Alex Ziwahatan, a tech entrepreneur and the leader of the Sakochee Tribe of Native American Descendants, has launched an independent campaign for Oregon governor. He is the first non-affiliated candidate to enter Oregon’s gubernatorial race this cycle.
Ziwahatan first announced his campaign in April, writing on social media that Oregon is entering a “golden age” and requires “bold, fearless leadership that puts the people first.” He warned against lobbyists, political insiders, and “the broken systems of the past,” presenting himself as an alternative with a list of roughly one dozen policy aims for the state. His campaign told Independent Political Report that he formally filed a statement of organization with the state on July 30.
Ziwahatan is the founder of Omnithion, an intellectual property think tank that focuses on state-led innovation. The organization claims a portfolio of 40 patent-pending technologies, including autonomous wildfire-suppression drones and regenerative medical devices. His campaign has cited Omnithion’s portfolio as a model for how Oregon could develop and license its own technologies to generate public revenue. Ziwahatan also previously worked as a caregiver for seniors and individuals with disabilities, which he cites as foundational to shaping his overall view of government.
He currently serves as Chief of the Sakochee Tribe of Native American Descendants, a mixed-blood tribal organization focused on cultural preservation and civil rights. The organization is composed of Powhatan, Cherokee, Sioux, Chickasaw, Nanticoke, Shawnee, Lenape, and other Indigenous descendants, along with those of European and African heritage. It was established in 2008 by Ziwahatan’s father, and while not formally recognized by the federal government, reports thousands of members nationwide.
On his campaign website, Ziwahatan refers to himself as “an unapologetically independent candidate for governor of Oregon” and claims to be the state’s first openly gay independent gubernatorial candidate. A check by Independent Political Report found no record of any prior openly LGBTQ+ individuals running for Oregon governor as independents, though several have run as members of established political parties, including incumbent Democratic Governor Tina Kotek.
“I’m stepping forward because both political parties have failed us,” Ziwahatan’s website reads. “Crime is rising. Addiction is destroying lives. Housing is unaffordable. Trust in government is gone. It’s time for real leadership — not party puppets.”
According to materials provided directly to Independent Political Report by the campaign, his platform centers on a $115 billion economic plan that proposes replacing Oregon’s income and property taxes with alternative revenue streams, including geothermal energy exports, licensing state-developed AI tools to private entities, carbon-credit trading, medical tourism, and impact fees on data centers. He also proposes a 1% royalty on patents and trade arising from state-supported innovation.
The campaign projects these initiatives could generate between $97 billion and $119 billion annually, which Ziwahatan says would be sufficient to eliminate regressive taxes while fully funding housing, healthcare, childcare, and public safety.
Other stated priorities include establishing Hope Meadows-inspired transitional communities to address homelessness and addiction recovery, deploying wildfire-prevention technology, expanding healthcare access, and doubling pay for frontline workers and disability recipients. The campaign also supports a $25 statewide minimum wage, unsealing adoption records, and AI-driven education reform.
Independent gubernatorial candidates in Oregon must collect at least 22,445 valid signatures from registered voters to qualify for the 2026 general election ballot. Alternatively, a candidate may hold a nominating convention and submit 1,000 valid signatures gathered in a 24-hour window. According to the Oregon Secretary of State Elections Division, the deadline to submit signatures is August 25, 2026.
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