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“Did you ever have to make up your mind?

You pick up on one and leave the other behind

It’s not often easy and not often kind

Did you ever have to make up your mind?”

— “Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?” by The Lovin Spoonful

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Saquon Barkley, the star running back of the Philadelphia Eagles, can cut direction in an open field better than the best of them, but he has nothing to match the deft of Christine Drazan.

Drazan, the Republican state legislator from Canby who was appointed Thursday by county commissioners to fill the remainder of the term of Sen. Daniel Bonham in District 26, wasted little time darting straight for the political employment office to apply for another job.

On Monday, Drazan announced she will once again be a candidate for governor in the upcoming election. Drazan fared well in her last run in 2022 before losing to Tina Kotek.

While her candidacy comes as little surprise to political observers, seeking the appointment to the Senate as a pit stop along the way seems a bit strange considering another Republican — Rep. Jeff Helfrich of Hood River — had already filed for the seat and his appointment would have given Republicans an incumbent in a seat they must hold in the upcoming election.

Commissioners from Multnomah, Wasco, Hood River, and Clackamas counties all cast votes Thursday for the appointment with Helfrich winning the vote count handily 11-7. But Drazan snared the seat due to receiving all five votes from Clackamas County.

Since votes are weighted based on the number of Senate District voters within each county, Drazan got the nod as two-thirds of Senate District 26 is in Clackamas County. It is bad news for House Republicans who now have two of their meager 23 seats up for grabs as Helfrich leaves to contend for the Senate while Drazan hits the statewide tour circuit.

In her announcement for Governor, Drazan proclaimed that “change was coming.” She has proven an expert at that. In less than four years, Drazan has been in and out of the House twice; in and out as Minority Leader twice; over to the Senate for what will be a brief stay; and now twice seeking the job as Governor.

Drazan was clear in her appointment interview that she could multitask well and could handle multiple jobs at the same time. However, running successfully for Governor is a 24/7 assignment and will certainly put that job-juggling to the test.

Drazan joins Marion County Commissioner Danielle Bethell for the Republican primary and there will likely be others entering the starting gate. In 2022, Drazan won a crowded primary election with only 22.5% of the vote. Holding her announcement for governor at Gunderson Marine, surrounded by workers in hard hats, shows that she intends to run the ball right at Kotek’s defensive front line — labor and jobs.

It was also strategic in another way. Chris Dudley, the former Portland Trail Blazer who narrowly lost to John Kitzhaber in 2010, is said to be considering a second run. He is scheduled to address the Republicans’ Reagan Dinner this Saturday.

Drazan is clearly trying to take the fire extinguisher to that brush blaze before it has a chance to spread. Dudley ran the closest race by a Republican since Vic Atiyeh left office in 1987. In fact, Republicans have not won a Governor’s race in Oregon since Cabbage Patch dolls hit the toy store and Anne Hathaway and Andy Roddick were born.

Will this time be different? Is it the season of discontent? Is this job the one that Drazan is finally ready to settle into?

Republicans will point to recent polling that shows Gov. Kotek as one of the least popular governors in America. It may not be what it would appear. Kate Brown, Kotek’s predecessor, was among the least favorite governors when she ran for re-election in 2018 but still won handily over Republican challenger Knute Buehler.

Democrats and Republicans will both argue that, with Betsy Johnson not being in the race, this year will favor their fortunes. Johnson disagrees.

“I think voters just were not ready for an Independent candidate yet. What will decide this race is not my absence but rather the presence of a meaningful platform from one of the candidates that resonates with Oregonians,” Johnson said.

Buckle up. It is going to be must-watch viewing and the episodes have just begun.