The famously liberal state of Oregon is on track to elect a Republican governor for the first time in four decades, a shock poll has claimed.
Incumbent Democratic Governor Tina Kotek is locked in a head to head with Republican State Senator Christine Drazan.
According to new polling results, obtained by Oregon Live, 48 percent of those surveyed would likely or definitely vote for Drazan.
That was four percentage points above the 44 percent of respondents who said they would back Kotek, the results said.
The poll was carried out by a Republican-aligned firm on behalf of Drazan’s campaign team, who quizzed potential voters across the state at the end of June.
Despite the narrow lead, the poll showed that Drazan’s shaky lead fell within the poll’s margin of error of plus or minus four points.
The outlet reported that Drazan’s team showed the results of the poll to lobbyists and potential donors earlier this week ahead of the November election.
If she manages to sweep the election, she would be the first Republican governor in the state since Victor Atiyeh who was last elected to office in 1982.
Governor Tina Kotek is seen here earlier this week, new polling suggests she is trailing Republican State Senator Christine Drazan in her race to retain office
According to new polling results, 48 percent of those surveyed would likely or definitely vote for Drazan, pictured here in 2022
The polling also highlighted how Kotek was poorly received with the electorate, with only 38 percent of respondents saying they approved of her time in office.
Nearly three-fifths of those surveyed also said that they believed the state to be on the wrong track.
Portland, the most populous city in the state, has been handling a years-long crime wave and quality of life issues since 2020; however, it has managed to see violent offenses decrease from its recent record highs.
The city has long been a byword for extreme progressivism and woke excesses. Many Oregonians living in rural areas are more conservative, with multiple counties in eastern Oregon previously trying – and failing – to secede and become part of Idaho because of that state’s Republican politics.
A poll in May echoed that similar dissatisfaction with Kotek, with over half of voters, 53 percent, saying they had an unfavorable view of Kotek.
An April poll commissioned by Oregon Live that honed in on the Portland metro area found that just a third of respondents had a positive opinion of Kotek.
Drazan’s campaign strategist Trey Rosser said in a statement to the outlet: ‘If you’re Tina Kotek, this should be a wake-up call,
‘People are frustrated by the rising cost of living, the lack of affordable housing, worsening homelessness and a governor who keeps making life more expensive instead of fixing problems.’
Drazan is seen here speaking in Portland in May of this year
Nearly three-fifths of those surveyed also said that they believed the state to be on the wrong track, Governor Kotek is seen here casting her ballot in 2022
Kotek’s campaign told the outlet: ‘Christine Drazan is desperate to show that she has a shot, but the reality is she is out of step with Oregon values.
‘As Oregon voters learn more about how Drazan has sided with Trump’s dangerous and unpopular agenda, they’re going to remember exactly why they rejected her four years ago.’
The two previously went up against each other in 2022 after both securing their respective primary elections.
Kotek came out on top winning the election with 47.0 percent of the vote, to Drazan’s 43.5 percent.
