Gubernatorial Debate Watch Party: Election 2026
Time: 5:45 pm to 7 or 7:30 pm
Venue: Ford Alumni Center, University of Oregon
1720 E 13th
Eugene, Oregon
97403
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Topic:
This bonus City Club program is in addition to our normal Friday programming, when we will welcome the Lane County Clerk discussing the important topic of election security at WOW Hall at noon on October 2.
The citizens of Oregon will choose between continuation and change on November 3rd. The candidates have agreed to only two debates, and one will be here in Eugene on Oct. 1. An in-person watch party will be held at the Ford Alumni Center on the UO campus. Come out and hear the candidates questioned by respected journalists. See the issues they agree on and those they don’t.
The debate and watch party are separate events; the candidates will be observed remotely at the watch party.
The University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication has established a place to register for this event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/
Like a movie or a sporting event, watching a debate is better in a crowd. You won’t want to miss either of these programs.
Speakers
Title: Representative
Organization: Oregon House of Representatives
Website: https://www.christinefororegon.com/
Biography:
Biography developed via web information
Early Life and Education
Born: May 28, 1972, in Klamath Falls, Oregon [1.4].
Upbringing: Grew up in southern Oregon and graduated from Eagle Point High School [1.4].
Education: Earned a bachelor’s degree from George Fox University [1.4].
Early Career: Worked as a legislative staffer in the Oregon State Capitol during the 1990s, including serving as a staffer for House Speaker Mark Simmons [1.4]. She also worked as a nonprofit executive. [1, 2]
Political Career
Oregon House of Representatives (2019–2025): Elected in 2018 to represent District 39 (and later District 51). [1, 2]
House Minority Leader (2019–2021, 2025): Led the House Republican caucus, where she gained attention for utilizing walkouts and parliamentary tactics to block major Democratic-backed climate and cap-and-trade legislation [1.4]. [1, 2, 3]
2022 Gubernatorial Run: Resigned from the legislature to run for Governor of Oregon, narrowly losing a three-way race to Democrat Tina Kotek by less than 4 percentage points. [1, 2]
Interim Nonprofit and Consulting Work: Founded the social welfare nonprofit A New Direction in 2023. [1]
Oregon State Senate (2025–Present): Appointed to the Oregon State Senate for District 26 in October 2025. [1]
2026 Gubernatorial Campaign: Secured the Republican nomination for a gubernatorial rematch against incumbent Governor Tina Kotek. [1, 2]
Personal Life
Christine and her husband, Dan, live in rural Clackamas County with their sheep, chickens, rescue dog, and ancient cat. Their three children are now young adults chasing their own dreams in Oregon.
Title: Governor
Organization: State of Oregon
Website: https://www.tinafororegon.com/
Biography:
Biography developed via web information
Tina Kotek is an American politician serving as the 39th Governor of Oregon since January 2023. [1, 2]
Early Life and Education
Birth: Born Christine Kotek on September 30, 1966, in York, Pennsylvania.
Schooling: Graduated from Dallastown Area High School. She briefly attended Georgetown University before moving to Oregon in 1987.
Degrees: Earned a Bachelor of Science in religious studies from the University of Oregon (1990) and later a master’s degree in international studies and comparative religion from the University of Washington. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Early Career and Advocacy
Oregon Food Bank: Worked as a public policy advocate focused on eliminating hunger.
Children First for Oregon: Served as policy director.
Coalitions: Co-chaired the Human Services Coalition of Oregon during the 2002 budget crisis and co-chaired the Governor’s Medicaid Advisory Committee. [1, 2, 3]
Political Career
State Representative: Elected to the Oregon House of Representatives in 2006, representing District 44 (North and Northeast Portland) from 2007 to 2022. [1, 2, 3]
Speaker of the House: Served as Speaker from 2013 to 2022, becoming the nation’s first openly lesbian state house speaker and the longest-serving speaker in Oregon history. [1, 2]
Governor: Elected governor in November 2022 and took office on January 9, 2023. Alongside Maura Healey of Massachusetts, she made history as one of the first two openly lesbian governors in United States history. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Personal Life
Spouse: Married to Aimee Kotek Wilson, a former social worker. [1]
