For Immediate Release
Wednesday, October 7, 2026
Contact: [email protected]
Medford, OR – Following Governor Kotek’s resounding defeat of Christine Drazan during this evening’s debate in Medford, Democratic Party of Oregon Chair Nathan Soltz issued the following statement:
“As someone who was born and raised in Medford, it was a privilege to watch Governor Kotek speak to my hometown about the ways that she will continue to fight for the community where I was born and raised. Governor Kotek was the clear winner of tonight’s debate. She clearly laid out how she would lead Oregon into a more affordable future. By working to protect and expand health care access across Oregon and establishing Oregon’s Department of Commerce, Governor Kotek will continue to deliver for working families and bring economic opportunity to Southern Oregon and the rest of the state.
“Once again, Christine Drazan attempted to hide her record of support for Donald Trump’s agenda from voters – including her record of pushing to end vote-by-mail and restrict abortion access. Instead of explaining how she’d tackle Oregon’s challenges, she only offered MAGA talking points that Oregonians have repeatedly rejected at the ballot box. And they will do so again this November.”
Democratic Party of Oregon Executive Director Candy Emmons issued the following statement:
“As a woman who has needed a lifesaving abortion, I am disgusted by Christine Drazan’s comments tonight on abortion access in our state. When my husband sat in a hospital room afraid for my life, we didn’t have to worry about travel, medical bills, or other costs. We could focus on getting me the care I needed, because I’m an Oregonian. Women are coming to our state seeking that same safe haven, and Christine Drazan thinks it’s wrong to give it to them.
“Reproductive health care is all of it, together. It’s the mother miscarrying who needs a doctor who can act without calling a lawyer first. It’s the woman who has spent years and her savings on infertility treatment. It’s the young woman making a decision that will shape the rest of her life. You cannot protect one part of that care while threatening to jail the doctors who provide the rest. Women who other women trust know that.
“Christine Drazan is not a girl’s girl. She has spent her career standing with the people who want to put a woman’s doctor on trial. When DC comes for Oregon, she won’t be the one defending us. The fact that she thinks we should deny this kind of essential care to anyone is abhorrent.”
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