Oregonians’ chances of seeing strong Democratic and Republican gubernatorial primary contenders in a televised debate dwindled this week, when KATU canceled its scheduled bipartisan debates on Monday.

The Portland television station gave no explanation for its decision to the public or even the candidates, other than to say that the station will focus on holding a general election debate. He had scheduled debates between the main candidates of each major party for April 5 and 7.

Meanwhile, most of the more low-key Democratic candidates have pledged to participate in their own debate, which will be held at Portland State University’s University Place hotel on April 18, organizers said Friday. It will not be televised. So far, nine of 17 Democrats have pledged to participate, but frontrunners Tina Kotek and Tobias Read are not, according to Wilson Bright, one of the nine candidates who plan to participate and an event organizer.

So far, no further televised debates have been scheduled before the governor’s primary on May 17.

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Democratic gubernatorial candidate and state treasurer Tobias Read took action this week to appeal to moderates and members of his party who are disenchanted with Oregon’s current leadership with a new announcement of campaign and the endorsement of a Democrat who was elected governor four times: John Kitzhaber.

“Tobias Read says what other Democrats won’t say,” his new ad proclaims, while showing aerial video of a homeless encampment. “Oregon got lost.”

The ad quickly cuts to an image of the sun rising over Portland and the narrator proclaims, “It’s time for a new approach.” the a d then goes on to say that if elected governor, “Read won’t just make excuses,” he will lead efforts to get homeless people into stable housing and tackle other key issues, including the garbage–littered public spaces, gun violence, expensive daycare and low graduation rates.

All are problems that other leaders have also promised to solve, largely without success. His short announcement left no time to provide details on how a Read administration would manage to do this.

The expansion of affordable housing in Oregon, with its booming population and limited private sector residential construction, has proven particularly intractable.

A host of politicians and agency leaders also vowed they would pull Oregon’s graduation rate from the country’s basement, where it has consistently ranked since the federal government first released comparable state-by-state graduation rates for the Class of 2013. But Oregon remains among the worst in the nation for guiding students toward degrees.

The Oregonian/OregonLive asked leading candidates from both parties questions about their plans to address homelessness, add affordable housing and improve education outcomes, among other key issues. It will release candidates’ detailed responses before ballots arrive in voters’ mailboxes in late April.

Read, a former Nike employee and five-term state legislator, announced Tuesday that he had secured the endorsement of Kitzhaber, the second former governor to endorse Read this month, after Barbara Roberts. Kitzhaber, a moderate Democrat who struck several notable compromise deals with Republicans, including a cash-saving pension cut that angered officials, resigned in 2015. His sudden departure followed a reports that his fiancée Cylvia Hayes was paid off by groups seeking to influence state environmental policies. and that Kitzhaber instructed his staff to give Hayes a say in those policies.

“What Oregon lacks today is a vision of where we want our state to be in a decade, the steps it will take to get there, and an honest conversation about the tough choices. to do to secure that future,” Kitzhaber said in a statement. by Read’s campaign. “Tobias Read has the courage and integrity to lead us in this conversation…”.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate and longtime former Speaker of the House Tina Kotek traveled to southern Oregon this week to visit local communities and leaders and visit two homeless shelters.

Kotek also promised that if elected governor, she would help Idaho residents who could get abortions in Oregon after Idaho banned procedures starting about six weeks after conception. It’s something Democratic lawmakers have already funded this year. They authorized $15 million in taxpayer money to cover the costs of health procedures or travel and hotel expenses for residents of eastern Oregon who would otherwise have traveled to Idaho for healthcare as well as for Idaho residents who can now seek abortion care in Oregon.

Similar to a law in Texas, the law in Idaho allows people to sue abortion providers who violate the ban. “As Governor, I will ensure that we are able to support Oregonians who will be forced to travel hundreds of miles to the nearest provider, as well as Idahoans who will seek refuge in Oregon to access health care. reproductive health,” Kotek said.

Kotek also continued to raise money for his campaign, including $25,000 from the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades political action committee and $20,000 from the industry group that represents nursing homes and others. long-term care operators, Oregon Health Care Association, according to state records.

Betsy Johnson, a longtime former Democratic lawmaker who is running unaffiliated in the November general election, also continued to draw significant contributions, including $25,000 from Steven Rose, chairman of Bristol Equities in Portland.

Christine Drazan, the former Republican House leader who is running in the Republican gubernatorial primary, received $8,000 from the Ash Grove Cement Company.

—Hillary Borrud