PORTLAND, OR — The Eugene Weekly Editorial Board endorsed Governor Tina Kotek in the Democratic Primary, citing her record of delivering results, especially on housing and homelessness, while standing up to President Trump’s attacks on Oregon.
“Eugene/Springfield voters deserve a governor who shows up, listens, learns, and keeps delivering – and that’s exactly the work I’ll keep doing,” said Governor Tina Kotek. “At a time when President Trump is gutting healthcare, ripping away food assistance, and unleashing chaos in our communities, Oregon needs a governor who will defend our values. I’ll always stand with Oregonians, and I’ll keep doing the work to lower costs, build more housing, and build an economy that works for every community in our state.”
Throughout her career, Governor Kotek has been a steadfast champion for Eugene/Springfield and all Lane County communities:
- Governor Kotek fought to protect Lane County’s emergency medical care and was a strong partner in the coalition effort to change PeaceHealth’s plans. She sent a letter to PeaceHealth strongly requesting a 180-day delay of their planned transition to a venture capital-backed staffing company, directed the Oregon Medical Board to provide weekly updates on physician staffing, and directed the Oregon Health Authority to monitor compliance with the corporate practice of medicine law she signed in 2025.
- When President Trump threatened to strip SNAP benefits from 750,000 Oregonians, Governor Kotek declared a hunger emergency. As soon as the courts ruled that the federal government had to resume funding, her administration worked through the night to make sure food benefits were back in Oregonians’ accounts that day.
- When Trump tried to unlawfully deploy the Oregon National Guard into Portland, she blocked it. And when ICE enforcement escalated, she issued an executive order to ramp up the state’s response and joined 31 Oregon mayors in calling for a halt to enforcement actions, including Eugene Mayor Kaarin Knudson.
- Governor Kotek delivered a $25 million privately funded partnership to expand mental health and addiction care for kids, including in Lane County, overhauled civil commitment laws to get people help faster, and added hundreds of new mental health and addiction treatment beds statewide.
- In 2024, she signed a $376 million Emergency Housing Stabilization and Production Package to cut red tape, simplify the building process, and increase interest-free loans to local governments, including the Moderate Income Revolving Loan program to kickstart housing construction in communities like Eugene/Springfield.
- Governor Kotek established the state’s first-ever Prosperity Council and released a Prosperity Roadmap to build an economy that works for every corner of Oregon – including support for the Southern Willamette Valley Innovation Corridor, which will leverage the University of Oregon and Oregon State University to create higher-wage jobs and economic opportunity in the region.
- On Day One of her administration, Governor Kotek declared a homelessness state of emergency with Eugene/Springfield identified as a focus region. She championed $205 million to create Oregon’s first permanent statewide shelter system and $138 million for rehousing and rental assistance, keeping 24,000 households from losing their housing and helping 3,300 families transition from shelters back into housing.
The Eugene Weekly Editorial Board joins a growing coalition supporting Governor Kotek’s reelection bid alongside the Oregon League of Conservation Voters, UFCW Local 555, Oregon Labor Federation, Oregon Nurses Association, Oregon Building Trades, North Coast Carpenters Union, The Mother PAC, Planned Parenthood Action Oregon, Basic Rights Oregon, Alliance for a Safe Oregon Action, OSEA, SEIU Oregon, AFSCME Council 75, and more.
ABOUT GOVERNOR KOTEK
Governor Tina Kotek has spent her career making history and fighting for others. Over the last three years, Governor Kotek has expanded access to affordable childcare, created thousands of new shelter beds, protected abortion access and vote-by-mail, and funded early literacy and summer learning programs. She has also been a national leader in pushing back against Donald Trump’s attacks on our communities, our healthcare, and our rights by blocking his illegal attempts to deploy the Oregon National Guard in our communities and working through the night to reverse his decision to strip food assistance from Oregonians by taking away SNAP benefits.
Governor Kotek is running for reelection to continue defending Oregon values and tackling the state’s biggest challenges – lowering costs, reducing homelessness, strengthening schools, expanding mental health and addiction care, and bringing affordable childcare to every corner of the state.