Secretary Of State Says Kristof Can’t Run For Governor; Kristof To Challenge In Court
By Dillon Bergmann
Yesterday, Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan, the head of all elections in Oregon, ruled that former New York Times columnist Nick Kristof cannot run for governor because he has not satisfied the residency requirement put forward by the state constitution. Article 5, Section 2 of the constitution states that any person who wishes to run for governor must have resided in the state for at least 3 years prior to running for the office. To be included on the ballot, candidates must prove that they meet all of the criteria for the position that they are running for. As a columnist for the New York Times, Kristof was registered to vote in the state of New York for the Nov. 2020 election, held a NY driver’s license for 20 years, received all mail at his NY address, and filed federal income taxes in NY. The Secretary of State’s office says that this proves Mr. Kristof was not in fact a legal resident of Oregon during this time, thus making him ineligible to run for the governorship.
The Kristof for Governor campaign disputes these allegations, announcing today that they intend on challenging this ruling at the Oregon Supreme Court. In a statement, Kristof said that “the law is on our side,” and accused Secretary Fagan of foul play motivated by politics, going on to say, “I come from outside the political establishment, and I don’t owe insiders anything. So they view my campaign as a threat. So instead of working to end homelessness, they’re working to end my candidacy.” Kristof and his lawyers argue that he has lived in the State for the required period arguing that “Kristof developed a global reputation as a reporter, and then foreign correspondent, for the New York Times. Work required them to be in New York, but Kristof considered Oregon his home, and the family spent each summer at the Yamhill farm. Kristof’s children went to OMSI camps and worked on the Kristof family farm each summer.” They also argue that Mr. Kristof had paid state property taxes each year since 1993 when he purchased the family farm, alongside paying taxes for a second property. Combined, both properties are sized at 440 acres.
The Secretary of State’s office disagrees. In a press conference on Jan. 6, Secretary Fagan stated that all regular procedures were followed and that the ruling was impartial, claiming the ruling came without any political bias. In a statement on the matter, Secretary Fagan explained:
“The rules are the rules and they apply equally to all candidates for office in Oregon. I stand by the determination of the experts in the Oregon Elections Division that Mr. Kristof does not currently meet the Constitutional requirements to run or serve as Oregon Governor. As Oregon’s chief elections official, it is my responsibility to make sure all candidates on the statewide ballot are qualified to serve if elected. The Oregon Elections Division and local election officials use the same standards to determine qualifications for hundreds of candidates in dozens of offices every year. In this instance, the candidate clearly does not meet the constitutional requirement to run or serve as governor of Oregon.”
A Kristof supporter we spoke to, Sunset senior Riley Marshall, stated that he was “disappointed” by this verdict. However, he also explained that he would “respect and understand the decision made by the courts.” Oregon is required to respond to the appeal by Jan. 21, and no hearing date has been set at this time.
