The Liftoff: Oregon's new generation of leaders
The Liftoff: Oregon's new generation of leaders
PLUS: Kotek sells her house and discusses her first 10 months on the job; GOP legislator raises $120,000 in one day; Rosenblum announces retirement; Wheeler considers seizing control; and more!
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1. AG Rosenblum not running for a 4th term, and other election news!
And, that makes three vacancies! Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum announced Tuesday that she will not seek reelection for a fourth term. This also means that after the 2024 election, Oregon will have a new Treasurer, Secretary of State, and Attorney General. Rosenblum, a former federal prosecutor and longtime state judge, became Oregon’s first female attorney general in 2012, writes The Oregonian. Rosenblum will also serve as the President of the National Attorneys General Association (NAAG) next year, a first for Oregon in over 30 years.
Rumors are flying as to who might now run for Attorney General. OPB reports that names circulating include Speaker of the House Dan Rayfield. While WW reported Friday that Oregon Senator Kate Liber and Oregon DOJ attorney Marc Abrams are not running.
State Rep. Khanh Pham (D-Portland) also announced last week that she is running for the Oregon Senate. Sen. Michael Dembrow (D-Portland) currently represents the district and is retiring at the end of his term, reports the Capital Chronicle.
House Minority Leader Vikki Breese-Iverson is stepping down as leader of the Republican caucus after almost two years, reports the Oregon Capital Chronicle. In her statement, she appears to make a veiled reference to a colleague, saying: “I am confident my colleagues will choose a leader who will put the ‘Republican House Caucus’ above their own personal ambitions as I believe I have done.”
Breese-Iverson will remain in the Oregon House, and may have her sites set on higher office. According to The O: “The state Senate district where Breese-Iverson lives may also be open: current Sen. Lynn Findley, R-Vale, is one of 10 Republican senators disqualified from another term under a voter-approved state law meant to discourage senators from walking out.”
Meanwhile, Rep. Shelly Boshart Davis, who quit her post in leadership last session, reported raising a hefty $120,000 in a single day.
From OPB: “Accusations against Oregon political operative add intrigue to heated recall campaign against state lawmaker”
2. OLCC Chair steps down, Governor reflects on her first 10 months, and more news from across the state
Veteran Salem reporter Dick Hughes interviewed Governor Kotek to discuss her first 255 days on the job. A few tidbits from the interview:
Kotek has driven just once since becoming governor: a jaunt around the neighborhood to say good-bye to her trusty 2004 Honda before selling it. The couple now have an electric vehicle, which the First Lady uses.
Kotek said the Oregon Health Authority’s behavioral health efforts that she inherited were not in good shape.
Will there be a special session? From Kotek: “No plans for a special session, OK? We’ll be back in in February.”
The chair and longest serving member of the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission announced Thursday he will step down Oct. 1, reports The Oregonian. Gov. Kotek just tapped Marvin Révoal to lead the citizen board overseeing OLCC in February.
The Oregonian reported last month that Révoal had asked a state employee to help a friend get a case of the popular bourbon, Elmer T. Lee, in 2016. The bourbon is released in limited amounts several times a year.
Oregon Secretary of State auditors flagged millions of misappropriated dollars and a lack of oversight and accountability in four state agencies, according to an audit released Wednesday. The Capitol Chronicle reports they “flagged $35.2 million of questionable spending within the Oregon Department of Human Services, Oregon Health Authority, Oregon Housing and Community Services and Higher Education Coordinating Commission.”
A well-financed group of civic and business leaders have outlined two potential ballot measures seeking change to Measure 110, the 2020 voter-approved law decriminalizing small amounts of hard drugs. According to WW, initial donors backing the ballot measure include Columbia Sportswear CEO Tim Boyle, Nike founder Phil Knight, the Goodman family (downtown real estate), Ed Maletis (owner of the Portland Bottling Company), and real estate mogul Jordan Schnitzer.
Prominent leader of one of Oregon’s biggest union is out, writes The Salem Reporter. Stacy Chamberlain, executive director of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), stepped down last month after a performance complaint. The union represents more than 35,000 government and public sector workers in Oregon.
From OPB: State test scores show some progress, lingering needs in Oregon schools
From Willamette Week: BOLI Ousted a Top Agency Director After Colleagues Perceived Her Memorable Remarks as Threatening
From The Oregonian: Oregon tried to deinstitutionalize mental health care. Its failure echoes today.
From the Lake Oswego Review: Republicans offer $500 reward to catch vandal of Democratic Party headquarters
From the Oregon Catalyst: Former State Senator Joanne Verger passes away
3. Kathleen Stuart on winning campaigns and public official compensation
Kathleen Stuart has held many of the top jobs in the Oregon Democratic campaign world--deputy director for the Senate Democratic Leadership Fund, Executive Director for FuturePAC, and head of the Democratic coordinated campaign effort in 2018 (where Gov. Kate Brown won by 6 points). She now owns her own firm, Stuart Collective, and was recently selected as one of the Portland Business Journal's 40 under 40.
