Why I'm Running for Governor

I believe it’s going to take steady leadership to help us move beyond this pandemic and start building a better future.

I’m Tobias Read and I serve as your State Treasurer. Today, I am proud to announce my run for governor.

These are heavy times. Some days it feels like we face overwhelming challenges—from the nation’s worst wildfires to a pandemic that won’t end. Understandably, parents I talk to are on edge that their kids’ school will have an outbreak, have to quarantine, or worse. Small business owners are similarly worried about finding workers and staying afloat amid uncertainty. Oregonians are more stressed and exhausted than ever.

I’m running for governor because I believe it’s going to take steady leadership to help us move beyond this pandemic and start building a better future. We need to stop lurching from one crisis to the next and lay out a vision for where to take Oregon…not just next year, but for the next generation. My approach is simple: I’ll measure Oregon’s progress by how well our kids are doing.

Today, too many kids are going to bed hungry; too many are dropping out of school; and, too many aren’t sure there are any opportunities left for them in the rural communities that raised them.

We’ve got a lot we need to do to make Oregon a place of opportunity for every child.

But none of that can happen until we get this virus under control. We have the power to do it, right now. If we could get more than 90% of Oregonians vaccinated, we could all but end this pandemic. But too many of our neighbors are putting their own version of freedom ahead of the health and well-being of everyone else. As the father of two young kids, only one old enough to be vaccinated, that makes me angry. No one should have the right to endanger my kids or yours.

The truth is a small minority of unvaccinated Oregonians are jeopardizing our kids’ health and our economic recovery. That’s why I strongly favor vaccine mandates across our state—whether they’re implemented by businesses or local governments. The only way out of this pandemic is vaccination. That’s how we stop the spread and keep everyone safe. And once they’re cleared by the FDA, Oregon school children should be required to get the safe and effective COVID vaccine, just like they’re mandated to receive eight other vaccinations.

Oregonians have always come together to do big things, and it’s going to take everyone doing their part to help us move past this virus and start investing in our future.

I am ready to help the state make those big things happen.

As Oregon’s Treasurer, I work to grow our economy and protect your retirement. We’ve helped more than a hundred thousand Oregonians save over $130 million for retirement, and thousands more save for college. We’ve cut Wall Street fees, saving Oregonians more than a half a billion dollars.

And during my time in the State Legislature, I was proud to be a leader in passing full-day kindergarten and establishing a rainy day fund that helped us weather this pandemic.

I’ve always kept my focus on investing in our future. But as I look across our state, I see so much more that needs to be done.

I’m tired of tinkering around the edges of long-standing problems.

We need to make Pre-K available to every Oregon child to get an early start on learning.

We should look at extending the school year to better prepare our kids with the skills they need—and support our teachers.

We need to make apprenticeships and vocational training available to anyone who wants them to get a good job.

And, we need to invest in clean energy to fight climate change to protect the beauty of Oregon.

I firmly believe that we need to be willing to try new approaches to make government work better. I’m never going to allow “that’s the way we’ve always done things” to get in the way of a good idea. I’ll stay focused on improving the lives of our kids—from their health to their education to opportunities to get skills and a good job.

As the state’s Chief Financial Officer, I can tell you there is no better investment we can make than in Oregon kids. This kind of long-term thinking is how we build a future for Oregon we can all be proud of.

As I hit the campaign trail, I look forward to hearing from people around the state about the challenges they’re facing and their hopes for Oregon’s future. You can find out more at TobiasRead.com or follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts.

A proud Democrat, Tobias Read was elected State Treasurer in 2016 and re-elected in 2020. Before that, he represented the Beaverton area from 2006 to 2016 as State Representative. He lives in Beaverton with his wife Heidi and their two kids.

Photo via Tobias Read’s Facebook page.