The Liftoff: Meet Oregon's historic new leaders
PLUS: Betsy's perilous path; Salem's battleground leg. seats; how Oregon voters feel about Trans rights; CD-5's tossup; good water news and bad water news; and more!
Welcome back to The Liftoff!
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1. Betsy Johnson’s perilous path (and other news from the race for Governor)
Betsy Johnson has officially begun the process of gathering signatures to qualify for the general election ballot as an independent—and she earned the endorsement of legendary Blazers announcer Bill Schonely and unsuccessful NYC mayoral candidate/presidential candidate Andrew Yang.
Johnson also just launched a new TV commercial called “Delivers”.
Johnson’s attempt to navigate the politics of gun violence demonstrates the challenges of running as an independent in a two-party system, courtesy of reporting from WW. After voting against gun control legislation for years, she announced a more open position. Both parties blasted her and called into question her trustworthiness. With no built-in base (which both Tina Kotek and Christine Drazan have, though different in size), Johnson will have to cobble together a new coalition to succeed.
The Republican Governors Association cut a $40,000 check to Drazan’s campaign. The organization provided $3.4 million to Knute Buehler in 2018 and $2.5 million to Chris Dudley in 2010. As previously reported, the Democratic Governors Association has already begun spending for Kotek as well.
OPB covered the still-unresolved complaint against Tina Kotek by former Rep. Diego Hernandez, who was forced to resign amidst allegations of sexual misconduct. The complaint was filed over 500 days ago and no findings have been released. As of late April, the lead investigator said she did not have an expected completion date.
2. Oregon breaks barriers with historic leaders
Jayathi Murthy, the current dean of the UCLA school of engineering, will be the next president of Oregon State University; she will be the first woman of color to lead the school in its history.
President Joe Biden has nominated federal prosecutor Natalie K. Wight, with the support of Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley. According to OPB, “she would be the first Black person and second Asian American person to serve as Oregon’s top federal prosecutor.” Wight must be confirmed by the Senate to assume the position.
In another first, Jackie Linton will be the first Black city councilor in Hermiston’s history after defeating an incumbent councilor in the primary.
3. Salem seats are 2022’s legislative battlegrounds
In a split with the Legislative Fiscal Office (LFO) with bipartisan support, the legislative Emergency Board released $100 million to fund the legal defense of criminal defendants. Describing Oregon’s public defense crisis, Sen. President Peter Courtney said: "It's not good."
The Oregon Capital Bureau provided an overview of redistricting’s impacts on central and eastern Oregon—including the open state house seat in Redmond, which flipped from R+6 to D+4. In another story, they analyze seats across the state; House Republican Leader Vikki Breese Iverson said this: “The battle ground for both the Senate and the House is the Salem area — two Senate seats and four House seats.”
4. Oregonian reporter Mike Rogoway talks inflation, Oregon’s economy, and Portland’s resilience in the face of a recession
Mike Rogoway is an award-winning journalist who has covered business and technology for the Oregonian since 2004. Rogoway is among the most senior reporters at the Oregonian and has broken major national stories during his time at the publication; he is well-sourced with a deep knowledge of Oregon's economy and business environment.
In this episode, we ask Mike about the most pressing issues that our audience (of politically engaged listeners) should know about. We talk about the big trends in Oregon's business community, which industries are thriving and which are declining, and why Oregon's publicly-traded companies have suffered worse than the broader stock market. We talk about inflation, whether a recession is on the horizon—and whether Portland and Oregon can be resilient or not. Finally, we cover some specific sectors—agriculture and technology—and why they matter so much for the state's future.
5. Big stories to watch: Trans rights, Measure 110, and the housing crisis
Trans Rights: Oregon is split on some so-called “culture war” issues. See this OVBC data reported by Pamplin: “Polling data shows 41% of 1,674 participants said trans students should be allowed to play on sports teams that match their gender identity, but 39% said they should only be allowed to play on teams that align with their gender at birth.”
Measure 110: According to an audit from the Secretary of State’s Office, the Oregon Health Authority’s implementation of Measure 110 is back on track after months of delay.
Housing Crisis: Is Oregon’s housing affordability crisis worse than the peak of the housing bubble? Some economists say yes.
6. We’ve got good water news and bad water news
Good Water News
An “atmospheric river” contributed to an unusually wet June in the metro area. According to the Oregonian, this is the wettest spring on record for the Portland area.
Both reservoirs in the Rogue River Basin are nearly completely full, thanks to snowmelt and rainfall.
In a move that would make Tom McCall and Oswald West proud, The Surfrider Foundation is suing a private landowner for putting up a barbed wire fence that inhibits public access to a beach trail in Coos Bay.
Bad Water News
Heat, fire, and smoke are still expected this summer—check out OPB’s useful guide with the things you need to know to prepare.
Morrow County declared a state of emergency because of high levels of nitrate contamination in the water supply—making tap water unsafe for residents. The county will be distributing tests, bottled water, and filters to the community. An investigation by the Oregon Capital Chronicle concludes that the DEQ “failed to regulate and enforce severe penalties on polluters, including the Port of Morrow.”
From WW: “The environmental nonprofit Willamette Riverkeeper says so many Oregonians use the river’s banks as a trash dump that plastic and other broken-down materials have blended into river sediments and commonly drape from old tree branches like human-made moss.” They are calling for new regulations.
7. Keep your eye on CD-5 for a historic election
Sabato’s Crystal Ball joins Cook Political Report in labeling the CD-5 matchup between Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R) and Jamie McLeod-Skinner (D) a “toss up”.
This is a historic race. Chavez-DeRemer could be the first woman of color ever elected to represent Oregon in Congress (potentially alongside Rep. Andrea Salinas). McLeod-Skinner could become the first openly LGBTQ+ person to represent Oregon in Congress.
Expect millions of dollars to pour in from out-of-state donors and PACs.
Unburdened by reelection considerations, Congressman Kurt Schrader voted against raising the minimum age for buying a semi-automatic weapon to 21.
8. News round-up: Blazers, Zelensky, and Zaitz
Who could have seen that coming? Conservative firebrand and former sheriff David Clarke was invited to speak at the Oregon School Resource Officers Association—and was almost immediately uninvited.
Les Zaitz, the founding editor of the Oregon Capitol Chronicle, will be retiring on July 1.
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has asked a number of U.S. cities, including Portland, to sever ties with their Russian “sister cities”.
WW explains why Blazer fans are excited about the prospect of Phil Knight buying the team.
Portland officials are trying a new approach to combatting homelessness by partnering with a nonprofit organization that helps to build directories of all local homeless individuals. As you can imagine, this has stirred controversy.
Several national news outlets covered a recent fire at a pregnancy crisis center that has been deemed suspicious by authorities.
A number of Oregon nonprofit organizations are asking the Biden Administration to provide $100 million in funding to fight white supremacy.
From Pamplin: “Despite reforms, students of color face higher rates of punishment in Oregon schools”
Morrow County is host to the nation’s first large-scale solar and wind battery facility.
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.