The Bridge by OR360: Recent Episodes
Alex Titus & Ben Bowman
OR360 Media presents The Bridge, a podcast hosted by Ben Bowman and Alex Titus.
This podcast explores how the nationalization of politics is reshaping Oregon’s political landscape and providing a platform for Oregon issues to garner national attention.
Our thesis is that we must understand the opportunities and limitations of a political environment increasingly driven by people and events at the national level if we want to create a more unified and productive political culture in Oregon.
Our guests will include elected officials, business leaders, and media professionals, and anyone with something interesting to say about Oregon’s future.
Republican political strategist Bryan Iverson has over two decades of experience in media and politics. In this episode he joins Reagan to talk about what makes a good candidate as well as some of teh challenges republican candidates face in Oregon as well as teh obstacles that revolve around recruiting new candidate to the party.
For more information on Bryan and his work you can check out https://iversonmedia.com/
Daniel Kemmis is a giant figure in the politics of the American West. A former Speaker of the Montana House of Representatives and twice-elected Mayor of Missoula, Kemmis is also an author and political theorist. President Bill Clinton awarded him the Charles Frankel Prize for "outstanding contribution to the field of the humanities," and he also one the Wallace Stegner Prize from the Center of the American West. His first book, Community and the Politics of Place, was published in 1990, and his most recent came out in 2020, Citizens Uniting to Restore Our Democracy. In this episode, we discuss Kemmis' framework for community-based decision making, the importance of geography in politics, and his advice for elected officials navigating a polarized political landscape. For more information about Daniel Kemmis, visit his website: https://citizens-uniting.org/
Olivia Clark has worked in state, local, and regional politics and policy for decades, including stints working with cities, DEQ, the Kitzhaber Administration, and TriMet. In this episode, she reflects on how her previous work will inform her approach as a Portland City Councilor. We discuss her work for Gov. Kitzhaber, the challenges she navigated in that period, and why she stayed for nearly two full terms. Olivia also offers her explanation for what went wrong in Portland over the last decade or two--and what can be done to fix it. She gives her vision for making the layers of government work together more effectively, and how she would approach the job of councilor in this new form of government.
In the second half of this conversation with George Fox's Civility project, the Oregon Bridge is doing a deep dive on what civility means in the context of politics and how creating a more civil political environment can lead to more productive bipartisan policy and discourse.
A huge thank you to George Fox for inviting the Oregon Bridge out to be on this panel and for helping provide this programming.
You can learn more about the Civility Project here: https://sites.google.com/georgefox.edu/gfcivilityproject/home
In this special two part episode, recent guest Ron Mock returns to the Oregon Bridge but this time Ben and Reagan are the interviewees.
In this first half of the conversation, the team unpacks the history, thesis and origin of the Oregon Bridge Podcast, how that has evolved over time, and also the role that the podcast plays in both Ben and Reagan's Lives.
A huge thank you to George Fox for inviting the Oregon Bridge out to be on this panel and for helping provide this programming.
You can learn more about the Civility Project here: https://sites.google.com/georgefox.edu/gfcivilityproject/home
Ron Mock is Director of the George Fox University Civility Project and Professor Emeritus of Politics and Peace Studies. He is also a former Newberg School Board Member, serving for nearly. His loss in 2021 triggered a conservative board majority that made international headlines for attempting to ban pride flags and BLM symbols--and ultimately for firing their superintendent. In this episode, Ron explains exactly what happened and why it happened. We talk about political polarization and divisiveness--and how it impacts communities. He shares what lessons other communities can learn from Newberg--and provides some specific examples of proactive steps community leaders can take to build a more productive political culture locally. We also discuss the occasional tension between being an advocate and being a convener--and whether "civility" is always the right framework for politics, or if today's political environment requires something different. You can learn more about the Civility Project here: https://sites.google.com/georgefox.edu/gfcivilityproject/home
Tony Morse is a candidate for Portland City Council's District 4 (the west side and a small slice of inner east Portland). Tony is an attorney by training and has worked in real estate and political organizing. He describes himself as "center left" and willing to work those who disagree with him to get things done. In this episode, we talk about Tony's recovery story and what it means to be a "recovery candidate" for the Council--including some specific ideas about how the City can help resolve the crisis. We talk about Ballot Measure 110, harm reduction strategies, public consumption of drugs, and his views on "safe use" sites. Finally, we talk about what it's like running to serve in a new form of government with a totally new way of electing leaders in Portland.
Metro Councilor Christine Lewis has had an extensive career in Oregon politics. A Portland Business Journal "40 Under 40" honoree, she graduated from Reed College and quickly entered the world of political organizing. She has worked as campaign manager for former Senate President Peter Courtney, former State Rep. and Multnomah County Commissioner Jules Bailey, and several ballot measures. She also worked on the "official side" (non-campaign) for then-Speaker Tina Kotek, the City of Portland, and the Bureau of Labor and Industries. In 2018, she was elected as a Metro Councilor representing a large district including much of Clackamas County and parts of Multnomah and Washington. In this episode, we talk about Christine's career in politics and how Metro intersects with the most important policy issues facing the Portland area today: housing, homelessness, transportation, and more.
Former legislator and Secretary of State Phil Keisling has had a truly remarkable career in Oregon politics. Prior to his own tenure in elected office, he worked on the campaign of Gov. Tom McCall (McCall's third and only unsuccessful attempt) and for then-Speaker Vera Katz. Elected to the legislature in 1988 after a career in journalism, Gov. Barbara Roberts appointed him as a freshman legislator to assume the office of Secretary of State (it is an incredible story, involving Phil arriving an hour and a half late for his interview with the Governor). He was subsequently elected to two full terms.
