George Carrillo backs Christine Drazan for Oregon governor

Former state executive George Carrillo endorsed Christine Drazan on Nov. 1, pointing to Oregon’s homelessness, housing, schools, jobs and public safety problems. Carrillo said the state needs tighter accountability after years of record spending and weak outcomes.

Why it matters: - George Carrillo’s endorsement adds a former state executive and Marine Corps veteran to Christine Drazan’s coalition. - Carrillo framed the race around government performance, not party labels. - The endorsement targets issues voters already feel: housing costs, homelessness, school results, jobs and safety.

What happened: - George Carrillo announced his endorsement of Christine Drazan for governor on Nov. 1, 2026, in Sherwood, Oregon. - Carrillo previously oversaw a state social services portfolio worth more than $300 million, with 200 employees and 400 contracts. - Carrillo said Oregon is spending record sums while falling behind on basic services. - Carrillo said he cannot support “more of the same.”

The details: - Oregon counted 27,119 people experiencing homelessness in January 2025. - That total increased from 2023 even after the state added more than 3,000 year-round shelter beds. - Oregon has the eighth-largest homeless population in the country while ranking 27th in total population. - Affordable housing projects funded by Oregon Housing and Community Services averaged $318 per square foot last year. - That cost was 31% above the agency’s national benchmark. - The agency has exceeded that benchmark for three straight years. - One 72-unit project was budgeted at $413 per square foot. - A separate 168-unit project elsewhere in the state was budgeted at about $173 per square foot. - Oregon ranks 47th out of 51 for homeownership affordability. - Median home value in the state is about $477,600. - Median household income is about $83,000. - On the 2024 national assessment, Oregon fourth graders ranked second-worst in math and tied for third-worst in reading. - Their average math score was 229, compared with a national average of 237. - Oregon’s unemployment rate held at 5.2% in the first half of 2026. - The national rate was roughly 4.2% to 4.3% over the same period. - Oregon lost 8,500 payroll jobs between June 2025 and June 2026. - Oregon ranks fourth nationally for property crime, about 36% above the national average. - The Oregon State Hospital drew a federal finding of serious threat to patient safety after a patient death in 2025 and nearly lost federal funding. - Federal regulators later found the hospital back in compliance. - A Marion County grand jury found the hospital lacks enough beds to complete treatment for some patients. - A union has said the hospital has long failed to meet required staffing levels. - State auditors found that the emergency rental assistance program, which distributed $426 million, operated under a framework with substantial risk. - A separate audit found failures in how the Oregon Health Authority determines who receives mental health care.

Between the lines: - Carrillo is using state performance metrics as the basis for his endorsement, which gives Drazan a message centered on accountability and competence. - The issues he highlighted connect fiscal oversight with day-to-day public services, a contrast aimed at voters frustrated by long-running state problems. - Carrillo also wants behavioral health licensing reform, especially for rural areas where provider shortages are most severe.

What's next: - Drazan’s campaign says its top priorities are cost of living, housing affordability, education, the economy and public safety. - Carrillo urged the next governor to prioritize the behavioral health workforce and consider licensing reforms to help recruit and retain providers. - Oregon is not a member of the Social Work Licensure Compact, even though 35 states have enacted it. - A state talent assessment says 32 of Oregon’s 36 counties lack even one licensed, in-person mental health provider per 1,000 residents. - That same assessment estimates turnover costs the state about $1.2 billion a year.

The bottom line: - Carrillo’s endorsement turns Oregon’s policy failures into a campaign argument for Drazan: spend less on bureaucracy, demand measurable results and fix services that are not meeting the public’s needs.