The Liftoff: Nation's eyes on Oregon in historic race for governor
PLUS: Erickson threatens to sue to overturn the election results; state senator's memoir back in the headlines; Hernandez complaint against Kotek finally resolved; WNBA to Portland?, and more!
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1. All eyes on Oregon as Drazan inches closer to GOP’s first win since 1980s
With less than a month to go until Election Day(!), the last five polls used in 538’s modeling show Christine Drazan with a slim lead over Tina Kotek, with Betsy Johnson in a distant third. Here are some key stories about the race:
538 explains why Drazan could be the first Republican since Vic Atiyeh to become Oregon’s governor
Phil Knight switched horses midstream; giving $1 million to Drazan (after previously giving $3.75 million to Johnson)
Drazan has now received more funding from the Republican Governors Association than any other candidate in Oregon history
Pamplin covered where the three candidates stand on tolling
The Oregon Republican Party voted to officially censure former chair Herman Baertschiger for endorsing Johnson
Johnson was endorsed by the Portland Tribune
The Oregonian published two articles criticizing Kotek and Drazan for their campaign tactics
2. Mike Erickson threatens to sue to overturn the election results (and other campaign controversies)
Mike Erickson is threatening a lawsuit to overturn the election results if he loses, citing an ad from Andrea Salinas that alleged a drug charge. He is currently suing Salinas for $800,000 in damages because of the ads.
Sen. Jeff Golden (D-Ashland) wrote the n-word in a memoir published over 50 years ago, reflecting on a summer he spent working on a Georgia farm supporting Black sharecroppers. According to the Capitol Chronicle: “Golden said he wrote the word to describe and ridicule the language of hostile, bigoted people he encountered.”
From Willamette Week: “The Oregon Secretary of State Is Investigating Signature Sheets Betsy Johnson’s Campaign Submitted”. The investigation is not focused on Johnson and won’t impact her ballot access.
A WW profile takes readers inside a House Republicans caucus meeting in 2019 when Christine Drazan encouraged her colleagues to join the Senate Republicans and walk out of the Capitol. Three months later, she ousted former Rep. Carl Wilson as minority leader.
It appears that the saga of former representative Diego Hernandez’ harassment claim against then-speaker Tina Kotek has come to an end, over 600 days after it was filed, finding that Kotek did not violate legislative rules. The WW article detailing the event also describes the severe mental health crisis that Hernandez has been navigating, and a letter from Rep. Daniel Bonham to Speaker Dan Rayfield.
3. Senator Rachel Armitage joins the Oregon Bridge podcast to discuss the 2022 election
Senator Rachel Armitage, who replaced Betsy Johnson in the senate, joins the Bridge to discuss the 2022 election—and the path for Democrats to win in rural seats. We debrief Armitage’s experience in the short legislative session, discuss how the national political environment is impacting Oregon’s elections, and cover what the latest polling and election modeling/forecasts say about the closest races in Oregon.
4. Portland charter reform debate heats up
Commissioner Mingus Mapps has released his alternative proposal to the charter reform ballot measure. Read this piece from WW explaining the differences.
Nigel Jaquiss and other WW reporters pushed back on charter reform proponents in their endorsement interview with the paper. Proponents argued the measure will attract “more qualified, more cooperative, and more representative candidates.” WW wasn’t buying it, arguing in part that the proposal may allow fringe candidates to win seats on the council.
Rep. Rob Nosse, who WW week described as “as progressive as they come”, simply and succinctly explained in his endorsement interview why he opposes the charter reform measure (and why he thinks he may have a couple of bad weeks for his position).
Endorsement Alert: The Oregonian editorial board came out in its Sunday edition urging voters to reject the charter reform proposal.
5. Timbers and Thorns scandal explodes (and other Portland news)
There were several major developments in Portland this week. Here are some key stories:
First, the Portland Timbers are in turmoil after an explosive report from the U.S. Soccer Federation found evidence of a toxic work environment and sexual harassment.
Fans took to Twitter to express outrage and the teams are losing sponsors at breakneck pace, including Alaska Airlines.
Some Oregon politicians are returning campaign contributions from Merritt Paulson and recently-fired president Mike Golub.
Make sure to read Ryan Clarke’s piece from The O that covers the entire timeline of the story.
In other Portland news, Oregonians aren’t too hot on the Rose City. A new poll commissioned by The O and conducted by DMH Research shows that Oregonians have an overwhelmingly negative view on Portland. Only 5% viewed the city “very positively”.
From Willamette Week: “Kevin Looper and Vadim Mozyrsky Launch Political Action Committee in Support of Rene Gonzalez” Gonzalez also scored a key endorsement from The O editorial team.
6. Third-party candidates: helpful or spoilers?
Check out these two dueling Oregon Way columns from Mark Hester and Gary Conkling on whether third-party candidates are useful or harmful:
7. Is Oregon’s agriculture industry conserving water?
Thanks to our friends at the Oregon Values and Beliefs Center for this week’s graphic demonstrating how formal educational attainment impacts Oregonians’ beliefs about the agriculture industry’s water conservation actions.
8. News Roundup: tree serial killers, hand grenades on the beach, and a notable retirement
Here’s an excerpt from a letter by the Commissioner of the WNBA: “Portland is a market that we hold in high regard and are actively considering.”
There’s a serial killer in Oregon gaining national and local attention—but they’re killing trees, not people. Check out this fascinating and bizarre piece in the WSJ: “‘Gresham Lumberjack’ Serial Tree Killer Baffles Oregon Community”
Oregon Supreme Court Justice Thomas Balmer is retiring from the bench after a distinguished career. Gov. Kate Brown will appoint his successor.
A poll from the Oregonian shows Measure 114, a ballot measure regulating guns, with a 51-39 lead.
Treasurer Tobias Read is out with a new essay on housing—and he challenges gubernatorial nominees to weigh in.
WTF News of The Week: “Oregon police warn of 'explosive' hand grenades washing up on beach”
Intel lobbyists are warning lawmakers that Oregon could “miss out” on opportunities in the semiconductor industry as other states begin rolling out more incentive programs.
Governor Kate Brown, along with California Governor Gavin Newsom, Washington Governor Jay Inslee, and the Premier of British Columbia, signed a joint pact to work towards transitioning the bloc to clean energy.
Thank you for reading.
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About the Authors
Ben Bowman is the chair of the Tigard-Tualatin School Board and the Democratic nominee 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.