Tobias Read Wants To Be Oregon's Governor, Joins Crowded Field

BEAVERTON, OR – Tobias Read thinks that it's time for an upgrade. the Democrat who spent a decade representing Beaverton in the Oregon House of Representatives, thinks that he's the best candidate to succeed Kate Brown as governor.

Read is currently the Oregon State Treasurer, first elected in 2016 and reelected last year. Gov. Brown can't run again because of term limits.

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"I'm running for governor because I believe it's going to take steady leadership to help us move beyond this pandemic and start building a better future," Read said in launching his campaign.

"We need to stop lurching from one crisis to the next and lay out a vision for where to take Oregon, not just next year, but for the next generation."

Read said that his focus will be on children and education. He said that he would work for students from making pre-k more accessible to expanding career training for people ready to enter the job market.

He's joining an a field that already has five other candidates and is only expected to grow more crowded.

House Speaker Tina Kotek, Democrat of Portland, has already said that she wants to run while Pulitzer Prize winning New York Times columnist and Yamhil resident Nicholas Kristof is also exploring a run.

The Republican field is also growing. Bud Pierce who lost in 2016 is expected to run as are Stan Pulliam, the mayor of Sandy and Kerry McQuisten, the mayor of Baker City.

While there have been some somewhat close races, a Republican has not been governor since Vic Atiyeh finished his term in 1987.