this issue… I happen to continue to stand on the pro-life side of things." Although she downplayed her position, the comments echoed those made by Trump nominee Brett Kavanaugh, who famously described Roe v. Wade as "settled as precedent" during his confirmation hearing to become a Justice of the Supreme Court, only to later reverse course and help overturn it, opening the doors for stronger abortion bans across the country.

On climate change: Drazan also delivered a bizarre stance on climate change, saying "I absolutely believe that man-made climate change has an impact on us… it doesn't mean I want to raise taxes to address it." So far, Drazan has not announced any plans to address climate change, and in fact - just like the Trump administration - has pledged to repeal existing climate protections multiple times during the debate, targeting Oregon's Climate Protection Plan.

On National Guard: On the issue of standing up to federal troops, Drazan tried to obscure her record of cheering for the deployment of the National Guard against peaceful protesters by saying "Technically, I didn't support his decision." Reporting from the Oregonian acknowledged this dodge as an attempt to rewrite Drazan's record, noting "At the time of Trump's announcement, it was largely federal agents who were using force against protesters outside the ICE building - not the other way around."

"While there was never any doubt that Governor Kotek would outperform Christine Drazan the same way she did in 2022, it was surprising how unprepared Drazan was to answer basic questions about her support for Donald Trump and his MAGA agenda," said Democratic Party of Oregon Chair Nathan Soltz. "Drazan chose to spend the debate lobbing insults at a governor that has consistently stood up to the Trump administration, rather than present any ideas of her own. What Drazan did show us was another career politician who is lock-step with Donald Trump's MAGA agenda."

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