Democratic congressman endorses independent for governor

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Two months after voters in Oregon denied Democrat Kurt Schrader an eighth term in Congress, he has endorsed unaffiliated candidate Betsy Johnson for governor. Schrader said in a statement that people are concerned with the far-right and they’re exhausted with extremism on the left. In Oregon’s May 17 Democratic primary, Schrader lost to a progressive challenger. Johnson, a former veteran state lawmaker and who once belonged to — and then quit — both the Republican and Democratic parties, is trying to gather enough signatures to get on the November ballot in the governor race to face Democratic nominee Tina Kotek and GOP nominee Christine Drazan.