[Bend, OR] – Following last night’s gubernatorial debate, Tina Kotek met with frontline nurses in Bend today to talk about safe staffing, safe workplaces and how to provide affordable, accessible health care for all.
In one of the most memorable exchanges from last night’s debate, which was held at OSU-Cascades in Bend, Tina took her conservative opponents to task for siding with hospital CEOs over essential workers, saying:
“I’m a strong supporter of our essential workers. In the pandemic, I think the contrast with my colleagues is that I supported the people on the ground doing the work, not the hospital CEOs.”
Today, Tina met with nurses who are member leaders with the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA), and had a powerful conversation about the statewide nurse staffing crisis and other issues facing their members.
“Let me first say that we owe nurses and frontline health care workers across the state our deepest gratitude and compassion,” Tina said. “Working alongside the Oregon Nurses Association, and nurses like those I met here today, I know we can do more to improve access to quality health care and support the caregivers who have sacrificed so much to help so many Oregonians.”
Tina’s conservative opponents would not be champions for nurses and other frontline health care workers.
Republican Christine Drazan and conservative Betsy Johnson both have long records of opposing worker protection bills and siding with corporate CEOs over working people. They both even opposed the Right to Health Care Measure that’s on the ballot this year, which would affirm that every Oregon resident has a constitutional right to cost-effective, clinically appropriate, and affordable health care.
“Tina’s understanding of the issues facing nurses across the state, her deep appreciation for the importance of nurses during the pandemic, and her exceptional track record of leadership for Oregonians are among the many reasons ONA has endorsed her in the race for Governor,” said Paige Spence, Director of Government Relations for ONA.