HILLSBORO, Ore. (Sep. 21, 2026) — The Oregon Republican Party will hold its 2026 Reagan Dinner Gala on Saturday, Sept. 26, in Hillsboro, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis among the featured speakers as Oregon Republicans gather for an event marking the 250th anniversary of the United States.
The annual event will also feature U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz, R-Ore., who represents Oregon’s 2nd Congressional District; Republican gubernatorial candidate and state Sen. Christine Drazan; Oregon Senate Republican Leader Bruce Starr; and Oregon native Katie Harman Ebner, who was crowned Miss America in 2002.
“This year’s Reagan Dinner is especially meaningful as we come together to celebrate 250 years of the greatest experiment in self-government the world has ever known,” Oregon Republican Party Chair Connie Whelchel said in announcing the event. “We are thrilled to welcome Governor Ron DeSantis to Oregon and honored to have such an outstanding group of Oregon leaders joining us for this special evening.”
Oregon Republican Party National Committeeman Dan Mason, who is leading the planning for the dinner, said the 250th anniversary would be the centerpiece of the event.
“America only celebrates its 250th birthday once, and we have an incredible opportunity to come together as Oregonians and celebrate the country we love, the freedoms we cherish, and the extraordinary promise of America’s future,” Mason said.
The dinner comes as Oregon’s 2026 gubernatorial race is drawing increased attention. Drazan is seeking a rematch against Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek after the two faced one another in the 2022 election.
Recent polling shows a close contest. A DHM Research poll of 600 likely voters conducted Sept. 3-9 and released Sept. 15 found Drazan at 45% and Kotek at 43%, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. The survey also found Pacific Green Party candidate Brett Smith at 4%. Because Drazan’s two-point advantage falls within the poll’s margin of error, the results do not establish a statistically significant lead.
Other polling has also shown a competitive race, with some surveys giving Drazan a slight numerical advantage and others showing Kotek ahead or the candidates tied. For example, an earlier FM3 Research poll conducted in January and February showed Kotek leading Drazan 45% to 40%, while a May Hoffman Research Group survey had the candidates tied at 45% each. A June Public Opinion Strategies survey showed Drazan ahead 48% to 44%.
The 2026 campaign is also notable in the context of Oregon’s gubernatorial history. The state has not elected a Republican governor since Victor Atiyeh won reelection in 1982. Atiyeh, who first won the governorship in 1978, served as governor from 1979 through 1987. He won his 1982 reelection with 61.6% of the vote. Every Oregon governor since Atiyeh has been a Democrat.
Drazan came close to ending that streak in 2022, when she received 43.6% of the vote compared with Kotek’s 47%, while unaffiliated candidate Betsy Johnson received 8.6%, according to the final election results.
There has been no official comment from the Kotek campaign regarding DeStantis coming to Oregon.
The 2026 general election is scheduled for Nov. 3.
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