Overview
- Dudley formally announced his Republican campaign on Jan. 26 with a video stressing pragmatic solutions and a less partisan tone.
- He joins a competitive primary featuring state Sen. Christine Drazan, Marion County Commissioner Danielle Bethell, Rep. Ed Diehl and activist David Medina, with the winner expected to face Gov. Tina Kotek in November.
- State records showed no reported contributions for Dudley at launch, while Kotek has raised about $2.8 million since 2025 and GOP rivals have been fundraising for months.
- Dudley, a 16-season NBA veteran and diabetes advocate, came within roughly 22,000 votes of winning the governorship in 2010, a rare near-win for Oregon Republicans.
- Oregon’s primary is May 19, and the general election is Nov. 3, setting a compressed runway for GOP contenders to build support and resources.