Court: Ex-NY Times columnist Kristof ineligible to run for Oregon governor

(Update: Kristof statement; won't appeal ruling)

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — The Oregon Supreme Court 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 three-year residency requirement.

Kristof had appealed to justices after Oregon’s secretary of state declared Kristoff did not meet the qualifications to run for Oregon’s highest office, citing in particular that Kristoff voted in New York in the 2020 election.

Questions about Kristof’s residency had dogged him even before he announced his candidacy in October, the same month that The New York Times announced he had resigned. According to Oregon law, candidates for governor must have been a residents of this state for at least three years before elections.

The two-time Pulitzer Prize winner for years was a globe-trotting foreign correspondent and columnist and Kristof’s attempt to run as a Democrat for governor generated a lot of interest. He has raised $2.7 million in campaign donations.

Kristof, 62, told election officials in a sworn statement that he moved as a 12-year-old with his parents to a farm in Yamhill, Oregon, in 1971, and has considered it to be his home ever since.

He has purchased additional acreage nearby since then. His lawyers said he has paid taxes on the properties and that he filed Oregon income tax returns for 2019 and 2020.

Oregon Elections Director Deborah Scroggin and Compliance Specialist Lydia Plukchi told Kristof they rejected his filing for governor because he didn’t meet the constitutional requirements to be a candidate.

Kristof’s attorneys told the Supreme Court that the secretary of state’s broad interpretation of the Constitution’s requirements for governor may disfavor candidates like Kristof who frequently travel and maintain multiple residences.

Kristof regularly visited his Oregon property, which he expanded over the years after moving away to attend Harvard and Oxford universities before joining the Times.

Three former Oregon secretaries of state sided with Kristof, saying in a newspaper opinion article that “a person should be presumed to be a resident of the place or places they consider to be home.”

“It is clear he considers Oregon ‘home,’” Jeanne Atkins, Bill Bradbury and Phil Keisling wrote, referring to Kristof.

Democrats have held Oregon’s governor’s office since 1987. Candidates currently running for governor include Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek and state Treasurer Tobias Read.

Republicans seeking their party’s nomination include state Rep. Christine Drazan, former Republican nominee Bud Pierce and Sandy Mayor Stan Pulliam.

Former Democratic state Sen. Betsy Johnson is running as an independent.

Nick Kristof Statement on Oregon Supreme Court Ruling

(Portland, Ore.) — Nick Kristof released the following statement regarding today's Oregon Supreme Court ruling:

"The Supreme Court has spoken. And while we are disappointed in the decision, we respect its ruling and thank the justices for their thoughtful consideration on this matter.

"In today’s opinion, the Supreme Court suggested I could petition for reconsideration or pursue unaddressed issues in federal court, but I respect the court’s decision and will not pursue this further.

"This ruling represents the end of my campaign for governor. But let me be clear: I’m not going anywhere.

"As I’ve said many times, I’ve been an Oregonian since I was a kid helping out on my family’s farm. And I’ll be an Oregonian until the moment I draw my last breath.

"And because I love our great state and care so deeply about our shared future, I’m going to keep fighting for it — because the challenges we face are so grave and people I care for are struggling. The desire to serve my state led me to enter this race and I’m not going to stop addressing the problems around us, whether my name is on the ballot or not.

"I repeatedly learned on the campaign trail about families who were left behind by their government. A single mom in Beaverton who, despite her job as a housekeeper, could only afford to live with her two children in a garden shed that had no power or water. The small coastal community of Bay City struggling with a growing homelessness problem. And, in Bend, the lack of mental health and addiction treatment access for the community.

"Oregon is in a moment of crisis and it affects all of us. And far too many of our families and friends are left to struggle with the impact of those choices on their own because our political system believes their problems are too difficult to take on.

"I believe they’re too difficult not to take on. And while I may not get the opportunity to take them on as your governor, I remain deeply committed to doing everything in my power to tackle these issues and build a brighter future.

"This news is fresh for all of us, and I’ll need time with my wife, Sheryl, and our family to discuss what’s next for us.

"I want to thank Oregonians across our state for believing in my campaign and in our collective ability to bring real change to the state we love. Onward."