Former New York Times Columnist Nicholas Kristof Officially Enters Race For Oregon Governor

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – Former New York Times reporter and columnist Nicholas Kristof has announced he is running for governor of Oregon, the state where he grew up on a rural farm.

A quarter of the kids on my old No. 6 school bus in rural Oregon are dead from drugs, alcohol, suicide, and there are No. 6 buses all over the state and country. So I’ve made the leap. I’m running for governor and here’s why. More at https://t.co/MkRcl5s9fY. Please share! Thanks! pic.twitter.com/R4iEYHDYZM

— Nicholas Kristof (@NickKristof) October 27, 2021

Kristof left the newspaper earlier this month and has frequently written about the economic and social problems of the people he grew up with in Oregon as the region’s manufacturing and timber economy collapsed.

Kristof said Wednesday he will run as a Democrat in the 2022 race.

The political newcomer faces a crowded Democratic field. Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek and state Treasurer Tobias Read are among candidates who have already said they are running.