Oregon gubernatorial candidates Kotek, Drazan face off during debate in Eugene

EUGENE, Ore. (KPTV) - The candidates for Oregon’s next governor faced off in a televised debate in Eugene on Thursday night. It comes with election day now just over a month away.

With election day getting closer, Oregon voters finally got to see the candidates go toe-to-toe for the state’s top job.

“I can’t say that I’m going to be voting one way or another yet,” said undecided young voter Jacob Long. “And I’m a little frustrated by that because I thought I was going to get it tonight.”

“I don’t think I’ll learn anything new, didn’t learn anything new here, it’s the same old talk,” said former Republican Mark Crocker who said he is voting or Governor Tina Kotek.

Republican State Senator Christine Drazan and democratic Governor Tina Kotek debated on affordability, abortion rights, federal enforcement, data centers and more.

“I think Christine had a harder time, she just kind of came back saying she cares about Oregonians but it was hard for her to refute her record,” said voter Joan Evans.

But what stuck with some voters most was the two trading insults throughout the night.

“It makes me sick to my stomach, it’s just so deceitful, what are you bringing and what are you doing rather than just attacking someone else,” said Crocker.

“They’re throwing out these little slip-in petty insults, and I honestly was amazed at how many times the rebuttal came on and from Christine Drazan for example and every single one of them started with ‘and this is another example of Tina Kotek telling lies’ or something like that,” said Long.

While some voters said they walked away feeling more confident in the incumbent.

“She’s admitted we have a long way to go, we have things we need to do, but there are so many things that Christine has voted against in the legislature in the past, so that you know,” said Evans.

Others said they left feeling like neither candidate made their case as the strongest leader for Oregon.

“Neither one of them won,” said Crocker.

“I didn’t feel very swayed either direction, it’s very easy for me to see it as a lot of arguing and for someone to get above someone else and that’s just frustrating for me to see,” said Long.

Both Drazan and Kotek will face off in two more debates in Bend and Medford, but will not hold a televised debate in Portland ahead of the election.