The Oregon Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Nicholas Kristof, a Pulitzer Prize-winning former New York Times columnist, is ineligible to run for governor after months of debate over his residency status.

Kristof, a Democrat and Oregon native, had been a New York resident for years as a New York Times employee since 1984. The former columnist failed to reestablish residence in the Beaver State in 2019, which was necessary for him to qualify to run for governor in the 2022 election, according to court records.

"While we're disappointed with the decision, we respect the justices' ruling, and we thank them for their thoughtful consideration of these issues," Kristof said at a press conference Thursday. "This ruling ends my campaign for governor of Oregon, but I want to be clear I'm not going anywhere," he added, noting he plans to "keep fighting" over the issues he campaigned on.

FORMER NEW YORK TIMES COLUMNIST NICK KRISTOF BOOTED FROM BALLOT IN OREGON GOVERNOR'S RACE

The ruling follows nearly a month after the Oregon Elections Division said it would reject Kristof's bid for governor, saying that a candidate is required "to have been a ‘resident within this state’ for three years before the election."

The former New York Times columnist had also challenged Secretary of State Shemia Fagan's standpoint that Kristof was ineligible due to the state's constitutional rules. Fagan cited "objective evidence" Kristof was ineligible, pointing out he had voted in New York as early as 2020.

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Kristof quit his job as a columnist at the New York Times last year to run for governor. He wrote a column for the paper for over 20 years, focused on global affairs, human rights, and women’s rights. He was previously a reporter in China, Los Angeles, and other spots around the globe.

Oregon is currently led by Democratic Gov. Kate Brown, who cannot run for reelection due to term limits. The speaker of the House in Oregon, Tina Kotek, announced last month that she is stepping down and will run for governor as a Democrat. The previous six Oregon governors were Democrats.