In this episode, we talk about Phil's career, the changing nature of Oregon politics (with an emphasis on policy over administration), the true story of how Oregon launched vote-by-mail (and the strange bedfellows who made it happen), and why attempts to open Oregon's primaries have failed.
The 2024 election cycle is already heating up in Oregon even at this early stage! In this episode Ben and Reagan discuss what candidates will be expected to contend, as well as which candidates have already declared and began fundraising campaigns for some of Oregon's open seats in office.
Eric Zimmerman is a chief of staff for a Multnomah County Commissioner and a Major in the Oregon National Guard. Previously, he worked as a senior advisor to the Mayor of Portland and as an assistant city manager. He's also thinking about running for Portland City Council. In this episode, we cover Eric's background in the military, his experience running for office, and why he has hope for Portland's future--but wants a more action-oriented set of leaders in charge. We also talk about the time that he punched a man in the face (following an attack on his then-boyfriend)--and what it was like when the story hit the newspapers a year later. Finally, we touch on how the conflict in the Middle East has impacted state and local politics.
Former republican minority leader Christine Drazan rejoins the podcast over 100 episodes later to reflect on Oregon's political leadership throughout the pandemic and present her framework for rebuilding what she calls Oregon's broken systems, through an organization called A New Direction, a 501c4 non-profit organization dedicated to connecting Oregonians with each other to advance policies and ideas that make Oregon a safer more affordable place to live and raise a family, strengthen checks and balances, improve transparency, empower Oregonians and support the next generation.
To learn more visit https://www.christinefororegon.com/
Justin Hwang is a Korean immigrant and small business owner.
He’s been chairman of the Oregon Republican Party since 2022 and was previously a candidate for state representative and state senate. He talks about the challenges Republicans are facing in Oregon and where he sees the opportunities for Republicans to hold and make additional gains.
https://oregon.gop/
Adam Marl is the City Commission President for Oregon City. He was worked for numerous Republican candidates and elected officials.
He serves in the most politically complex of the three major Portland metro counties: Clackamas. Marl is the youngest, as well as fist Asian person, to serve on the city commission. As someone who identifies as an Evangelical Christian but cites legislation from leaders like Sen. Mitt Romney, Marl has a nuanced take on Oregon politics.
In this episode, Ben and Adam cover a wide range of topics including tolling, culture wars, abortion policy, and what it means to be a young Republican in Oregon in today's political climate.
You can check out a piece that Adam recently wrote for The Way here: https://theoregonway.substack.com/p/how-oregon-republicans-can-further Also be sure to subscribe on Youtube if you haven't already! https://www.youtube.com/c/OR360
And huge shoutout to our newest partner OVBC, be sure to check out their typography survey and share your voice and opinions about Oregon politics here: https://oregonvbc.org/
Returning to the podcast is Amaury Vogel. Amaury is the Associate Executive Director of the the Oregon Values & Beliefs Center (OVBC). OVBC is an innovative organization that provides public opinion research for free to policymakers, news organizations, and the general public. In this episode we talk about how polling works (and why sometimes it doesn't work), and we discuss what makes OVBC unique.
OVBC 2023 Typology Survey: Online Survey Software | Qualtrics Survey Solutions
OVBC 2023 Typology informational landing page (also contains Pew and Policy Interactive Links):
OVBC 2023 Typology Project - Oregon Values and Beliefs Center (oregonvbc.org)
Pew Typology: Political Typology - Research and data from Pew Research Center
Policy Interactive: Finding Common Ground in a Divided Political Culture – PolicyInteractive
oregonvbc.org
ovbc.info/23_Background
Oregon is grappling with a severe housing crisis. Recent data reveals that the median selling price of homes in Oregon is hovering around the $500,000 mark. In swiftly growing cities like Bend, this figure climbs even higher due to significantly constrained housing availability. Governor Tina Kotek has set an ambitious target of constructing 36,000 new homes annually. However, critics argue that current regulations, coupled with limited land resources stemming from the Urban Growth Boundary and Oregon's stringent land use guidelines, render this goal unattainable.
Joining our discussion today is Jodi Hack, a former Republican Representative and now the CEO of the Oregon Home Builder's Association. Jodi will help us break down what all is contributing to the housing shortage and what policies may need to change in order to increase inventory and address the demand for affordable housing in Oregon.
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?". For more information on Kathleen, you can visit: www.stuartcollective.co
Rep. Annessa Hartman (D-Gladstone) and Rep. Emerson Levy (D-Bend) are freshmen legislators first elected in 2022.
They represent two swing districts (sometimes called “purple” seats) — Hartman in Clackamas County and Levy in Central Oregon (you can listen to our interview with then-candidate Levy here). They are also both relatively young legislators, and moms of young children. In this episode, we discuss the impact of running for office and public service on family, what it’s like running in ultra-competitive districts, and the policy wins they are most proud of.
Charles Lehamn is a Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a prominent center-right think tank that focuses on urban and city-related issues. The organization gained prominence in the 1980s and 1990s for brainstorming the "broken windows" theory and creating the policy blueprint for Republican New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Charles recently took a trip to Portland to examine the impact of Measure 110 and detailed his thoughts in a City Journalpiece that we link to below and discuss the episode.
We also dive into more technical issues such as defining what certain drugs like Fentanyl actually are, the hard statistics around Measure 110 and its outcomes, the differences between legalization and decriminalization and a host of other issues. This episode is also meant to give listeners the opposing view of the folks over at the Drug Policy Alliance who helped to pass Measure 110 (you can listen to that episode by clicking here).
