Oregon's GOP candidate for governor, currently leading in the polls, is tying herself to right-wing extremists huffpost.com/entry/oregon-g…
For starters, Christine Drazan has been getting hefty checks from Oregon's David Gore.
Who is Gore?
A major funder of the far-right Tea Party Patriots, which helped organize the Jan. 6, 2021 pro-Trump rally in D.C. that led to the insurrection.
Who is Gore?
A major funder of the far-right Tea Party Patriots, which helped organize the Jan. 6, 2021 pro-Trump rally in D.C. that led to the insurrection.
Gore and his wife just cut Drazan a check for $20,000 a couple of weeks ago.
That's after the $50,000 they gave to her campaign earlier this year.
That's after the $50,000 they gave to her campaign earlier this year.
Gore has been giving lots of $ to the Tea Party Patriots' three sub-groups in recent years.
Between 2018 and 2021, he gave $50,000 to Tea Party Patriot Action, $275,000 to Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund and $124,000 to the Tea Party Patriot Foundation, per the Intercept.
Between 2018 and 2021, he gave $50,000 to Tea Party Patriot Action, $275,000 to Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund and $124,000 to the Tea Party Patriot Foundation, per the Intercept.
An odd detail I found in FEC filings:
Not only has Gore given piles of $ to Tea Party Patriots, which helped organize the pre-insurrection Trump rally, but a week *after* the insurrection he gave $150,000 to the Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund. huffpost.com/entry/oregon-g…
Not only has Gore given piles of $ to Tea Party Patriots, which helped organize the pre-insurrection Trump rally, but a week *after* the insurrection he gave $150,000 to the Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund. huffpost.com/entry/oregon-g…
But there's more going on here.
Beyond her financial ties to Gore, Drazan recently featured B.J. Soper, a far-right, anti-government militia leader, as a speaker at a campaign event.
Soper has a long and well-known history of far-right militia organizing.
Beyond her financial ties to Gore, Drazan recently featured B.J. Soper, a far-right, anti-government militia leader, as a speaker at a campaign event.
Soper has a long and well-known history of far-right militia organizing.
WaPo described Soper in 2016 as “an emerging leader in a growing natl movement rooted in distrust of the federal govt, one that increasingly finds itself in armed conflicts with authorities.”
Law enforcement officials cast him as "dangerous, delusional and sometimes violent."
Law enforcement officials cast him as "dangerous, delusional and sometimes violent."
Here's the WaPo piece on Soper. washingtonpost.com/sf/national/20…
What did Soper say at Drazan's campaign event?
He tied his for support to GOP candidates like Drazan to the mission of his group, People’s Rights, which is to defend people against federal government intrusion at all costs.
“We do that physically if everything else fails."
He tied his for support to GOP candidates like Drazan to the mission of his group, People’s Rights, which is to defend people against federal government intrusion at all costs.
“We do that physically if everything else fails."
Soper also compared Oregon to a military fort, and warned Drazan’s supporters of “an assault coming our way — a socialist, communist assault."
“It is time that we stand up and we take hold of this redoubt here."
Video footage of Soper's remarks in here. huffpost.com/entry/oregon-g…
“It is time that we stand up and we take hold of this redoubt here."
Video footage of Soper's remarks in here. huffpost.com/entry/oregon-g…
One local Oregon website described Soper's remarks at Drazan's campaign event as "a rousing call to arms."
A little more about Soper.
He founded the Pacific Patriot Network in 2015, a far-right paramilitary network. It included members from Oath Keepers, the leaders of which are now on trial for seditious conspiracy, and 3%ers, a militia movement dedicated to fighting govt tyranny.
He founded the Pacific Patriot Network in 2015, a far-right paramilitary network. It included members from Oath Keepers, the leaders of which are now on trial for seditious conspiracy, and 3%ers, a militia movement dedicated to fighting govt tyranny.
In April 2015, Soper put on paramilitary camouflage fatigues, got out his AR-15 rifle and spent a couple of weeks “standing guard” at the Sugar Pine Mine in Oregon, where miners were having a dispute with the federal Bureau of Land Management. washingtonpost.com/sf/national/20…
Soper also founded the Central Oregon Constitutional Guard, a group that practices “basic infantry tactics” and trains with concealed handguns and combat-style rifles.
I could go on, but you get the gist.
I could go on, but you get the gist.
In the meantime, Drazan has now twice refused to say if she supports Jo Rae Perkins, a QAnon conspiracy theorist running for U.S. Senate in Oregon.
Perkins attended the insurrection at the Capitol.
She called it “the American Revolution.” huffpost.com/entry/oregon-g…
Perkins attended the insurrection at the Capitol.
She called it “the American Revolution.” huffpost.com/entry/oregon-g…
I asked Drazan's campaign why she appears to be tying herself to right-wing extremists in the final weeks of her campaign.
Her spokesman did not answer the question. Instead, he said random HuffPost editors are the only ones who think Drazan is a right-wing extremist.
Her spokesman did not answer the question. Instead, he said random HuffPost editors are the only ones who think Drazan is a right-wing extremist.
(There is no evidence that any HuffPost editors think that Drazan is a right-wing extremist or even know who she is.)
What's wild about this race is that Drazan holds a slight lead in the polls in her 3-way race against Dem Tina Kotek and Dem-turned-independent Betsy Johnson.
Oregon hasn’t elected a GOP governor since 1982.
Why is this happening? Johnson is functioning as a spoiler.
Oregon hasn’t elected a GOP governor since 1982.
Why is this happening? Johnson is functioning as a spoiler.
Rich Republicans are throwing money at Johnson to try to keep her in the race to kurt Kotek.
Nike co-founder Phil Knight, who tried to unseat current Dem Gov. Kate Brown in the past, just donated $2M to Johnson's campaign in September.
$2M! oregonlive.com/politics/2022/…
Nike co-founder Phil Knight, who tried to unseat current Dem Gov. Kate Brown in the past, just donated $2M to Johnson's campaign in September.
$2M! oregonlive.com/politics/2022/…
This is after Knight already gave Johnson's campaign another $1.75M.
So that's $3.75M for her campaign this year.
So that's $3.75M for her campaign this year.
Here's where the polling in this race stands at the moment, via @FiveThirtyEight
Drazan and Kotek are neck and neck.
Johnson (a Dem turned indie for this race) is way down there, but with lots of GOP money she can hang in there and pull votes from the 2 at the top.
Drazan and Kotek are neck and neck.
Johnson (a Dem turned indie for this race) is way down there, but with lots of GOP money she can hang in there and pull votes from the 2 at the top.
Anyway, buckle up for one of the most unexpectedly interesting races to watch imo. huffpost.com/entry/oregon-g…
Here's Tina Kotek's spokeswoman on Drazan + right-wing extremists:
"The threats to our democracy are very real + they are here in Oregon. Instead of standing up for what’s right, Christine Drazan is courting the support of election deniers, insurrectionists and MAGA loyalists.”
"The threats to our democracy are very real + they are here in Oregon. Instead of standing up for what’s right, Christine Drazan is courting the support of election deniers, insurrectionists and MAGA loyalists.”
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