NBA Legend Chris Dudley Enters Oregon Governors Race, Challenging GOP Primary Field

Chris Dudley, who spent 16 years in the NBA and six seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers, announced Monday his candidacy for governor of Oregon.

Dudley previously ran for governor in 2010 but lost by two points after raising $10 million.

“The empty promises, the name-calling, the finger-pointing, and fearmongering that has solved nothing must stop,” Dudley stated in his campaign announcement.

“There are real solutions, and I have a plan,” he added.

Dudley pledged to focus on public safety, affordability, and education if elected.

After retiring from the NBA, Dudley, a Yale graduate, worked in finance and now runs a nonprofit supporting children with diabetes.

Democratic Governor Tina Kotek is expected to seek re-election but has seen her approval ratings lag in Oregon’s deep blue state.

“I think it’s imperative that we get somebody from outside of Salem who’s away from the partisan politics, away from the name calling, and the finger pointing,” Dudley said.

“Who has the expertise and background and the ability to bring people together to solve these issues?”

In the Republican primary, Dudley is challenging state senator Christine Drazan, who lost to Kotek by four points in 2022.

Other candidates include Marion County Commissioner Danielle Bethell and state representative Ed Diehl.

Bethell has raised approximately $176,000 since January 2025, according to records.

Diehl, a Republican from Scio who helped lead efforts to halt transportation tax hikes in a recent referendum, entered the race last week. He has raised about $46,800 since the beginning of last year.

Morning Consult polling shows Kotek’s approval ratings have remained below 50%.

Oregon has not elected a Republican governor since Victor Atiyeh won reelection in 1982, though recent gubernatorial races have had single-digit margins.

Phil Knight, co-founder of Nike, is also involved, having donated $3 million to a PAC focused on securing more Republican seats in the state legislature last year.

The Democratic Governors Association criticized Dudley’s entry into the race.

“Oregon Republicans are already facing a messy, crowded primary — and failed candidate Chris Dudley’s entrance into the race will only push every candidate even further to the right and out of step with Oregonians,” said Johanna Warshaw, deputy communications director for the Democratic Governors Association.