BAKER CITY HERALD • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2022 A5
ELECTION 2022
Candidates face off in Bend governor’s debate
BY GARY A. WARNER
AND ANNA KAMINSKI
Oregon Capital Bureau
The three top candidates for
governor engaged in a sharp,
rapid-fire debate in Bend on
Tuesday, Sept. 27, dipping into
their campaign talking points
during 90 minutes of rehash-
ing old feuds while promising
new beginnings.
Unaffiliated candidate Betsy
Johnson, Democrat Tina
Kotek and Republican Chris-
tine Drazan offered different
recollections of their shared
time together in the Oregon
Legislature.
Kotek was House Speaker
before resigning to run for
governor. Drazan was the
leader of the minority-party
Republicans in the House be-
fore also stepping down to
run. Johnson was a Demo-
cratic state senator until re-
signing from both the Senate
and the Democratic Party in a
bid to be just the second per-
son to win the governorship
without major party support.
Seated in soft wing-armed
orange chairs on the stage at
Tykeson Hall on the Oregon
State University-Cascades
campus, each candidate said
she would be the best agent
for change for the state after
nearly eight years with Kate
Brown as governor.
“We’re better at pitching
tents than we are pulling per-
mits,” Johnson said, linking
homeless camps and the lack
of new housing. Kotek would
be “more Kate Brown than
Kate Brown,” while Drazan
would be tied to a GOP that
has moved to the right, John-
son believes.
“The Democrats have an
agenda; the Republicans have
an agenda,” Johnson said,
while she would have “an
agenda unfettered by an ide-
ology.”
Kotek said she was inspired
by young volunteers on her
campaign looking for the next
governor to be an agent for
change.
“Take action,” she said.
Johnson and Drazan were
Supporters of Oregon governor candidates rally prior to a debate at
OSU-Cascades Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022, in Bend.
Photos by Dean Guernsey/The Bulletin
Oregon governor candidates, seated from left, Betsy Johnson, Tina Kotek and Christine Drazan prepare for
a debate at OSU-Cascades Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022, in Bend.
similar in emphasizing what
they would not do, Kotek as-
serted. Despite Johnson’s for-
mer party status, Kotek said
her views were closer to Dra-
zan in opposing a cap on car-
bon emissions and favoring
business interests over orga-
nized labor and workers.
Drazan said Johnson’s two
decades as a Democratic legis-
lator outweighed her decision
last year to leave the party and
the state Senate, while Kotek
would be a continuation of 40
years of Democrats holding
the governorship.
“This is the definition of
Tina Kotek’s approach to the
governor’s office — don’t
change course, don’t change
direction, keep doing more of
the same,” Drazan said.
Drazan echoed a question
asked by Republican candi-
date Ronald Reagan in his
successful 1980 race against
President Jimmy Carter.
“Is your family better off
than four years ago?” Drazan
asked viewers.
The debate was sponsored
by OSU-Cascades, the City
Club of Central Oregon, and
Bend television station KTVZ.
Cathy Marshall, a KTVZ an-
chor, moderated the debate,
which was broadcast live in
the Bend area and was avail-
able elsewhere only on KT-
VZ’s website. The internet ver-
sion of the forum was cut off
at 7:30, with only the broad-
cast and cable audience seeing
the final 10 minutes, including
the candidates’ summations.
A passionate but well-be-
haved crowd of around 70
people gathered outside of
Tykeson Hall ahead of the de-
bate, waving American flags
and toting signs supporting
their candidates. Repeating
chants from the crowd for
“Tina” or for “Drazan” fought
for dominance while officers
from the Oregon State Police
roamed the perimeter to assist
OSU-Cascades’ small security
staff as a safety precaution.
The Johnson camp was quiet
and small in number, despite
her historic roots in Central
Oregon.
At one point, song broke
out among Drazan supporters,
and others joined in singing
“America the Beautiful” and
“The Star Spangled Banner.”
Many in the crowd weren’t
allowed to attend the debate,
which was invitation-only,
let alone see the candidates.
Attendance was reserved for
some community leaders,
some OSU-Cascades students
and 10 invitees from each of
the campaigns.
Deschutes County Com-
missioner Tony DeBone and
Bend City Councilor Melanie
Kebler made brief appear-
ances outside the debate hall,
mingling with Drazan and
Kotek supporters respectively
before the debate began.
Katy Brooks, CEO of the
Bend Chamber, was in the au-
dience at the debate, and she
submitted a question for the
candidates asking about their
strategies to remedy the hous-
ing crisis in Central Oregon.
The barbs, accusations and
differing versions of recent
legislative history during the
debate alluded to insider feuds
that have made Kotek and
Drazan personal antagonists.
Johnson has gone her own
way on Kotek-backed legis-
lative initiatives on pollution,
guns and worker rights.
The race between the three
has been rated as a “toss-up”
by two national forecasters
— The Cook Political Report
and the Center for Politics
at the University of Virginia.
The race has attracted over
$30 million in campaign con-
tributions to the three, with
national party groups back-
ing Kotek and Drazan, while
Johnson’s successful petition
drive to qualify for the ballot
was bolstered by cash from
Nike founder Phil Knight and
several timber and construc-
tion companies and groups.
The debate began with a
question asking if the candi-
dates would support Measure
114 on the November ballot.
The measure would increase
requirements for gun owner-
ship and improve law enforce-
ment databases.
