GOP Candidates Split as Drazan and Dudley Seek Endorsement from Trump

PORTLAND, OR - Tonight, as the final GOP gubernatorial primary debate comes to a close, the candidates begin to differentiate themselves on their support for Trump as Drazan and Dudley acknowledge they would accept the President's endorsement.

Unsurprisingly, all the candidates aligned in their staunch opposition to abortion access and a woman's right to choose. Not a single candidate addressed the latest ruling limiting protections for abortion and contraception access under the Reproductive Health and Equity Act or the threats to access to medication abortion for millions of women across the country.

In a debate where questions about Trump and his disastrous policies were unavoidable, every candidate sided with the President and his administration on different issues:

• Ed Diehl, in response to a question about support for Trump's policies, aligned himself with Trump on the eligibility requirements for SNAP and Medicaid set by Trump and MAGA Republicans in the Big Ugly Bill.
  • According to new data from the USDA, over 33,000 Oregonians have stopped receiving SNAP benefits since the enactment of the bill.
• Danielle Bethell, in response to a question on vote by mail and election integrity, confessed that she personally signed the petition to repeal mail-in voting.
  • Earlier this year, Trump signed an illegal executive order attacking free and fair elections by restricting mail-in voting.
• Christine Drazan reiterated her support for ending Oregon's long-standing 100% vote-by-mail system.

But when it comes to direct support from President Trump in the form of an endorsement, the candidates were split - while Bethell and Diehl said they would not seek an endorsement from Trump, Drazan and Dudley both indicated they would welcome Trump's support:

• Christine Drazan, responding to a direct question about whether she would seek or accept Donald Trump's endorsement: "Anybody that supports my vision for a brighter future for our state, I will accept their support."
• Chris Dudley, when pressed by moderators about a potential Trump endorsement: "I would accept any President's endorsement."

With only two weeks left before the primary, the GOP gubernatorial field continues to move further and further right.

"As a fifth generation Oregonian I find it shocking that this field of unqualified candidates is the best that the Oregon Republican Party has to offer this state. None of these candidates are ready for prime time, and none of these candidates are qualified to lead," said Candy Emmons, Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Oregon. "The only takeaway from tonight's debate is that none of these candidates have a backbone, and they are all willing to do Trump's bidding."

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