Nike co-founder Phil Knight has broken Oregon's political donation records with a £2.28 million ($3 million) contribution to Republican legislative candidates, as Democratic Governor Tina Kotek faces a sharply declining net approval rating of just 8%.
The 87-year-old billionaire wrote the cheque to Bring Balance to Salem PAC on October 22, according to filings with the Oregon Secretary of State. This donation marks the largest single contribution ever made by an individual donor in Oregon history, surpassing Knight's previous £1.52 million ($2 million) gifts to the same committee in 2023 and 2024.
