Danielle Bethell, a Marion County commissioner with deep ties to local business and civic institutions, has entered the 2026 race for Oregon governor, highlighting a platform shaped by hands-on community work and a personal history far from politics.
Bethell, a Republican, announced her campaign earlier this year, positioning herself as a voice for regions beyond Portland and the Willamette Valley’s urban core. Her experience, including her tenure as executive director of the Keizer Chamber of Commerce from 2016 to 2020 and co-owner of Bethell Plumbing since 2019, forms the basis of a policy agenda focused on economic growth, public safety and housing accessibility.
Bethell’s campaign gained a notable financial boost, marking a significant moment in the early stages of the Republican primary. Filings with the Oregon Secretary of State’s office show a $25,000 contribution from Rob Freres, president of Freres Lumber Co.—the first major check of the 2026 GOP gubernatorial race. The contribution did not go to House Minority Leader Christine Drazan, the 2022 Republican nominee and a likely frontrunner should she choose to run, but rather to Bethell, signaling potential momentum for her candidacy.
Her political career began with her election to the Salem-Keizer School Board in 2019, representing Zone 6. She had to resign from the board in October 2022 when her family relocated outside of the district boundaries. In 2020, Bethell was elected as a Marion County Commissioner, a role in which she has focused on issues such as behavioral health and public safety. As commissioner, Bethell has worked on initiatives including securing disaster relief funds for residents affected by the 2020 Santiam Canyon wildfires. She has also been involved in discussions about property tax relief policies to support community recovery efforts.
Bethell’s supporters say her draw is her ability to connect the dots between lived experience and legislative action. Once homeless as a young adult, Bethell often references that time as a formative period that informs her understanding of housing and youth instability—issues she’s vowed to prioritize if elected.
Her transition into politics was largely community-driven. After her school board tenure, local leaders encouraged her to run for county commissioner. She won that seat in 2020 and has since focused on post-wildfire recovery in the Santiam Canyon and behavioral health funding, particularly in rural areas.
Now, Bethell enters a statewide race likely to test her name recognition and support outside of Marion County. According to her campaign website, she plans to challenge what she describes as “Portland-first policies” and aims to refocus state leadership on “working Oregonians.”
The Republican primary is set for May 2026, with the general election following in November. As of this month, no other high-profile candidates from the GOP have formally entered the race.
Oregon has not elected a Republican governor since 1982. Bethell is aiming to change that.
