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Good morning, Northwest.
The race for Oregon governor next year is beginning to take shape.
Christine Drazan, a Canby Republican who was recently appointed to the Oregon Senate, announced yesterday she’s running again after narrowly losing to Democrat Tina Kotek a few years ago. The two are likely to face each other again.
OPB’s Bryce Dole leads us off this morning with a look at Drazan’s chances to become the first Republican Oregon governor since the 1980s.
Also this morning, a trove of photos found at a garage sale offer a glimpse of Southern Oregon history.
Here’s your First Look at Tuesday’s news.
—Bradley W. Parks
Sen. Christine Drazan greets supporters at the Gunderson Marine & Iron manufacturing facility in Portland, Ore., on Monday, Oct. 27, 2025.
Saskia Hatvany / OPB
Christine Drazan is running for Oregon governor again
Former House Minority Leader Christine Drazan is running for Oregon governor again.
Drazan is among Oregon’s most influential Republican politicians. She last ran for governor in 2022, losing the race to Tina Kotek, the Democratic nominee, by less than 4%. Drazan was appointed to fill a vacant Oregon Senate seat last week.
Her announcement could set up a rematch with Kotek, who is expected to run for reelection but has yet to announce her plans. (Bryce Dole)
An election worker opens a ballot at the Clackamas County Elections Office in Oregon City, Ore., Nov. 5, 2024.
Anna Lueck for OPB
3 things to know this morning
- Ballots have been mailed out to voters ahead of the Nov. 4 election. Though the off-year election is typically a slow one in Oregon and Southwest Washington, there are a few items of note. Here’s what you need to know. (Holly Bartholomew, Erik Neumann, Andrew Theen)
- It’s been a little more than a year since the biggest river restoration project in U.S. history on the Klamath River. Scientists have shown the profound impact dam removal can have on water quality and the wildlife that depends on it. (Jes Burns)
- A new, permanent plaque in honor of Barry Washington Jr. now stands in Bend on the downtown corner where he was shot and killed on Sept. 19, 2021. On Saturday, about 100 people gathered despite wind and rain to attend the memorial dedication ceremony. (Kathryn Styer Martínez)
Firefighters respond to a fire at Portland City Councilor Candace Avalos' home in the Mill Park neighborhood of Portland, Ore., on Oct. 26, 2025.
Courtesy of Dennis Weis via Portland Fire & Rescue
Headlines from around the Northwest
- Portland says there’s ‘no evidence’ that Councilor Avalos was targeted by house fire (Alex Zielinski)
- Eugene horror film competition celebrates 10-year anniversary (Nathan Wilk)
- Trail Blazers beat Lakers 122-108 behind Avdija’s 25 points (Dan Greenspan)
Listen in on OPB’s daily conversation
“Think Out Loud” airs at noon and 8 p.m. weekdays on OPB Radio, opb.org and the OPB News app. Today’s planned topics (subject to change):
- Should Portlanders support the parks levy? Both sides make their case
- New Washington program makes it easier for family members to be licensed caregivers
In this image circa 1900, son of photographer Amos Voorhies poses with a dog in Grants Pass, Ore.
Courtesy Lloyd Smith
Rediscovering rural Southern Oregon through historic photos
Grants Pass Daily Courier publisher Amos Voorhies died 65 years ago yesterday, leaving behind thousands of photographs of life in Josephine County.
Many of the images were destroyed, thrown away and thought to be lost for good.
That is until decades later when retired history teacher and photographer Lloyd Smith discovered a box of Voorhies’ glass plate negatives at a garage sale.
Smith spent years scanning and gathering information about the images, stitching together pieces of Southern Oregon history. (Kami Horton)
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