The Oregon Secretary of State’s office requested information from Kristof’s campaign Tuesday to decide if Kristof meets candidate residency requirements, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting.
Oregon state law says candidates for governor must be a resident for a minimum of three years before elections.
Lydia Plukchi, of the secretary of state’s office, said in a letter to Kristof that candidate eligibility is usually determined through voter registration records “but your Oregon voter registration has insufficient information.”
“In addition, it has come to our attention that you voted in New York State as recently as 2020. Our office has reviewed the published legal memo concerning your residency in Oregon, but the memo does not address the effect of that vote on your Oregon residency,” she said.
Plukchi requested Kristof reply with “any documentation or explanation in addition to your published legal memo” to show his Oregon residency spanning three years before November 2022, when the general election for governor will take place.
P.K. Runkles-Pearson, the chief legal counsel for Secretary of State Shemia Fagan, wrote to Kristoff’s attorney Dec. 1, saying Kristof’s candidacy could result in a legal challenge, “whether or not there is a determination that he meets minimum qualifications for office,” Oregon Public Broadcasting reported.
In October, Kristoff announced his run for governor and filed paperwork to run as Democrat on Monday.
A legal opinion by lawyers working for Kristof said he has always considered Oregon his home, even though his job required him to live around the world. Kristof said he wants to run for governor in the state where he grew up to address problems like rural poverty and drug addiction.
Kristof and his wife, Sheryl WuDunn — who also was a New York Times reporter — bought a 150-acre (61-hectare) property in the small city of Yamhill, about an hour’s drive from Portland, in 1993.
Kristof’s announcement that he would run for governor generated a lot of interest and he raised more than $1 million in less than a month.
Democrats have held the governor’s office since 1987, and others in the party running for the state’s high office include Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek and state Treasurer Tobias Read.
Republicans seeking their party’s nomination include state Rep. Christine Drazan, former Republican nominee Bud Pierce and Sandy Mayor Stan Pulliam.
Former Democratic state Sen. Betsy Johnson is running as an independent.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
