Former New York Times columnist Nick Kristoff on Thursday was barred from running for governor of Oregon because he has not been a state resident for the required three years.
The liberal scribe was ruled ineligible to run by Secretary of State Shemia Fagan, a Democrat like Kristof, who affirmed a decision by junior elections officials.
“The rules are the rules and they apply equally to all candidates for office in Oregon,” Fagan said. “Mr. Kristof does not currently meet the Constitutional requirements to run or serve as Oregon Governor.”
Kristof did not immediately comment on the decision but he is considered likely to appeal the decision or challenge it in court.
The columnist grew up in Oregon but has mostly lived in New York and in other places around the world where he served as a foreign correspondent. He says he has long considered himself a resident of Oregon.
In a campaign filing, Kristof listed his occupation as “Journalist, Author, Farmer.” He says he and his wife, writer Sheryl WuDunn, have been working to revitalizing a family fruit farm in Yamhill, Oregon.
Kristof last year quit his job at the Times, where he won two Pulitzer Prizes, to seek the Democratic nomination to replace Gov. Kate Brown, who is barred by term limits from seeking reelection in 2022.
Two other major Democratic candidates, House Speaker Tina Kotek and State Treasurer Tobias Read, are vying with Kristof in the race to run the reliably blue state.
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