Nick Kristof (Kristof campaign photo)
Former New York Times columnist Nick Kristof hasn’t lived in Oregon long enough to run for governor, Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan announced Thursday.
Kristof, who grew up in Oregon but lived most of his adult life outside the state, has outpaced other Democratic candidates in fundraising since he announced his campaign in October. However, questions lingered about his eligibility for office. The Oregon constitution requires gubernatorial candidates to be a “residents within this state” for three years prior to the election.
“The rules are the rules and they apply equally to all candidates for office in Oregon,” Fagan said in a statement. “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.”
Fagan said her office informed Kristof of its decision Thursday morning. Kristof can appeal the decision in a state circuit court.
Kristof’s campaign spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
His campaign has maintained that he has always considered home and was therefore eligible to run for governor.
He voted in New York as recently as November 2020 and had continued to use his New York address on other recent public documents obtained by the Oregon Capital Chronicle through records requests. Kristof declined to share documents that would establish his residency.