Oregon Democrats are losing faith in Kotek

Photo credit: Craig Mitchelldyer, AP

It looks like desperate times really do call for desperate measures.

This announcement from Chief Justice Walters is the second retirement in the last 15 days in the Oregon Supreme Court. The timing is no coincidence. Their retirement from the court on December 31st puts their exit just days before Kate Brown’s final days as governor; making now the opportune time to queue up their replacements in the likely event of Republican gubernatorial victory.

With polling consistently showing Democrats Tina Kotek and Betsy Johnson trailing the leading candidate Republican nominee Christine Drazan, it’s clear Oregon Democrats are more nervous than ever before that their decades-long reign is coming to an end.

“As the likelihood of ‘Governor Christine Drazan’ sets in, Democrats are scrambling,” said RGA Spokeswoman Kaitlin Price. “From Joe Biden’s hopeless visit, to the Justices’ desperate ditching of their posts, no further evidence is needed to see that Oregon Democrats are losing faith in the viability of victory this November.”