Ex-NY Times columnist Kristof ruled ineligible to run for Oregon governor
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Oregon’s secretary of state ruled Thursday that former New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof is not eligible to run for governor because he does not meet the state’s residency requirement.
Questions about Kristof’s residency had dogged him even before he announced his candidacy in October. According to Oregon law, a candidate must have been a resident of the state for at least three years before an election.
Kristof voted in New York in November 2020, raising questions about his eligibility to run in the November 2022 election in Oregon. Oregon officials had asked him for more information.
The Oregon Elections Division said it notified the Kristof campaign Thursday morning that it is rejecting his filing for governor because he does not meet the constitutional requirements to serve.
“The rules are the rules and they apply equally to all candidates for office in Oregon. I stand by the determination of the experts in the Oregon Elections Division that Mr. Kristof does not currently meet the Constitutional requirements to run or serve as Oregon governor,” said Secretary of State Shemia Fagan.
For years, Kristof was a globe-trotting foreign correspondent and columnist. The two-time Pulitzer Prize winner retired from the newspaper last year. Kristof’s announcement that he would run for governor as a Democrat generated a lot of interest and he raised more than $1 million in less than a month.
Oregon Elections Director Deborah Scroggin said Kristof can appeal the decision and that her division “is committed to doing everything possible to allow Oregon courts to decide promptly.”
Kristof’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment, including whether he planned to appeal the decision.
Read more at: https://apnews.com/article/elections-oregon-336973782d0a5ca64d85084ae896bdf0
News release from Secretary of State Shemia Fagan:
Oregon Elections Division Announces Decision on Kristof Residency
Records Do Not Support Residency Requirements for Office of Oregon Governor
SALEM, OR — The Oregon Elections Division notified the Nicholas Kristof campaign this morning that it is rejecting his filing for Governor because he does not meet the constitutional requirements to serve. Article V, § 2 of the Oregon Constitution requires a candidate for governor to have been a "resident within this state" for three years before the election.
"The rules are the rules and they apply equally to all candidates for office in Oregon. I stand by the determination of the experts in the Oregon Elections Division that Mr. Kristof does not currently meet the Constitutional requirements to run or serve as Oregon Governor," said Secretary of State Shemia Fagan. "As Oregon’s chief elections official, it is my responsibility to make sure all candidates on the statewide ballot are qualified to serve if elected. The Oregon Elections Division and local election officials use the same standards to determine qualifications for hundreds of candidates in dozens of offices every year. In this instance, the candidate clearly does not meet the constitutional requirement to run or serve as governor of Oregon."
ORS 249.031(1)(f) requires all candidates to provide a signed statement affirming that they will qualify for office if elected. Oregon elections officials evaluate whether prospective candidates meet residency requirements by checking Oregon voter registration records. If those records are insufficient to verify residency, or if officials become aware of other concerns about residency, they ask prospective candidates to provide additional facts. Elections officials across the state routinely review the residency of prospective candidates; it is not uncommon for officials to reject prospective candidates who do not meet eligibility requirements.
"If Mr. Kristof chooses to appeal, the Oregon Elections Division is committed to doing everything possible to allow Oregon courts to decide promptly," said Deborah Scroggin, Oregon Elections Director. "My office remains focused on ensuring a fair process and meeting our March 17th deadline, after which clerks begin printing ballots. While the primary election is in May, for Oregon’s elections administrators, the work begins much sooner."
ORS 246.910 states that a person who is adversely affected by any act of the Secretary of State or by any order, rule, directive, or instruction made by the Secretary of State under any election law, may appeal to the appropriate circuit court. Oregon statute requires the Secretary of State to provide a list of qualified candidates to county clerks by March 17, 2022, allowing them to design, print, and mail ballots for the May 2022 primary election.
