Republican transportation referendum leader announces bid for Oregon governor
By: Mia Maldonado (Oregon Capital Chronicle)
One of the leaders behind the effort to block increases to Oregon’s gas tax has entered the race for governor.
Rep. Ed Diehl, R-Scio, made the announcement Wednesday afternoon ahead of an evening campaign launch at Stayton’s Snow Peak Brewing.
“I’m running for governor to restore accountability, affordability and competence to state government,” Diehl said in a statement. “Oregon should be a place where working families can get ahead, where budgets are disciplined and where results matter.”
Diehl is in his second term representing Oregon’s 17th House District, which stretches from East Salem to Detroit.
He made headlines this year for helping lead the No Tax Oregon campaign, which blocked hikes to the gas tax, vehicle registration and title fees and payroll tax included in a 2025 transportation law until a referendum vote in November 2026. Diehl led the campaign alongside Senate Minority Leader Bruce Starr, R-Dundee and Jason Williams, director of the Taxpayer Association of Oregon.
Because Gov. Tina Kotek delayed signing the transportation bill into law, petitioners had roughly two-thirds of the usual time to gather signatures. Still, the petition organizers submitted more than 200,000 signatures from Oregonians — more than the 78,000 required to send the tax and fee hikes to voters for approval.
Diehl was born in Plains, Montana, to a family of sawmillers and loggers, according to his campaign website. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering at Stanford University before moving to Oregon in 1989, eventually settling in Scio and co-founding Albany-based automation consultant firm Concept Systems Inc. Outside of state politics, he’s involved in the Catholic Church and sits on the board of directors for Santiam Hospital, according to his biography on the Oregon Legislature’s website.
Some of his campaign priorities include education, street homelessness, gun rights, limiting abortions and supporting small businesses, according to his campaign website.
Oregon hasn’t elected a Republican as governor since the 1980s, and only two Republicans have won a statewide election since 2000.
As of Wednesday, 12 people have filed to run as a Republican candidate for governor, according to the Secretary of State’s website. That includes frontrunner Christine Drazan, a state senator from Canby who ran against Gov. Tina Kotek in the 2022 general election and lost by more than 66,000 votes.
Diehl will also be running against Marion County Commissioner Danielle Bethell, who is currently under investigation from the Oregon Government Ethics Commission over allegations she used her position as a county commissioner to benefit her children.
“Oregon needs a governor who understands how systems work, how to manage budgets, how to build effective teams and how to deliver results,” he said in a statement. “We need a governor who will improve affordability, reduce cost of living, and increase opportunity for all Oregonians. I know how to do that — and I know Oregon can do better.”