The Watchdog, a brilliant book by NPR senior editor Steve Drummond covering the Truman Committee's oversight of the defense buildup and war production effort of World War II, begins in Portland, Oregon. The book chronicles Harry S. Truman before he became president--his development from a junior senator from Missouri without much power, recognition, or stature to the Vice President of the United States (and, just a few months later, President). The Truman Committee is a case study on effective government oversight. Ultimately, the Committee saved billions of dollars, prevented countless American deaths, and helped the United States win World War II -- and the Committee is undoubtedly what launched Truman from political obscurity to political powerhouse. In this episode, we discuss the lessons that today's leaders can learn about fighting corruption from Harry Truman and the Truman Committee.
John Frohnmayer served as the fifth chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), appointed by President George H.W. Bush in 1989. He has held numerous civic leadership roles and briefly ran as an Independent candidate for the United States Senate in 2008 (the election where Jeff Merkley defeated incumbent Senator Gordon Smith). Frohnmayer is the author of seven books, including memoirs from his saga leading the NEA during a particularly turbulent time that still impacts contemporary politics ("Behind the right’s loathing of the NEA: Two ‘despicable’ exhibits almost 30 years ago" from the Washington Post). His latest book is a novel, Blood and Faith, and a sequel will be released shortly. In this episode, we talk about what it was like growing up as Frohnmayer alongside his brother (future Attorney General Dave). We talk about the role of athletics in his life (and his thoughts on the PAC-12 shake-up), and the confusion of being a young person who isn't quite sure what they want to do. We also talk about him getting "canned" from the NEA, the first amendment, polarization, ethics, and what we might do to make our politics work better.
Will Lathrop is running for the position of Oregon's Attorney General. In this episode Reagan and Will discuss his top priorities as a candidate as well as his perspective on some of Oregon's most hot button issues including Measure 110, Measure 11, and non-unanimous jury verdicts. Lathrop has an extensive background as a prosecutor and believes that solving the 'drug crisis' in Oregon should be a top priority for the AG, as well as Government corruption and crime.
To follow Lathrop's campaign visit: https://www.willlathrop.com/
Majority Leader Mike Mansfield and Minority Leader Everett Dirksen, with opposing parties, leadership styles, and personalities, were two of the most impactful figures in America in the 1960s. During a period of political turmoil--global superpowers on the brink of nuclear war, the assassinations of JFK, RFK, and MLK Jr., war, and racial strife--two men from different parties shepherded monumental legislation (the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act, the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, the Great Society, etc.) through the Senate with bipartisan consensus. How did they pull it off? In this episode, we talk with author and historian Marc Johnson about these two men, their leadership styles, their relationship with each other (and with Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson), and their accomplishments. Importantly, though, we talk about whether or not it's possible in today's political environment to do what they did the way they did it. We talk about the lessons that political leaders, including those in Oregon politics, can learn from these two men--and how specifically their approach might have been fundamentally different than most politicians' today. If you enjoy The Oregon Bridge podcast, you will love this book ("Mansfield and Dirksen: Bipartisan Giants of the Senate"). For young people who have only ever known a dysfunctional Congress, it's a beautiful portrait of two fascinating leaders who guided the US Senate during turbulent times. For everyone, it's a reminder of what's possible when exceptional leaders use political power to solve big problems.
Ben and Reagan are giving the rundown on who you might expect to be in the running for Oregon state-wide positions of Attorney General, State Treasurer, and Secretary of State in the 2024 election cycle.
For more information check out the article here and be sure to subscribe to the Liftoff weekly newsletter :
https://theoregonway.substack.com/p/the-liftoff-the-scramble-for-statewide
This week the Oregon Bridge is welcoming back Portland City Commissioner Mingus Mapps who has announced his candidacy for Mayor of Portland! In this episode Mapps lays out his optimistic outlook for the future of the city of Portland, as ell as shed some light on the current structure of the city council and the ways in which the city's governance is expected to change in the coming years.
You can check out our previous conversation with Mapps here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6E468Vpotf0
Host Reagan Knopp is bringing the candidate tracker to OR360 subscribers! The candidate tracker will be updating subscribers with real time information about new candidates as they declare and/or make changes to their campaign trail. Be sure to check out the tracker here: https://theoregonway.substack.com/p/or360-launches-candidate-tracker
And also be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3t7BqGHYlwrGo2pYX_-W4Q
FULL EPISODE TBR: Solomon Yue is a long-time Republican Party official and Oregon's Republican National Committeeman (RNC). Escaping from Communist China during Mao's cultural revolution, Yue found himself as an immigrant to the US by way of Alaska before ending up in Oregon. Once in Oregon, he slowly began to rise through the ranks eventually culminating in to the peak of GOP influence as a Republican National Committeeman. Solomon walks us through his time upbringing including his time in a Chinese re-education camp, how being an immigrant shaped his views on politics and policy, and what it's like in a day-to-day capacity as an RNC. We also talk about the Oregon GOP and changes that Solomon would like to see with the party going forward. Solomon also shares his take on a number of newsy topics -- such as the 2024 Republican presidential primary and if he thinks Trump will skip the first debate.
