Governor Tina Kotek is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for a second term. Before Oregon votes, here is her record. Every fact below has a source at the bottom.

The facts:

• Housing. In January 2023 Governor Kotek set a goal of 36,000 new homes a year. In September 2026 OPB reported that Oregon is on track to build less housing this year than when she took office.

• Homelessness. She declared a homelessness emergency on her first full day in office and has extended it three times. Oregon's point-in-time count of homeless people rose about 34 percent from 2023 to 2025, according to KGW's report on Portland State University data.

• Schools. On the 2024 Nation's Report Card, Oregon's fourth-grade reading score was seven points below the national average, OPB reported. A January 2026 analysis by ECONorthwest, paid for by the education group Stand for Children, found Oregon ranks 47th of 50 states in classroom hours per school year, and that chronic absenteeism rose from 20 percent in 2019 to 34 percent.

• Jobs. Oregon lost 10,900 jobs in the year ending August 2026, and the unemployment rate was 5.1 percent, KLCC reported.

• Taxes. In 2025 the Legislature passed a transportation tax package (House Bill 3991) in a special session the Governor called. About 250,000 Oregonians signed to put it to a public vote. On May 19, 2026 voters repealed the tax increases, with more than 80 percent voting against them.

• Value for taxes. A 2026 WalletHub study ranked Oregon 43rd of 50 states for what taxpayers get back for the taxes they pay, KPTV reported.

• Approval. A September 2026 poll of 600 likely voters found 37 percent approve of the job she is doing and 59 percent disapprove. That poll was paid for by a business-backed group, Grow Oregon.

Her side: Governor Kotek says housing starts rose in 2026, that high school graduation rates are at a record high, that school attendance has improved three years in a row, and that there is more work to do on Oregon's toughest challenges. Some of these problems, including school scores below the national average, began before she took office in January 2023.

Credit where it is due: on April 16, 2026 she vetoed House Bill 4177, which would have loosened Oregon's public meetings law.

To be fair and clear: the Oregon Government Ethics Commission reviewed complaints about her office in 2024 and a spending referral in 2025 and found no violation either time. This petition does not claim any wrongdoing. This is about results.

What we ask:

1. That Oregon voters look at this record before they vote on November 3, 2026.

2. That Oregon choose a governor who will meet the housing, homelessness and school goals Oregon was promised.

Disclosure: I am Jonathan Curtis, a third-generation Bend local and an independent candidate for Deschutes County Clerk on the November 3, 2026 ballot. I am not affiliated with any candidate for governor.

One more fact, on employers: in June 2025 Dutch Bros, founded in Grants Pass, announced it is moving its headquarters to Phoenix, Arizona. Willamette Week reported that the owners of Jeld-Wen (Klamath Falls) and Tektronix (Beaverton) also announced headquarters moves to North Carolina. In fairness, Dutch Bros said the move supports its growth and that its roasting plant stays in Grants Pass. It did not blame the Governor.

More about me and my campaign: https://votejonathancurtis.com

PROOF

• OPB, September 17, 2026, on her record and second-term plans: https://www.opb.org/article/2026/09/17/kotek-oregon-governor-reelection-platform-policies/

• OPB, January 9, 2026, homelessness emergency extended a third time: https://www.opb.org/article/2026/01/09/oregon-governor-kotek-extends-homelessness-emergency/

• KGW, homelessness rose 34% in two years: https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/homeless/oregon-homeless-pit-count-psu-report-data-kotek-sheltered/283-a90de984-a6b6-46d2-aeab-1ceead5f1e43

• OPB, January 29, 2025, Nation's Report Card: https://www.opb.org/article/2025/01/29/oregon-washington-test-scores-mostly-down-on-nations-report-card/

• OPB, January 29, 2026, school year and attendance analysis: https://www.opb.org/article/2026/01/29/low-attendance-instructional-time-oregon-student-success/

• KLCC, September 16, 2026, jobs report: https://www.klcc.org/economy-business/2026-09-16/oregon-sees-slow-steady-decline-in-jobs-as-unemployment-remains-relatively-flat

• Ballotpedia, Referendum 120 (gas tax, May 2026): https://ballotpedia.org/Oregon_Referendum_120,_Increase_to_Gas_Tax,_Payroll_Tax,_and_Vehicle_Registration_Fees_Referendum_(May_2026)

• KPTV, May 20, 2026, voters reject gas tax: https://www.kptv.com/2026/05/20/oregon-voters-overwhelmingly-reject-measure-raise-state-gas-tax/

• KPTV, March 5, 2026, WalletHub tax rankings: https://www.kptv.com/2026/03/05/heres-where-oregon-ranks-taxpayer-burden-nationally/

• OPB, September 15, 2026, poll: https://www.opb.org/article/2026/09/15/oregon-governors-race-tina-kotek-christine-drazan-poll/

• OPB, June 11, 2025, Dutch Bros headquarters move: https://www.opb.org/article/2025/06/11/dutch-bros-headquarters-grants-pass-phoenix-arizona/

• Willamette Week, June 13, 2025, company departures: https://www.wweek.com/news/business/2025/06/13/the-departure-of-oregon-companies-speaks-to-a-bigger-problem-for-the-state/

• Ethics reviews: https://www.koin.com/news/politics/oregon-ethics-commission-nixes-investigation-into-gov-kotek-first-lady-06282024/ and https://www.grantspasstribune.com/oregon-ethics-commission-ends-review-of-spending-by-governor-koteks-office/