[Phew! Putting these endorsements together takes LOTS of hard work—and that's on top of our regular excellent reporting. Show your appreciation for the Mercury with a small contribution, please, and thank you!—eds] Governor: Tina Kotek While choosing who we elect for governor is always important, can we be so bold as to suggest this race is particularly critical? Thanks to an influx of millions of dollars from national Republican PACs (and Oregon’s own Phil Knight—thanks.