Steve "Pre" Prefontaine is an Oregon legend. Pre was charismatic, controversial, magnetic, gritty, outspoken, and iconic. One of the most talented athletes in Oregon history, Pre was a runner on Bill Bowerman and Bill Delinger's track team at the University of Oregon. He grew up in Coos Bay (which helped shape who he was) and was on the cover of Sports Illustrated by the time he was 18. He was the first athlete ever paid to wear Nike shoes. Pre's life was cut short in a tragic and somewhat mysterious car accident when he was 24-years-old on Skyline Boulevard in Eugene--his death remains the source of conspiracy theories and unanswered questions over 50 years later. In this episode we talk to Tom Jordan, a giant in the Oregon Track and Field world in his own right, who directed the Prefontaine Classic for 37 years--and who literally wrote the book on Pre. We discuss Pre's life--his childhood in Coos Bay, his swagger as an athlete, his battles against the AAU, his relationship with Nike, the legendary 1972 Olympics, and his untimely death. As a former athlete, reporter, and a contemporary of Pre's, Tom had a front-row seat for many of Pre's accomplishments. We conclude by talking about Pre's legacy and why he matters to Oregon.
The 2023 Legislative Session is officially over! After a six-month rollercoaster ride, the legislature adjourned on Sunday, June 25 (the absolute last day possible!). In this episode, we offer a framework for how to think about the session (a three act play!)--and we also cover some of the major pieces of legislation and budget investments that were passed. We talk about the constitutional referrals (elected official compensation, ranked choice voting, and impeachment) and some of the more highly-publicized bills (e.g. "the potato bill" and self-serve gas). We also discuss what bipartisanship looked like in a politically fraught legislative session (which might surprise you).
Matt McCaw is the spokesman for Greater Idaho, a grassroots organization seeking to allow Idaho to absorb a number of rural Oregon counties. The organization was started a number of years ago in response to the urban-rural divide and what Matt explains are irreconcilable differences politically and culturally between different parts of the state. Greater Idaho has gained significant international and national media attraction including write ups in the New York Times, CNN, and other major publications. Matt walks us through exactly what the Greater Idaho movement is, why folks like him are pushing for this proposal, and his political reasoning for the cause -- some of which are certain to surprise listeners. He also walks us through the course of action it would take to redraw state borders, resolutions different counties have passed supporting the measure, and common questions he gets. This is an episode you won't want to miss.
Michael Francke, then the head of the Oregon Department of Corrections, was murdered at work in 1989. The case is both fascinating and disturbing. We know that Francke uncovered corruption within the agency. We know that he was scheduled to testify before a key legislative committee the next morning. We know that Frank Gable, who was prosecuted and convicted of the murder, has been exonerated--and that Francke's family believed Gable was innocent all along. But, three decades later, we still don't know who killed Michael Francke--or why they did it. In this episode, we talk to three guests who are experts on the case: Kevin Francke (Michael's brother), Phil Stanford (a journalist who covered the story for decades), and Lauren Bright Pacheco, the host of "Murder in Oregon" about the case. We cover the basics of the case and jump into the controversy, intrigue, characters, and the many unsolved mysteries. Importantly, we discuss why this case still matters today--and why we should all care about justice for Michael and the Francke family. Finally, we talk about what should happen next. We highly recommend the "Murder in Oregon" podcast, a twelve-episode series that features interviews with Nigel Jaquiss, former Oregon State Treasurer Jim Hill, former State Rep. Chuck Sides, journalist Jim Redden, and many more. You can listen on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Nathan "Nate" Howard is an entrepreneur, activist, and political strategist. Having cut his teeth as Deputy Campaign Manager and then a Senior Advisor to Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, Nate has also worked on some of the most influential ballot measures in Oregon history to include Measure 109 and Measure 110. Measure 109 made Oregon the first state in the country to legalize and regulate Psilocybin services for medical purposes -- an experiment that pro and anti legalization policy wonks are watching closely. Nate walks us through his background in further detail, the ins-and-outs of psilocybin, and where he sees the ballot initiative taking the state including the ups and downs.
Mike Schmidt is an accomplished attorney and public servant currently serving as the District Attorney of Oregon. With a strong commitment to justice and fairness, Schmidt has made significant contributions to the legal system throughout his career.
Born and raised in Oregon, he possesses an intimate understanding of the community's needs and has dedicated himself to creating a safer and more equitable society. Having earned his Juris Doctor from Lewis & Clark Law School, where he developed a deep passion for criminal justice reform, Schmidt recognized the systemic flaws within the legal system and sought to address them through innovative approaches and progressive policies. Before assuming the role of District Attorney, he served as a public defender, representing indigent clients. This experience provided him with invaluable insight into the challenges faced by marginalized individuals and the pressing need for criminal justice reform.
As the District Attorney of Oregon, Schmidt has spearheaded a groundbreaking approach to criminal justice that emphasizes restorative justice and community engagement. He understands that the traditional punitive methods of prosecution often perpetuate cycles of crime and fail to address the underlying causes. Instead, Schmidt seeks to implement programs that prioritize rehabilitation, reducing recidivism rates, and giving individuals the opportunity to reintegrate into society successfully.
Schmidt has actively worked towards fostering trust and transparency between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve, and has implemented measures to increase police accountability, promote racial equity, and minimize the unjust targeting and prosecution of marginalized communities, and is recognized as a progressive leader within the legal community.
to learn more about his campaign for 2024 visit: https://mikeschmidtforda.com/
The Oregon politics community is abuzz with questions and theories about the vacancy in the Secretary of State’s office. In this episode, we discuss the role and its significance in state government. We discuss the complex political dynamics of the vacancy and the process for how the position is filled (and the requirements for who can fill it). We also cover the potential candidates and the public statements that have been made by the Governor and other political leaders. Finally, we offer some historical context of how previous vacancies have been filled—and what that might say about this vacancy.
