Gov. Tina Kotek held a lead over Sen. Christine Drazan, R-Canby, in early returns Tuesday, Nov. 3, in Oregon's governor's race.

The Associated Press had not called this race as of 7:29 p.m. Pacific, according to Gayety. Results below are partial and unofficial. This article will be updated as more ballots are counted.

Updated returns showed Kotek leading Drazan, 52.3% to 45.1%, with nearly 1.3 million ballots counted statewide, OPB reported. Pacific Green Party candidate Brett Smith had 2.5% of the vote as of 8 p.m. The Oregon Secretary of State's office reported 1,282,797 ballots counted out of 2,909,762 active registered voters, a 44.09% turnout, as of 8:45 p.m. Pacific.

Clackamas County residents can find local results at clackamas.us/elections. The county planned to post initial unofficial results shortly after 8 p.m., according to the Clackamas County Elections office. Final results will be certified no later than Nov. 30.

Drazan, 54, lives in Canby. Kotek, 60, is seeking a second term. Smith, 44, has never held political office.

A 2022 rematch

The race is a rematch. Kotek beat Drazan in 2022, 47% to 43.5%, with unaffiliated candidate Betsy Johnson taking nearly 9% of the vote, the Oregon Capital Chronicle reported.

Oregon has not elected a Republican governor since Vic Atiyeh in 1982, according to the Salem Statesman Journal. Democrats hold all statewide offices and supermajorities in the Legislature.

All three candidates said lowering the cost of living is their top priority, the Statesman Journal reported. The winner will lead a state facing challenges in education, economic competitiveness and homelessness.

Where the candidates stand

Kotek said she is making progress and would continue to protect Oregon from federal interference. Her second-term agenda centers on affordability, economic growth, education and expanding social services, the Statesman Journal reported.

Drazan promised to cut taxes, veto new ones, order agencies to review spending and repeal the state's Climate Protection Plan (CPP). She grew up in Klamath Falls and served as House minority leader before being appointed to the Senate in October 2025, according to the Oregon Capital Chronicle.

Data centers became a flashpoint. Both Kotek and Drazan came out in favor of a moratorium on new data center construction, OPB reported. An OPB-commissioned poll found nearly two-thirds of likely voters favor a temporary ban.

Big money in the race

The two major-party candidates collectively raised more than $40 million, the Oregon Capital Chronicle reported. This is the last Oregon election without campaign donation limits, thanks to a 2024 state law that caps individual contributions at $3,300 per candidate per cycle starting next cycle.

As of Nov. 2, Drazan had received $21.5 million and spent about $22.2 million, with the Republican Governors Association giving $5.75 million in the final month, the Statesman Journal reported. Kotek had received about $19 million and spent $20.2 million, with the Democratic Governors Association contributing more than $5 million.

How to follow results

Oregon is a vote-by-mail state. Ballots had to be at a drop box by 8 p.m. on Election Day or postmarked by Nov. 3 to count. Clackamas County has 26 official ballot drop sites. Mailed ballots postmarked by Nov. 3 must be received by Nov. 10, according to the county elections office.

Live statewide results are available at the AP results page.