Ex-NYT columnist Nicholas Kristof launches campaign to become next governor of Oregon

Talk about a career change.

Former New York Times columnist and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Nicholas Kristof officially launched his campaign for Oregon governor on Wednesday, after having resigned from his post at the Times to explore a run for public office.

"It was hard to leave a job I loved," Kristof wrote alongside an accompanying campaign video shared on Twitter, "but it's even harder to watch your home state struggle when you feel you can make a difference."

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"It's time to do something about a system that's rigged against so many ordinary Oregonians, and that's why I'm running for governor," Kristof explains in the Twitter clip. A full launch video was also posted on YouTube.

The former columnist has never before run for public office, writes The Hill, and had moved back to his native Oregon a few years ago. Until his resignation, he worked at the Times for 37 years as a "reporter, a high-level editor and an opinion columnist."

Kristof now faces a "competitive primary" in the race to replace lame-duck Gov. Kate Brown (D) — House Speaker Tina Kotek (D) and state Treasurer Tobias Read (D) have both thrown their hats into the gubernatorial ring, while Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum (D) is said to be testing the waters, as well, says The Hill.