Kristina Edmunson is a seasoned communications professional with a wealth of experience in the field. She is best known for her role as the former Communications Director for Oregon's Attorney General, Ellen Rosenblum. Throughout her tenure, Kristina demonstrated exceptional skills in strategic communication, media relations, and public affairs, contributing significantly to the successful implementation of the Attorney General's agenda.
With a keen understanding of the complexities of legal matters and their impact on communities, Kristina played a pivotal role in shaping the public image of the Attorney General's office. Her expertise in crafting clear and compelling messaging helped to effectively communicate the office's initiatives, priorities, and accomplishments to various stakeholders, including the public, media outlets, and government agencies.During her time as Communications Director, Kristina demonstrated an unwavering commitment to transparency and accountability. She skillfully navigated challenging issues and crisis situations, working closely with the Attorney General's team to ensure accurate and timely dissemination of information while maintaining public trust.
Kristina's ability to forge strong relationships with journalists and media professionals proved instrumental in securing positive media coverage for the Attorney General's office. Her strategic media outreach efforts ensured that important legal developments, consumer protection initiatives, and other key announcements received the attention they deserved.
Prior to her role with the Attorney General's office, Kristina honed her communication skills in various positions within the public and private sectors. Kristina holds a bachelor's degree in Communication Studies, with a focus on strategic communication and public relations. She continues to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices in the field, recognizing the ever-evolving nature of effective communication in today's digital age.
In this episode we take a deeper dive into the role of communications in Oregon's political climate and the threats currently being posed to the field of journalism and the impact that can have on the democratic process.
Rebecca Grant is a freelance journalist based in Portland, Oregon, who covers reproductive rights, health, and justice. She recently published a book called "Birth: Three Mothers, Nine Months, and Pregnancy in America" that follows three women in Oregon through the course of their pregnancies. Grant's work has appeared in NPR, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, and many other other publications. She has received grants and fellowships from the International Women’s Media Foundation, the International Reporting Project, and The Investigative Fund. While abortion often dominates the political discourse on reproductive health in the United States, there are many other critical facets. In this episode, we talk about maternal health outcomes, racial disparities in medical treatment, the tension between OBGYNs and midwives, why hospital births are so dominant (compared to birth centers and home births), and how miscarriages became stigmatized--and why that might be changing. Links:* Learn more about "Birth" (signed copies available at Powell's!) * Rebecca Grant's website
Jeff Mapes is a legendary Oregon political reporter. He spent over 30 years with The Oregonian and retired working for Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB). He covered dozens of gubernatorial, congressional, and legislative elections in Oregon and had a front row seat to the changing political dynamics of this state. He also wrote and produced an acclaimed podcast called "Growing Oregon" about land use planning in Oregon. If you enjoy The Oregon Bridge, we highly recommend Growing Oregon. In this episode, we talk about Jeff's storied career as a reporter: how he got started, how the state and political parties have changed, and key figures who made an impact along the way. We talk about land use planning, both historically and in the context of today's political debates. We spend the bulk of the episode talking about one of the most impactful and fascinating elections in Oregon political history. In 1990, Barbara Roberts shattered Oregon's glass ceiling by becoming the first woman ever elected governor, defeating moderate Republican Attorney General Dave Frohnmayer, and independent candidate Al Mobley, who ran as a staunch conservative. We talk about what made the race so unique, and two other election issues in 1990 that still reverberate today: Measure 5 (property tax limits) and the spotted owl.
Justin Low is an investigative researcher for the Oregon Justice Resource Center (OJRC). OJRC is an organization focused on promoting civil rights and improving legal representation for historically underserved communities; they have been major proponents for criminal justice reform in Oregon. Justin grew up in Oregon City and was raised in an immigrant Filipino-Chinese household. He attended the University of Portland and graduated with a BA in Political Science and Psychology. After college, Justin went on to work as a paralegal/litigation assistant, a campaign manager for state and local races, and a legislative assistant in the Oregon State Legislature. He recently earned his master's degree in Criminal Justice from USC. In this episode, we talk about some important issues in criminal justice reform in Oregon that are likely to be hot topics--and why they matter to advocates.
Monte Bowen is the Pacific Regional Director for Gun Owners of America (GOA), an influential gun-rights organization based in Washington, D.C., with a presence across the country. Monte served in law enforcement for 30 years and has extensive experience with the criminal justice system, firearm training, and police tactics. He joins us to talk about GOA's lawsuit that effectively halted Measure 114 after it was passed by Oregon voters via ballot measure in 2022. We also dive into other topics such as school safety, hand-gun bans, background checks, and open carry laws and rules.
Want the other side of the debate as well?
Check out our episode below with Moms Demand Action.
Jules Bailey is a former Oregon State Representative and former Multnomah County Commissioner. He currently serves as the President and CEO of the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative (OBRC). Bailey ran for Portland Mayor in 2016 and remains a civic leader through his role at OBRC and as board chair for the Oregon League of Conservation Voters and a board member for the Portland Business Alliance. In this episode, we talk about why he ran for office and his time in the legislature (and some of his colleagues at the time, including Arnie Roblan and Peter Buckley). We cover his stint as a Commissioner (including the challenges/limitations of that role) and why he decided to run for Mayor of Portland in 2016 against Ted Wheeler. We ask Bailey what he thinks about the state of Portland today and get his thoughts on Portland's new form of government. Finally, we cover Bailey's work today with OBRC. We talk about the origin of Oregon's innovative, nation-leading bottle bill, how it's changed over time, and why it still matters today. For more information about OBRC, check out their website: https://obrc.com/
On our 100th episode, we first and foremost want to say thank you. Thank you for listening, thank you for subscribing, and thank you for sharing this podcast with friends and colleagues. We recently surpassed 60,000 listens (!)—far greater than we expected for our niche podcast. To our listeners, guests, and sponsors: thank you for supporting us.
