美国国家公共电台 NPR--Democrats' total control over Oregon politics could end with the race for governor

Democrats²' total control over Oregon politics could end with the race for governor

Transcript³

No state in the country elects Democratic governors more reliably than Oregon, but every streak⁴ has its end.

This year, after nearly 40 years of dominance, Democrats are staring down the possibility their reign⁵ is coming to a close. With ballots⁶ in this vote-by-mail state already heading out to voters, polls show Democrat¹ Tina Kotek, a former state House speaker, running neck-and-neck with Republican Christine Drazan, the previous state House GOP leader.

Oregonians are angsty after years of COVID-19 lockdowns, and amid a worsening homelessness crisis that has been particularly acute in Portland, the state's largest city. And they're not fans of outgoing Gov. Kate Brown, a Democrat whom polls show has the lowest approval rating of any governor in the country.

The candidates

That's one hurdle⁷ for Kotek, 56. She worked closely with the governor to pass progressive legislation over nine years as speaker of the state House, but has begun to attack Brown's record in ads and public appearances as she works to create distance.

"Oregon can do great things," she said recently. "We have not had the leadership in our governor's office over the last several years to make that happen, and I am tired of it."

Another challenge is Betsy Johnson, 71, the former Democratic state senator who grew wary⁸ enough of Oregon's progressive trajectory⁹ that she jettisoned¹⁰ her party registration¹¹ last year. She's now mounting a well-funded centrist campaign for governor that, though unlikely to succeed, could siphon away Democratic votes.

"Our screwed up political system doesn't offer any good choices," Johnson says in one of the many campaign ads that have smothered¹² the state's airwaves since early this year. "I'm not captive to the far left or the far right."

And then there's Drazan, 50, a two-term lawmaker who smiles sunnily on the campaign trail as she tears into the long legislative¹³ records of Kotek and Johnson, painting the two women as one and the same.

"Our state is in a very, very difficult position after a decade of single-party control," Drazan often says. "I ask Oregonians: Are you better off today than you were four years ago? If the answer is no, then the answer is change."

The money and influence

Oregon has no campaign contribution limits, and the three candidates have raised more than $55 million in total this year, shattering previous records. That's partly because of huge national interest from the Republican Governors Association and Democratic Governors Association, which have poured money into Oregon.

Nike co-founder Phil Knight¹⁴, a billionaire and Oregon's richest man, is taking unprecedented¹⁵ interest in defeating Democrats this year. He spent $3.75 million backing Johnson, and, when her polling numbers didn't budge¹⁶, cut a $1 million check to Drazan.

The race is tight enough that Democrats are calling in reinforcements --including President Joe Biden and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

"Oregon is viewed as a state that has always been in the forefront of change — positive change," Biden said in a recent stop in Portland. "That's why this race going to matter so much — not only for 2022, but for 2024."

Republicans are bringing in outside help, too.

Drazan has acknowledged Biden won the 2020 election, and has not courted an endorsement¹⁷ from former President Donald Trump¹⁸. Instead she's campaigned with politicians whose path to office she hopes to emulate¹⁹: Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Republicans who won over left-leaning states.

"I believe in her, I believe in her plan," Hogan said at a campaign event in September. "I believe the people of Oregon are fed up and ready to try something different."

1 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

2 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

4 streak   

n.条理，斑纹，倾向，少许，痕迹；v.加条纹，变成条纹，奔驰，快速移动

参考例句：

• The Indians used to streak their faces with paint.印第安人过去常用颜料在脸上涂条纹。
• Why did you streak the tree?你为什么在树上刻条纹？

5 reign   

n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势

参考例句：

• The reign of Queen Elizabeth lapped over into the seventeenth century.伊丽莎白王朝延至17世纪。
• The reign of Zhu Yuanzhang lasted about 31 years.朱元璋统治了大约三十一年。

6 ballots   

n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 hurdle   

n.跳栏，栏架；障碍，困难；vi.进行跨栏赛

参考例句：

• The weather will be the biggest hurdle so I have to be ready.天气将会是最大的障碍，所以我必须要作好准备。
• She clocked 11.6 seconds for the 80 metre hurdle.八十米跳栏赛跑她跑了十一秒六。

8 wary   

adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的

参考例句：

• He is wary of telling secrets to others.他谨防向他人泄露秘密。
• Paula frowned,suddenly wary.宝拉皱了皱眉头，突然警惕起来。

9 trajectory   

n.弹道，轨道

参考例句：

• It is not difficult to sketch the subsequent trajectory.很容易描绘出它们最终的轨迹。
• The path followed by a projectile is called its trajectory.抛物体所循的路径称为它的轨道。

10 jettisoned   

v.抛弃，丢弃( jettison的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was jettisoned as team coach after the defeat. 他因这次失败被撤销了运动队教练职务。
• They jettisoned big boxes to make the bus lighter. 他们抛弃公共汽车上的货物，使车减轻重量。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 registration   

n.登记，注册，挂号

参考例句：

• Marriage without registration is not recognized by law.法律不承认未登记的婚姻。
• What's your registration number?你挂的是几号？

12 smothered   

（使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制

参考例句：

• He smothered the baby with a pillow. 他用枕头把婴儿闷死了。
• The fire is smothered by ashes. 火被灰闷熄了。

13 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

14 knight   

n.骑士，武士；爵士

参考例句：

• He was made an honourary knight.他被授予荣誉爵士称号。
• A knight rode on his richly caparisoned steed.一个骑士骑在装饰华丽的马上。

15 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

16 budge   

v.移动一点儿；改变立场

参考例句：

• We tried to lift the rock but it wouldn't budge.我们试图把大石头抬起来，但它连动都没动一下。
• She wouldn't budge on the issue.她在这个问题上不肯让步。

17 endorsement   

n.背书；赞成，认可，担保；签(注)，批注

参考例句：

• We are happy to give the product our full endorsement.我们很高兴给予该产品完全的认可。
• His presidential campaign won endorsement from several celebrities.他参加总统竞选得到一些社会名流的支持。

18 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

19 emulate   

v.努力赶上或超越，与…竞争；效仿

参考例句：

• You must work hard to emulate your sister.你必须努力工作，赶上你姐姐。
• You must look at the film and try to emulate his behavior.你们必须观看这部电影，并尽力模仿他的动作。