In this episode, we talk about Kathleen's relatively rapid promotions in the political world, and her career trajectory from private sector public relations to politics. We cover how caucus campaign committees work, and what the "coordinate campaign" does. We also talk about compensation for public officials (legislators, judges, and statewide officials) and her recent piece in the Oregon Way called: "Where can Oregon step up to support women serving in office?".
4. Sponsored Message from Harrang Long P.C.: Harrang Long’s Political Law Practice
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5. Ted Wheeler wants to seize control of city bureaus
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler is weighing whether to seize control of all city bureaus run by City Council members in the coming weeks, a move his office believes is crucial for a smooth transition to a new voter-approved form of government next year reports The Oregonian.
Gov. Kotek retracted $2.7 million designated to Multnomah County for homelessness and will redistribute the money to six other counties. OPB reports that the money was from the $200 million funding package that Kotek signed this legislative session.
Scoop from The Oregonian’s Noelle Crombie: “A Multnomah County prosecutor says she was subjected to sex discrimination, harassment and retaliation under District Attorney Mike Schmidt and one of his managers.”
More from the article: “Nikki Thompson alleges she was recruited as a senior deputy district attorney but Schmidt assigned her a more junior position in the Justice Integrity Unit, where a supervisor transferred “a critical aspect” of her duties to an intern and she endured demeaning remarks from a colleague, according to a letter her lawyer, Dana Sullivan, sent to Multnomah County earlier this month, notifying the county of Thompson’s plan to sue.”
Former City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty has agreed to a $680,000 settlement against the Portland Police Association and two officers over a 2021 incident in which the union president falsely implicated her in a hit-and-run, reports WW.
The owner of the Society Hotel in Portland says she was removed from a public safety panel convened Wednesday under the Governor’s downtown task force due to her involvement in a campaign to unseat Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt, reports The Oregonian.
6. The Oregon Way: Open primaries, downtown Portland, and more!
We’ve got three great Oregon Way pieces for you on three very different topics. Firstly, we have Xavier Stickler who argues in support of the Frog Ferry and how it might help fight climate Change. Derrick Clevenger has a piece on open primaries and how they might help to engage more Veterans in the electoral process. Lastly, Mark Hester has a vision and path forward to help revitalize downtown Portland.
Have thoughts or suggestions? Want to write a piece for The Way? Reach out!
7. Oregonians divided on the good and the bad of population growth
Nearly half of Oregonians see population growth as a mixed bag, according to research from the Oregon Values and Beliefs Center.
8. News Roundup: Nurses strike, a major Portland official steps down, and more!
OHSU nurses have voted to strike if contract negotiations remain deadlocked. According to KGW, nurses need to give the hospital 10 days notice before walking out.
From Essence, an article about Rep. Janelle Bynum: “Why This Black Woman Running For Congress In Oregon Could Be A Gamechanger”
Ouch: The Oregon Ducks Football team walloped University of Colorado in a 42-6 victory in a major game for the team.
Mayor of Garibaldi Tim Hall resigned Sept. 1, which he said was spurred by harassment. Hall was one of only four Black mayors across Oregon’s 241 cities, reports The Oregonian.
Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell is stepping down from his position on Oct. 11, after just three years as the city’s top cop.
From Z Network: “How Public Pianos Decorated by Artists Came to Dot Portland’s Streets and Parks”
Gov. Kotek and her wife, Aimee Kotek Wilson, recently sold their longtime home in North Portland. Kotek and Wilson took up residence at the official governor’s residence, Mahonia Hall, after the Governor was sworn-in reports The Oregonian.
Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici introduced a bill Thursday to provide $50 million in federal funding to school districts across the country designed for fentanyl awareness. The bill would help school districts to create their own curriculum or use what’s in place in Beaverton School District, the first district in Oregon to create a fentanyl awareness curriculum, called Fake and Fatal, reports the Capitol Chronicle.
Portland’s iconic “White Stag Block” hit the market this week. The University of Oregon moved its Portland presence to Northeast Portland (the old Concordia University campus), reports the Portland Business Journal.
Tips? Feedback? Ideas? Corrections? We want to hear from you! Emailbenjaminwbowman@gmail.com or kristinaedmunson@gmail.com.
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About the Authors
Ben Bowman is the state representative for Oregon House District 25 (Tigard, Metzger, and South Beaverton) and a member of the Tigard-Tualatin School Board. In his day job, he works as an administrator for a public school district. 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.
Kristina Edmunson has been everything from press assistant for Governor Kulongoski, media advance associate for Vice President Biden, and communications director for Attorney General Rosenblum. Born and raised in Eugene, she has been involved in some of the biggest policy and legal decisions in Oregon over the last decade. Today, she runs her own communications practice. She speaks only for herself in her contributions to The Liftoff.