On this episode, we reveal the top five most watched episodes on YouTube and the top five most listened to episodes on podcast platforms. Ben shares some of his favorite episodes—and discusses the trade-offs of interviewing elected officials. Finally, we cover what you can expect from the future of the pod, and opportunities to be engaged.
Bob Steringer is the firm president of Harrang Long P.C. and Bill Gary is the firm's senior trial attorney (and former Solicitor General of the State of Oregon). Both are well-respected attorneys with deep experience in Oregon politics, law, and government. Harrang Long P.C. is Oregon360 Media's first advertising partner, and in this episode we discuss the firm's interesting position at the intersection of law, business, and policy--and what their future looks like. Gary was Dave Frohnmayer's chief deputy when he served as Oregon's Attorney General; Steringer was an intern of Frohnmayer's 1990 gubernatorial run--both worked with him at Harrang Long P.C. later in Frohnmayer's career. They reflect on who Frohnmayer was and what made him a unique and consequential figure in Oregon history. We also talk about the Rajneeshees--a complicated and high-profile issue that Gary navigated in the AG's office. You may have seen Gary in the popular netflix documentary "Wild, Wild Country". In this episode, he discusses that experience and tells some mind-blowing stories from a wild period in Oregon politics. To learn more about Harrang Long P.C., visit their website: https://harrang.com/ More links: * Dave Frohnmayer's prescient "New Tribalism" speech/essay * Bob Steringer on Twitter: @SteringerLaw * Netflix documentary on Rajneeshee Movement: Wild, Wild Country
Juan Carlos Gonzalez is the Metro Councilor for District 4 (which includes parts of Beaverton, Bethany, Aloha, Bonny Slope, Raleigh Hills, West Slope, Cedar Mill and Cedar Hills, Hillsboro, Cornelius and Forest Grove). When he was sworn in, he made history as the youngest and first elected Latino Metro Councilor in the history of Metro. Juan brings an interesting and thoughtful perspective to complex questions: in this episode, we cover land use planning, equity in decision making, semiconductors, housing supply, and transportation infrastructure. We also cover sports and the role of athletics and outdoor recreation in Oregon's economy. We enjoyed chatting with Juan because he's transparent in how he thinks about challenging questions and acknowledges tradeoffs inherent in public policy. To learn more about Juan, find him on social media or at Metro.
Professor Rohan Grey is an Oregonian making waves in Washington and Wall Street -- all from his office at Willamette Law School. A professor of economics and financial regulation, Grey is one of the leading proponents of the "mint the coin" theory which advocates that the US government mint a trillion dollar coin to stop a potential default between Republicans and Democrats in Washington. Grey also discusses his fascinating career background, his theory behind money and the creation of it, and a lot more in this episode. Here's a link to a New York Times article discussing further about some of Grey's beliefs and the coin theory: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/02/business/trillion-dollar-coin-debt-ceiling.html
In this episode, Hermiston Mayor David Drotzmann explains why one size fits all policy solutions don’t always work for rural Oregon, the challenges of small town politics, and how nonpartisan local government can help solve for the new era of partisan divisions.
Nik Blosser has held jobs at the highest levels of the state and federal government. He served at Gov. Kate Brown's Chief of Staff for over three years, and then went on to serve as Deputy Cabinet Secretary and Special Assistant to President Joe Biden. Recently, he returned to Oregon to work as vice president for public policy, communications and public affairs at PGE. In this episode, we ask Nik about what the Governor's chief of staff actually does--and how they navigate the challenging decisions that fall on their desk. We revisit some of the most difficult moments of the Kate Brown Administration, including COVID-19 and wildfires. We also ask Nik about what it's like working at the federal level. As you might have expected, there is also some time spent on fun stories from earlier days of Oregon politics.
Jim Moore is an political analyst, professor, and the director for both the School of Social Sciences and of Political Outreach for the Tom McCall Center for Civic Engagement at Pacific University.
As a wealth of knowledge of Oregon political history, Moore is also the author of the foremost biography on former Oregon Governor Victor Atiyeh, who on Monday Feb. 20th would have been 100 years old.
In this episode Jim recounts the everlasting legacy of former Governor Aitiyah, and shares harrowing stories of his "love-hate" relationship with renowned former Oregon Governor Tom McCall. Moore shares several highlights and climactic moments from throughout Aitiyah's career including negating the Oregon unit tax that paved the way for Oregon's modern silicon valley in Washington County, the gubernatorial feud between his so-called "worst enemy" Tom McCall, and even the period in the 1880s when the Rashneesh cult had established their presence in Eastern Oregon.
For more information be sure to checlk out our recent episode with Brent Walsh who tells a similar tale from the perspective of Tom McCall.
Michael Calcagno joins The Oregon Bridge to talk about All Oregon Votes. The ballot measure seeks to end partisan primaries, a proposal that has failed in the past. Michael talks about why this time could be different.
