Chris Dudley is getting back into the political game.
The former Portland Trail Blazer announced on Monday he’s entering the GOP primary and hopes to be the next governor of Oregon. The news comes sixteen years after the former basketball center came within one percentage point of beating Democrat John Kitzhaber for governor in 2010.
Dudley has openly considered another run at the governor’s seat for months. He’s been making the rounds and criticizing the state’s low education rankings and the city of Portland’s downfall.
“Oregon used to be a national leader in so many areas,” Dudley said in a recent interview with OPB. “And we need to be a leader again, and we need to work together, regardless of party, work together and say, ‘Hey, we can do better.’”
FILE - Oregon Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Dudley concedes to John Kitzhaber outside a restaurant in Lake Oswego, Ore., Nov. 3, 2010.
Greg Wahl-Stephens / AP
In his announcement video, Dudley said he had a plan to improve the state’s dismal education rankings and would focus on affordability and public safety.
“We are a state with a beautiful diverse landscape and diverse people,” Dudley said. “I believe it’s one of the things makes it so special.”
Dudley has to overcome some long odds to make it to Mahonia Hall. The last time a Republican was elected governor in Oregon was in 1987, when Vic Atiyeh held the role and Clyde Drexler was still playing on the Portland Trail Blazers.
Dudley is arriving to the Republican primary relatively late. Top-tier rivals, including state Sen. Christine Drazan, R-Canby, have already been fundraising for months. Drazan has reported raising more than $1.3 million since January 2025.
When Dudley first ran for governor, he had help from the state’s wealthiest resident. Phil Knight pitched in about $400,000 to the effort. It’s unclear if Knight will give again.
One of Dudley’s other top donors from his first bid for governor, Andrew Miller, CEO of Stimson Lumber, said he won’t be giving this time around. Miller donated $510,000 to Dudley’s 2010 campaign.
“Personally, I do not think Chris has a chance,” Miller said in an email. “Nice guy, but too timid for political campaigning and easily swayed by the rat pack of consultants and high dollar donors who think they are political geniuses.”
One point that could hurt him in the primary is his stance on women’s reproductive health care. He’s long been supportive of abortion rights. In 2010, his views put him at odds with Oregon Right to Life, the state’s anti-abortion group. Drazan, who is anti-abortion, won that group’s endorsement.
When Dudley was a teenager, he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. After he graduated from Yale, Dudley became the first person with a diabetes diagnosis to play in the NBA. He started the Chris Dudley Foundation, a nonprofit for people living with diabetes. He has also put on basketball clinics for kids across the country, encouraging those with the diagnosis to remain active.
Dudley played in the NBA for more than a decade. He later went into wealth management.
In November, he told OPB he doesn’t identify as a “moderate” and doesn’t like labels.
Drazan, likely one of his toughest opponents in the primary, said she has been consistently fighting for the state.
“I have been in the battle and fought for families through some of the most challenging times in our state’s history. I have never stopped working and fighting for the future of my state,” Drazen said in a statement.
If Dudley makes it past the primary, he will face incumbent Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek.
Dirk VanderHart contributed to this report. This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
