Oregon Supreme Court rules that former New York Times columnist Nick Kristof can't run for governor
- Nicholas Kristof won't be on the ballot this November after being an early front runner to become Oregon's next governor.
- The Oregon Supreme Court ruled that Kristof did not meet the state's residency requirement.
The Oregon Supreme Court unanimously ruled on Thursday that former New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof cannot run for governor this November, formally ending his campaign that had upended the race.
"We recognize that relator [Kristof] has longstanding ties to Oregon, that he owns substantial property and operates a
farm here, and that the secretary did not question his current Oregon residency," the court wrote in its opinion. "But that is not the issue here."
Kristof, a Pulitzer-prize-winning journalist, left the Times last October as he began to seriously explore a gubernatorial run in his home state. Born in Yamhil, Oregon, Kristof painted his run as a way for Oregonians to reach outside the Democratic political establishment. But his run was dogged by questions over his residency.
"Today's Supreme Court ruling excluding me from the ballot is, of course, very disappointing," Kristof wrote on Twitter. "But while I won't be on the ballot, I'm not giving up on our State."
At issue was whether Kristof met the three-year residency requirement to qualify for the ballot. Kristof pointed to his ownership of a farm in Yamhil, but Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan determined that he had lived in New York since at least 2000 and didn't reestablish Oregon residency by November 2019. Fagan's office argued the fact Kristof voted in New York as recently as 2020 was yet another sign that he failed to meet the requirement.
Kristof took his fight to Oregon's high court, agreeing with Fagan that only its justices could issue the final word on what constitutes legal residency. His disqualification deprives the race of a big-name candidate who easily dwarfed other challengers in fundraising.
The Oregonian reports former House Speaker Tina Kotek and state Treasurer Tobias Read are now the frontrunners for the May primary. Gov. Kate Brown, who is also a Democrat, is term-limited.