Brent Walth is one of Oregon's most decorated journalists. Now a professor at the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication, he previously worked as a reporter for the Register Guard, Willamette Week, and The Oregonian. In 2000, he was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, and in 2001, he won the prize, along with three colleagues at The O. Walth is the author of Fire at Eden's Gate: Tom McCall and the Oregon Story, one of the best books about Oregon ever written. It tells the story of the man who may be the most influential governor in modern Oregon history: Tom McCall. McCall was a giant personality with an outsized impact on the state. He is best remembered for a series of groundbreaking environmental policies, including Oregon's public beach bill, the bottle bill, the Willamette River cleanup, and--perhaps most relevant today--Oregon's land use planning system. Here's the thesis: if you want to understand contemporary Oregon politics, you have to understand Tom McCall and his legacy. Most governors that followed McCall have tried, in some way, to emulate his image, oratory, style, or policy impact. A progressive Republican, McCall helped establish Oregon's identity as a place with independent spirit and a heart for environmental protection. He helped build our reputation as place where innovation and creative policy-making happens. McCall was not perfect. He cold be thin-skinned, had a quick temper, and craved the validation of voters. But he also consistently stood up to powerful interests and always spoke his mind--and no one loved Oregon more than Tom McCall. In this episode with McCall's biographer, we discuss his lasting legacy--and why he still matters today.
Greg Walden is a giant in Oregon politics. In this episode Congressman Walden dishes on his 11 terms in Congress, what it was like serving alongside four Presidents in 22 years. He also shares the story about how he almost didn’t run for congress.
Matthew (Matt) Foldi is a conservative journalist and activist with a plethora of political experience at the national and local level. He is one of the youngest elected officials in Chicago history, served as the Rapid Response Director for Speaker the House Republican Super PAC, and ran for Congress in 2022 with -- garnering endorsements from GOP heavyweights like Donald Trump Jr. and Speaker Kevin McCarthy.We bring in Matt to give us a rundown in terms of why the GOP red wave failed to materialize, an inside look on Rep. Kevin McCarthy's historic vote to take the House Gavel. Matt also discusses what the GOP Congress has in store for 2022 and 2024 and gives his insights into when candidates on the GOP side of the aisle will begin announcing for President.
How to think about Oregon’s housing and homelessness crisis with John Tapogna
John Tapogna is a well-respected figure in the Oregon policy scene. He served as president of ECONorthwest, a prominent economic consulting firm, from 2009-2021. He now serves as a Senior Policy Advisor. Previously, John worked for U.S. Congressional Budget Office and served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Chile.This episode is about a recent paper that ECONorthwest published called “Postcard from the Future: What Portland can learn from the implementation of Los Angeles’s Measure H?”We hope this provides a framework for thinking about housing and homelessness policy issues that the state must grapple with. In the first half, we talk about which specific interventions are most effective (and which aren’t)—and in the second half, we talk about the six specific recommendations for policymakers to avoid the missteps from LA’s measure.
Hilary Uhlig is the volunteer Oregon Chapter Leader of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, an organization that advocates for gun safety legislation. Moms Demand Action, Mayors Against Illegal Guns, and Students Demand Action are three component groups of Everytown for Gun Safety, a national nonprofit. In this episode we talk about the state of gun safety in Oregon, including the passage of Measure 114, a significant (and controversial) ballot measure that creates a new permitting system for gun ownership and bans the sale of magazines over ten rounds. We talk about how the measure works and the current legal challenges that are playing out in court. We also talk about some major policies that have passed recently in Oregon and what policies the organization is working toward moving forward.
Nigel Jaquiss is one of the top political reporters in Oregon. He has helped the Willamette Week, an alternative newspaper, punch above its weight class in breaking multiple major political stories over the last 25 years. Before entering journalism, Nigel worked as a crude oil trader on Wall Street--in this episode he talks about why he made a significant career change, his view on the role of journalism in politics, and how his role at WW has changed over time. We also talk about the story that won him the Pulitzer Prize in 2005: one of the most shocking stories in modern Oregon political history. Nigel broke the news of former Governor Neil Goldschmidt's repeated sexual abuse of a 14-year-old girl in a dramatic, horrifying story called "The 30-Year Secret". Our younger listeners are likely not familiar with this story, so we asked Nigel to re-tell it and explain its significance for a younger audience. Our older listeners may have forgotten some of the jaw-dropping details. There is no contemporary equivalent in Oregon politics to Neil Goldschmidt in power or stature. He was Portland mayor, a cabinet secretary in the Carter Administration, and a popular governor. Even after he left office, he wielded tremendous political power, as Nigel describes in the podcast. Exposing his sexual abuse rocked the political world and changed Oregon politics forever. In this episode, we do not cover the woman who was raped by Goldschmidt as a young teenager, Elizabeth Lynn Dunham. Dunham's name was withheld by WW until she died in 2011. To learn about who she was and the troubled, heartbreaking life she lived--and the lifelong impact of Goldschmidt's abuse--we recommend you read her obituary (also by Jaquiss).
Former congressional candidate Jimmy Crumpacker returns to the Oregon Bridge to break down the 2022 election, highlighting everything from homelessness, and crime in Portland to crypto to commodities.
Folks may remember Jimmy Crumpacker as a candidate for Oregon's 2nd Congressional District in 2020, running as a staunchly conservative Republican (he had a popular ad that labeled him as a "Trumpbacker") to replace retiring Congressman Greg Walden. In a tight four-way race, he finished behind eventual winner Congressman Cliff Bentz, Knute Buehler, and Jason Atkinson.
It's the week after Thanksgiving, and we're taking a break from politics! This week, Ben and Reagan offer some thoughts on what they're grateful for, metrics on how the podcast is doing, highlights from their Thanksgiving, news from the weekend's sporting events, and a few other hot topics. To all of our listeners, viewers, and supporters--thank you. We love creating this podcast and we're grateful for your continued support.
