Shemia Fagan, Oregon’s secretary of state, notified longtime New York Times writer Nicholas Kristof Thursday morning that he was ineligible to become Oregon’s next governor.
Fagan’s office issued a press release after informing Kristof of her decision to reject his filing, citing the fact that “Article V, § 2 of the Oregon Constitution requires a candidate for governor to have been a ‘resident within this state’ for three years before the election. ”
“The rules are the rules and they apply equally to all candidates for office in Oregon,” said Fagan.
Deborah Scroggin, Oregon’s elections director made assurances that “if Mr. Kristof chooses to appeal, the Oregon Elections Division is committed to doing everything possible to allow Oregon courts to decide promptly.” Scroggin noted that her office would begin printing ballots for the primary elections — Kristof had intended on running as a Democrat — on March 17.
Explaining his decision to leave the Times and attempt a run for office in October, Kristof stated “precisely because I have a great job, outstanding editors and the best readers, I may be an idiot to leave. But you all know how much I love Oregon, and how much I’ve been seared by the suffering of old friends there. So I’ve reluctantly concluded that I should try not only to expose problems but also see if I can fix them directly.”
Kristof’s attorney, Misha Isaak, had argued that Kristof did qualify because he had graduated from high school in Oregon, long maintained property there, frequently returned, and considered it his home. However, Kristof did vote from New York in 2020, thereby attesting to the fact that was “not qualified,” and “did not intend to vote elsewhere.”