The Liftoff: Controversy in the gubernatorial election
PLUS: a congressional race moves to "toss up"; new general election endorsements; Hardesty v. Gonzalez in Portland; Greater Idaho scales back ambitions; and ballot measures to watch
Welcome back to The Liftoff!
Since before I was born, my family has had a Memorial Day tradition of laying flowers on the graves of deceased family members going back generations (in several cemeteries throughout Yamhill County). Some years, we’ll bring old photo albums and newspaper articles to put faces to the names etched in stone—my dad and uncle can usually recite a story or two about who they were. It’s a day that always puts into perspective how fortunate I am. From the team at OR360, we hope you’ll take a moment today to reflect on Memorial Day and honor those who have died in service to the United States.
-Ben
1. Gubernatorial general election kicks off with controversy
Betsy Johnson made an unannounced appearance at TEDxPortland—and it quickly erupted into controversy. According to reporting from the Oregonian, the local TED group may have violated their nonprofit tax status by not providing an equal platform to Tina Kotek and Christine Drazan. TEDxPortland issued an apology, calling the interview an “error in judgement” and referring to Johnson a “potential political candidate”—which did not go over well.
Endorsement news: Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley have both endorsed Kotek. Former congresswoman Darlene Hooley has endorsed Johnson. Drazan met with Arizona Governor Doug Ducey and leaders from the Republican Governors Association.
Kotek, House Majority Leader Julie Fahey, Rep. Lisa Reynolds, and Rep. Rachel Prusak have called out Johnson for her record on gun issues and her previous support from the NRA.
Nate Hochman at National Review penned a long-form piece on Drazan titled “Oregon’s Republican Hope”. Hochman is a friend of the Oregon Bridge podcast—check out the episode here.
Johnson’s campaign was the subject of a profile in Pamplin.
2. Congressional news: McLeod Skinner’s historic win—and a Russian ban on members of congress
According to the AP (and elections guru Dave Wasserman), Jamie McLeod Skinner has defeated Congressman Kurt Schrader in an historic upset. Following her victory, the race was moved from “Lean D” to “Toss Up” by Cook Political Report.
Every member of Oregon’s congressional delegation has been banned from entering Russia—and none of them care.
Now we know: Shortly before the Nancy Pelosi-affiliated House Majority SuperPAC gave $1 million to Carrick Flynn (which was puzzling to some political observers), it received about $6 million from Sam Bankman-Fried, the billionaire funding a separate SuperPAC that was backing Flynn.
3. Primary fallout continues
Video evidence refutes Clackamas County Clerk Sherry Hall’s claim that she did not know how a representative from Congressman Kurt Schrader’s campaign was allowed to view ballot counting before Jamie McLeod Skinner’s campaign. Secretary of State Shemia Fagan is investigating.
This isn’t Sherry Hall’s first high-profile mistake—WW has a comprehensive list of “blunders and scandals”.
The Oregonian did a deep dive on a 2022 primary trend: big spending with little to show for it across many different races.
4. Reagan Knopp returns to the pod to cover everything you need to know about what happened in the 2022 primaries
This week, GOP political consultant Reagan Knopp returns to help us digest the results of the 2022 primary election. We talk about the highlights, surprises, winners, and losers from across the state—and why they matter for the general election. We start with a high-level discussion about the major takeaways and then dive into individual races, including the primaries for governor and congress, the statewide BOLI race, Portland metro-area races, and legislative highlights.
5. Portland news: Massive PAC spending “didn’t help” Mozyrsky as Gonzalez heads to runoff with Hardesty
Rene Gonzalez finished with a narrow victory over Vadim Mozyrsky in the race for second place against incumbent Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty. The top two will head to a runoff in November.
Vadim Mozyrsky has officially conceded. Remember the hundreds of thousands of dollars raised to support him through independent expenditures? According to WW, he says he never saw “anything come of that” and “it didn’t help.” The group has deleted its website and YouTube channel.
Has the city of Portland’s $138 million strategy to fight displacement and reverse gentrification worked? Depends on who you ask. WW has a deep dive.
It was a particularly violent Friday in Portland: 10 people were shot and 10 were injured in less than a 24-hour period. Police have yet to identify any suspects in any of the shootings.
6. State government news: Ballot measures and big trends
A group of faith leaders are pushing for a ballot measure that would require a permit prior to buying a gun and limit magazines to 10 bullets. They have a short window to collect the required signatures.
It is very likely that a ballot measure to stop legislative walkouts will be on the ballot this November. It would prohibit legislators with ten or more unexcused absences from running for reelection. Internal polling from proponents suggests the idea has 84% support from likely voters.
Some Measure 110 funds will be used for “contingency management” for people in recovery, which includes paying people not to use drugs. This method has “significant evidence of effectiveness”.
From the Oregonian: “Top Oregon corrections leaders offer unflattering take on governor, lawmakers as ‘dysfunctional’”
BONUS: The “Greater Idaho Movement” has scaled back it’s plans and no longer intends to extend all the way to the west coast, following the failure of ballot measures in Douglas and Josephine counties. As a reminder, it is incredibly unlikely that this will actually happen.
7. News round-up: Solar panels, bird flu, eco-terrorism, and why salmon are vanishing
The New York Times has a (very) long-form piece detailing the history of eco-terrorists and the Earth Liberation Front.
Rep. Greg Smith (also the economic development director at Malheur County) “erupted” during a meeting after “contentious” questioning from Malheur Enterprise editor and publisher Les Zaitz.
Tariffs on Chinese solar panels are pushing some major solar projects in Oregon to a halt, via OPB.
A Portland publisher is rolling out a comic book series starring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Prices at the pump broke another record—clocking in at $5.16/gallon for the average Oregonian.
From OPB: “The US has spent more than $2B on a plan to save salmon. The fish are vanishing anyway.”
Former Gov. Barbara Roberts is out with a new book of collected speeches.
A small area south of Nyssa has been put under a poultry quarantine by the federal government for potential bird flu exposure.
A Eugene School Board meeting was disrupted by audience members who were against a policy to limit guns on school property.
Thank you for reading.
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About the Authors
Ben Bowman is the chair of the Tigard-Tualatin School Board and a Democratic candidate for Oregon House District 25 (Tigard and Beaverton). In his day job, he works for the Oregon Department of Education. Previously, he worked as a legislative aide for former Reps. Margaret Doherty and Val Hoyle. He also co-hosts The Oregon Bridge podcast. In the newsletter and podcast, he speaks only for himself.
Alex Titus is a small business owner and consultant to businesses, nonprofits, and associations. Previously, he served as an Advisor in the Trump Administration and as a Policy Advisor to President Trump’s Super PAC. His writing has appeared in National Review, Fox News, The Hill, RealClearPolitics, and other publications. He also co-hosts The Oregon Bridge podcast.
For once Pelosi had nothing to say but no comment.