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Meet Gov. Kate Brown's star-studded (and PAC-heavy) donors

So far, Brown has overall raised more than $4 million as she seeks a November reelection bid.

The amount of money that'll be raised during Oregon's 2018 gubernatorial election depends on the challenger.

So says Pacific University's Jim Moore, a political science professor who said Democrat incumbent Kate Brown and Republican challenger Knute Buehler could approach the $17.7 million raised by Republican Chris Dudley and Democrat John Kitzhaber in 2010. Kitzhaber won the race by a nose.

VIEW SLIDESHOW: Gov. Kate Brown's top contributors

"There is a chance, but it depends on Buehler’s viability," Moore said when asked if 2018 could set fundraising records.

"The 2012 elections (in which there were no Republican primary candidates for Treasurer or Attorney General) showed us that any Republican can get 40 percent of the general election vote. In that same election, Buehler got 43 percent, not much above the floor" when he ran against Brown for Secretary of State.

Moore suggests watching whether independent polling puts Buehler above 45 percent or even close to 50 percent.

"Then money will flow from inside Oregon and outside," he said. "We could approach or top those 2010 numbers. But it will be up to Buehler to show signs of competitiveness."

So far, Brown has overall raised more than $4 million as she seeks a November reelection bid. The slideshow above details Brown's biggest contributors since October. Tomorrow, we'll take a look at Buehler's fundraising during the same period of time.

Brown's donors over the last nine months include an outsized number of out-of-state donors, with many of them political action committees that are looking to push Democrats after the 2016 presidential campaign.

Two famous names appear on Brown's top donor list: architect Frank Gehry and former NBA Commissioner David Stern.

Buehler's top 26 donor list, in contrast, features 25 Oregonians and Katherine Durant, the former Oregon Investment Council chair who lists Seattle as her address.

"No surprise here:. Brown has a certain national profile on LGBTQ issues, environmental issues, gun issues, and simply being a woman and a Democrat," Moore said.

Click through to learn who's given the most to Kate Brown since last October.

The Portland Business Journal is a KGW News partner.

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