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Liberal New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof walked away from the paper on Thursday after a 37-year career as he explores a possible run for Oregon governor.
The Times published a note from opinion editor Kathleen Kingsbury announcing Kristof’s decision.
Liberal columnist Nicholas Kristof called his time at The New York Times the "ride of a lifetime." (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images) (Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation)
"Few columnists have better embodied the journalist values of The Times than Nick Kristof, which makes it all the harder to say today that he has decided to leave us after a storied 37-year career," Kingsbury wrote.
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She noted Kristof, who has been a columnist since 2001, has been on leave since June as he explores a run for governor of Oregon "in accordance" with the paper’s guidelines.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown is facing term limits and the state’s Democratic primary will be significant as the winner will likely be favored to beat a Republican challenger. Oregon hasn't elected a Republican governor since 1982 and hasn't voted for a Republican presidential candidate since 1984.
Notably, the Times’ announcement did not mention which political party Kristof would be running in, although if he does, it will almost surely be as a Democrat.
Last month, Politico reported Kristof had been busy reaching out to prominent Democrats about staffing. The liberal columnist, who is an Oregon native, largely focuses his attention on human rights issues. In September he sent a series of tweets aimed at conservatives who are "gleeful" at the Texas abortion law.
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"You all know how much I love Oregon, and how much I’ve been seared by the suffering of old friends there. So I’ve reluctantly concluded that I should try not only to expose problems but also see if I can fix them directly," Kristof said in Kingsbury’s note.
Kristof called his time at the paper the "ride of a lifetime" and praised both colleagues and readers.
"I may be an idiot to leave," he wrote.
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