Oregon Public Broadcasting

Oregon's Democratic primary for governor is already crowded with two veteran politicians. That didn't stop former computer company executive Steve Shields from officially entering the contest Thursday. Chris Lehman reports from Salem.

To get a sense of the challenge Steve Shields is taking on, consider this: One candidate in the race, former Oregon governor John Kitzhaber, raised more money in a single day this week than Shields has brought in during more than three months of fundraising.

Shields is also taking on former Oregon Secretary of State Bill Bradbury, another familiar face in Salem.

Shields says if he's elected, he'd bring his business experience to the governor's office.

Steve Shields: “You can't underestimate the value of someone coming in who is from the outside who has different ideas, different ways of doing things, and saying ‘We can make progress in different ways than we have been trying to make progress in the past.'”

While this is Shields' first run for office, another candidate in the Democratic primary for Governor is no stranger to elections.

Roger Obrist of Damascus has tried unsuccessfully for various political offices at least five times in the past 12 years.