PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Former President Barack Obama has given his official endorsement for Oregon gubernatorial candidate Tina Kotek.
Kotek shared a campaign video of Obama giving his testimonial on social media on Oct. 21. In the video, Obama calls the Democratic nominee “the real deal,” and highlights her resume as a state lawmaker.
“Oregon, I want to tell you about my friend Tina Kotek,” Obama says in the video. “She’s the real deal. Tina led the effort to raise Oregon’s minimum wage. She stands up for workers and our environment, and Tina’s fighting to lower the cost of housing and healthcare.”
Obama went on to call Kotek a “leader,” and encouraged Oregonians to vote for her in the November general election.
“Tinka knows things are broken, but she’s a fixer — always has been, always will be,” Obama said. “She’s the leader we need in this moment. Tina passed the strongest abortion access law in the country. As governor, she’ll bring people together to tackle Oregon’s challenges, fight for the values we share, and build a better future for everyone. Oregon, I’m counting on you. Mail your ballot back by Nov. 8 and vote for Tina Kotek for governor.”
Oregon’s Republican gubernatorial candidate Christine Drazan, meanwhile, is arguing against electing career politicians like Kotek.
“Career politicians in Salem have abandoned our streets to crime and homelessness,” Drazan stated on social media. “If we want change in Oregon, we need a new direction. That’s what I’m fighting for with this campaign.”
Obama is the latest notable political figure to endorse Kotek for governor as polls continue to show a neck-and-neck race between Kotek and Drazan.
Past presidential hopeful Sen. Elizabeth Warren also traveled to Portland to attend a Kotek rally on Oct. 22. A week beforehand, President Joe Biden stopped in Portland himself to endorse Kotek at a reception.
“Look, let me talk about Tina, because it’s a race that matters well beyond the state of Oregon,” Biden said at the Oct. 15 reception. “I really mean that. We’re at one of those inflection points in American history where things are changing so rapidly that the things that happen in the last several years, the next three or four years, are going to determine the direction of the country for the next four or five generations.”
Kotek acknowledged Obama’s recommendation on social media Friday and said that, if elected, she plans to unite Oregonians in solving the state’s “toughest” political issues.
“As Governor, my focus will be on bringing people together to solve our toughest challenges and move Oregon forward,” she said. “I’m so honored to have the support of President Barack Obama. Thanks, Obama!”