PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Days before Oregon voters make their decisions known, Gov. Kate Brown stopped by the KOIN 6 News studio for a one-on-one interview.
The endorsement of Independent Party candidate Patrick Starnes, who dropped out of the race earlier this week even though the ballots have already been mailed to Oregon voters, was one of the topics the governor discussed.
She also discussed the race against GOP candidate Knute Buehler — who also spoke with KOIN 6 News one-on-one this week — and how she won her first election for the Oregon State House by only 7 votes.
“We certainly have great momentum,” Brown said. “A number of polls have us up, but I literally won my first race for the state house by 7 votes. I will not take anything for granted and we will leave no ballot unreturned.”
She said Starnes endorsement helped provide momentum, but she’s not surprised by how close and tough this campaign is.
“If you look back at the last several governor’s races, they were very close,” she told KOIN 6 News.
The governor also weighed in on the big issues facing Oregon, such as education. Her plan is to increase access to career and technical training, raise the number of school days to 180 and reduce class size.
“We must invest in career and technical education and make sure every single high school student has access to career and technical education,” she said. “The reason why this is so important is because when students have access to hands-on learning, education becomes relevant. They want to stay in the classroom. And it connects, literally, the classroom to the career.”
Over the weekend, she and her campaign knocked on more than 100,000 doors, she said.
Kate Brown ascended to the governor’s office when John Kitzhaber resigned in 2015, then won a special election in 2016 to fill the remainder of his term. She is running for her own 4-year term in this election.
“I am living proof that your vote is your voice,” Kate Brown said. “Every vote matters.”