Chris Dudley ’87 is changing up the political scene in Oregon with his gubernatorial bid, according to a Bloomberg article Tuesday.

Known for being the “underdog” ever since his days in the NBA where he struggled with free-throws and rebounds, Dudley is now facing a whole new kind of opponent in his campaign against the Democrat John Kitzhaber. According to Bloomberg, Oregonians are disillusioned with the current Democratic government and want less government and a more conservative fiscal policy:

Dudley’s down-to-earth personality is an asset with Oregonians such as Diane Haugen-Torres, who has never voted Republican. “Democrats for Dudley” ads encourage her to do the unprecedented, said the 58-year-old manager of a Made in Oregon souvenir store in a suburban Portland mall.

Dudley was recruited for Yale’s basketball team and then went on to play sixteen seasons in the NBA. Dudley has no previous experience in politics.

Correction: October 20, 2010

An earlier version of this post incorrectly stated that John Kitzhaber is the Democratic incumbent governor. The Democratic governor is Ted Kulongoski who cannot run again because of term limit restrictions.