Johnson said the change
in law would be a burden to
small law-enforcement agen-
cies. She said she could sup-
port legislation to raise the
minimum purchasing age for
some firearms from 18 to 21.
Drazan said “more gun laws
will not prevent every single
tragedy from happening.”
Kotek and Johnson both
said they supported abortion
rights, while Drazan said she
was personally anti-abortion
but would uphold Oregon’s
law, among the least restrictive
in the nation.
Drazan complained about
taxes that have been imposed
in recent years in Oregon and
said, “We’ve got to be serious
about holding the line on new
taxes.” Johnson also criticized
the state’s regulators as “puni-
tive and predatory.”
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Baker County
CHURCH
DIRECTORY
Elkhorn Baptist
Church
Sunday School 10 am
Morning Worship 11 am
Evening Worship 6 pm
Discovery Kids Worship
6:30 pm
3520 Birch St, Baker City
541-523-4332
Baker & Haines
United
Methodist
Churches
Baker UMC, 1919 2nd St, at 11am
Haines UMC, 814 Robert St, at 9am
To join us on Zoom email
bakerumc@thegeo.net
and the link will be emailed to you
or follow us on Facebook
EARLY WORSHIP
GATHERING
WORSHIP
GATHERING
8:30 AM
10:00
AM
SECOND WORSHIP GATHERING
Harvest Cafe Open
10:30 AM
AM
- 9:50
Harvest 9:00
Cafe open
30 minutes
before AM
each service
3720 Birch St, Baker City
541-523-4233
www.BakerCityHarvest.org
CHRISTIAN
SCIENCE CHURCH
Sunday Service
10:00 am
www.ChristianScience.com
3rd & Washington, Baker City
541-523-5911
Pastor Michele Holloway
Sunday Worship
FIRST
PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH
First Service 8:30 am
2nd Service & Sunday School
Sunday Worship Service
10:30 am
Jr. High & High School Youth
Tues 6:30 pm
Youth Pastor Silas Moe
1995 4th Street, Baker City
541-523-5201
10:00 am
675 Hwy 7, Baker City • 541-523-5425
firstpresbaker.blogspot.com
SEVENTH-DAY
ADVENTIST
CHURCH
Saturday Worship
11:00 am
www.bakercitysda.com
17th & Pocahontas, Baker City
541-523-4913
St. Francis De
Sales Cathedral
Daily Masses:
M, T, Th, F 9 am
Day Chapel in Cathedral
Wed Daily Mass 9 am
at St. Alphonsus Chapel
Sat 8 am at Day Chapel
Baker City Saturday Mass 6 pm
Baker City Sunday Mass 9:30 am
St. Therese in Halfway 2 pm Sat
St. Anthony's in North Powder
11:30 Sun
541-523-4521
Corner of First & Church, Baker City
AGAPE
CHRISTIAN
CENTER
Sunday Services
10:00 am & 6:30 pm
South Highway 7,
Baker City
541-523-6586
SAINT
ALPHONSUS
HOSPITAL CHAPEL
Services at 9 am
1st & 3rd Sundays, Holy Eucharist
2nd & 4th Sundays, Morning Prayer
5th Sunday, Morning Prayer
2177 First Street • Baker City
Entrance on 1st Street
Corner Church & First Streets
541-523-4812
THE CHURCH OF
JESUS CHRIST OF
LATTER-DAY SAINTS
Sunday Worship
9:45am
9 - 11 AM - Baker City 1st Ward
10:30 AM - 12:30 PM - Baker City 2nd Ward
Noon - 2 PM - Baker Valley Ward
EVERYONE WELCOME
2625 Hughes Lane, Baker City
541-523-2397
Live Streaming on
Facebook
St. Alphonsus Hospital in
Baker City
Established
1904
Family History Center
Everything Free
Tues & Fri 1-4 PM
Wed & Thurs 10 AM - 1 PM
Wed Evenings 5-8 PM
Service at 11 am
Open to all patients,
family and friends for
reflection and prayer.
St. Stephen’s
Episcopal
Sunday School
8:30am
Coffee served 9:15 AM - 9:45 AM
Pastor Troy Teeter
1250 Hughes Lane, Baker City
(Corner of Cedar & Hughes)
541-523-3533
www.bakernaz.com
FIRST
LUTHERAN
CHURCH
1734 Third Street, Baker City
541-523-3922
firstlutheranbakercity@gmail.com
ST. BRIGID’S IN THE
PINES COMMUNITY
CHURCH
11:30 a.m. Services
1st & 3rd Sunday
Holy Eucharist
(541)
East Auburn Street, Sumpter
541-523-4812
A Mission of St. Stephen's Episcopal
Church in Baker City
Third & Broadway
541-523-3891
Third & Broadway
Sundays
541-523-3891
9 AM Sunday School
10 AM Worship Service
Mondays
6:30 - 8 PM
Baker Teens Underground
Wednesdays
5:30-6:30 PM Dinner & Prayer Time
Thursdays
5 - 6 PM Free Community Dinner
6 - 7 PM Celebrate Recovery
bakercalvarybaptist.com
The church directory is published once monthly. Information for this directory is provided by participating churches, please call 541-523-3673 for more information.
Thank you to the participating churches and these sponsors:
Whelan Electric, Inc.
523-5756 • CCB 103032
Cliff’s Saws & Cycles
2619 Tenth • 523-2412
1950 Place • 523-4300
1500 Dewey • 523-3677