Oregon Working Families Party, state’s largest teachers union decline to endorse in governor’s race

By Alex Baumhardt, Oregon Capital Chronicle

SALEM, Ore. -- Members of Oregon’s largest teachers union and the liberal Working Families Party will not endorse any of the current candidates for governor, including incumbent Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek.

That’s despite both groups supporting Kotek in her 2022 run for governor and in past legislative races. The Working Families Party announced its list of candidate endorsements — notably missing any gubernatorial candidates — on Tuesday afternoon.

And on Saturday, 75% of the members of the Oregon Education Association Political Action Committee, the political activities arm of the union, voted not to endorse any of the candidates currently running for governor. That’s according to social media, two people who attended the meeting but could not speak publicly and a photo of results shared with the Capital Chronicle.

Declining to endorse Kotek was a surprising development from both groups, which had previously thrown enormous support — and in the case of the teachers’ union, money — behind her in her first bid for governor. The union in 2022 donated roughly $389,000 to Kotek’s first run for governor.

Annie Naranjo-Rivera, state director of the Working Families Party, said that the endorsement had been requested by leading Democrats, though she would not explicitly say that Kotek sought the endorsement. She said members voiced concerns that none of the candidates running “express the values and commitment” to uplifting working class families and families of color that make up the party.

“A lot can change between now and the general election in November,” she added. As a minor party, the group has until August to nominate a candidate for the general election.

The last time the teachers union chose not to endorse any gubernatorial candidate was more than a decade ago, when Democratic then-Gov. John Kitzhaber ran for reelection in 2014 against his Republican opponent, Dennis Richardson.

The union declined to provide a statement or response to questions about the vote by Tuesday morning.

Marissa Sandgren, a spokesperson for Kotek’s re-election campaign, said in a text Tuesday that the governor has worked closely with Oregon educators and parents over the years to deliver record investments in schools, literacy training and instruction and summer learning.

“At a time when President Trump is sending ICE into schools and gutting education funding, Governor Kotek will continue to stand up for Oregon, fighting to protect every federal dollar and defend a public education system rooted in opportunity for every child,” Sandgren said.

Kotek in her first year in office, and after Portland Public Schools teachers went on one of the longest strikes in district history, passed record state school funding at the time: $10.2 billion for the 2023-25 school years. Last year, she oversaw the passage of another record $11.36 billion in funding for state schools during the next two years, as well as new investments in literacy training for teachers and curriculum and tutors for kids, and the first ever promise from the state Legislature to consistently send $35 million a year to schools for summer programs.

On social media, one union member sharing the vote information on Bluesky expressed anger about Kotek’s criticism, and attempt to intervene, in Multnomah County’s Preschool For All program. Kotek was vocal last year about her concerns that the taxes raised on high earners in Multnomah County to pay for the program were driving the wealthier tax base out of the county while much of the revenue collected — about $485 million at the time — hadn’t been spent.

Angela Bonilla, president of the Portland Association of Teachers, said in an email that she would wait to say more until the statewide union releases a statement.

“I can tell you anecdotally that I have not talked to a single educator who plans to vote for Kotek due to her poor record on education,” she added.

Portland Public Schools faces a $50 million deficit in next year’s budget due to higher than expected costs due to inflation and unexpected infrastructure repairs, according to reporting from Oregon Public Broadcasting. The district’s chief financial officer, Michelle Morrison, indicated in a letter to families that staff reductions would likely be necessary.

Bonilla listed Kotek’s “unwillingness to declare a state of emergency on education” to provide emergency funding to Oregon schools this year struggling with midyear budget cuts due to potential federal tax changes impacting state tax revenue. Those impacts are expected to be less severe than earlier this year, due to brighter revenue forecasts and the passage of a bill to decouple some of Oregon’s tax code from the federal code. There are currently no major cuts to education funding in the state budget being readjusted by lawmakers in the current session.

Bonilla also expressed concern that Kotek passed a statewide school accountability system law in 2025, Senate Bill 141, without “appropriate funding.” The bill updates standards for student outcomes and offers more powers of intervention for the Oregon Department of Education in underperforming schools.