John Horvick is one of the top pollsters in Oregon. In this episode, John provides expert analysis to help explain the results of the election—and the implications for Oregon’s future. We talk about why the red wave didn’t hit Oregon, how national factors impacted Oregon results, the importance of candidate quality, and bright spots for both parties. We cover the governor’s race, congressional races, the legislature, and what the results from Portland mean about how voters are feeling.
As always, we highly recommend following John on Twitter for poll results, political analysis, and interesting historical comparisons: @Horvick.
This week’s guests are Regina Lawrence and Andrew DeVigal from the Agora Journalism Center at the University of Oregon. We talk about the state of Oregon’s news and information ecosystem—and some of the innovative ideas from across the state. This conversation is about journalism, but specifically for a more politics-focused audience.
This week, we are excited to have Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan as our guest! We all knew that there were going to be many close races this election--from the top of the ticket on down, so we thought it was important for our listeners to understand how Oregon's election system works. In this episode, Secretary Fagan explains her role and the protocols that county elections follow to ensure ballots are counted accurately. We also discuss what she sees as the greatest threat to election integrity in Oregon, how the roles of the Oregon Secretary of State vary from the roles in other states, how the audit function of her office works, and her advice for how to make state government work better. Secretary Fagan also gives a tip for how to manage the anxiety of election night--you'll want to keep this in mind for next cycle! As a bonus, after the pod was recorded, Ben Morris shared that about 10,000 folks were on the SOS results website on the primary election night--so you can bet there were a lot more on November 8th!
In this episode, State Treasurer Tobias Read reflects on his experience running for Governor, provides updates on some hot topics at Treasury (e.g. the “work from home” dispute), and muses on what his future might look like after he is term-limited in two years. We talk about his recent New York Times op-ed (A Sneaky Form of Climate Obstruction Hurts Pension Funds), PERS, crypto/blockchain, and more.
Kevin Barton is the District Attorney of Washington County. First elected in 2018, he previously served as a career prosecutor in the same office. Both of Barton's elections for DA made state and national headlines, with millions of dollars raised from wealthy donors on both sides (including Phil Knight and George Soros). In this episode we cover Barton's elections, the philosophy behind his national media appearances (including Fox News), how Multnomah County impacts his work in Washington County, and why he supports Betsy Johsnon. We also cover two high-profile issues that will be facing the state legislature in 2023: Measure 110 and the public defense crisis. Here's a link to the Oregon Judicial Department Dashboard that Barton mentions in the episode, and here's a link to Barton's DA website.
State Representative Raquel Moore-Green is running against Deb Patterson for one of the most competitive state legislative seats in Oregon, and has been serving the South Salem community for decades.
As a veteran politician, Representative Moore-Green was appointed to the state senate in senate district 10 after working on a number of campaigns as a legislative and campaign staffer, including campaigns for Representative, then Commissioner Kevin Cameron, and the late Jackie Winters. Raquel is a passionate leader and in this episode we dive extensively into the effects of Measure 110, the housing and homeless crisis, and mental / behavioral health issues, as some of the top issues on the forefront of voter's minds this cycle.
You can check out Rep. Moore-Green's work and campaign here. https://rmgsd10.com/
She also gave out her email and phone number in the episode so tune in for that!
Aviation, trees, Maupin, and Betsy Johnson. Daniel Bonham is a Republican member of the Oregon House of Representatives representing district 59 in Central Oregon and is currently running for Oregon State Senator.
Stay tuned for the interesting anecdote about Bonham's first encounter with 22' Oregon gubernatorial candidate Betsy Johnson.
Senator Rachel Armitage re-joins the Bridge to discuss democratic representation in rural Oregon districts and the 2022 election.
Senator Armitage representing rural northwest Oregon. A Democrat, Armitage has deep experience in politics, including working as a legislative assistant for Rep. Susan McLain and former Rep. Carla Piluso. She also worked at the national level on the campaigns of Montana Senator Jon Tester and former North Carolina Senator Kay Hagan. Gowland grew up in Medford, and in this episode we talk about the the governor's race, current polling and whether or not Democrats can compete in rural districts in 2022.
This week, Ben and Reagan analyze the 2022 Voters Pamphlet. They talk about the mechanics of getting into the voters pamphlet, why it matters, and some of the common (and uncommon) strategies that campaigns use to appeal to voters. This year, there were some funny “bloopers”—mistakes, spelling errors, and minor embellishments—plus some unusual endorsements (including a high-profile professional athlete).
This week, Ben and Reagan outline the fundraising and cash-on-hand totals for key races in Oregon (including the race for Governor, BOLI, and the battle to control the legislature). We also discuss how listeners should think about the numbers, and some caveats to be aware before taking too much stock in money.
With Ben being on administrative leave this week, The Oregon Bridge's newest co-host Reagan Knopp is sitting down with "host emeritus" Alex Titus to discuss what the political landscape looks like for Republican candidates leading up to the 2022 election, just a few months away.
In this special "Red Wave" episode Alex and Reagan go over the status of races both on the state and national levels, polling credibility, as well as some of the key talking points candidates on both sides of the isle are likely to be running on this year.
Stephenson, who nearly won the election outright in the primary election, is a civil rights attorney and small business owner. She ran for the state legislature in 2020, narrowly coming up short. In this episode, we talk about workforce development, higher education, the famous LTBTQ+ rights case involving “Sweet Cakes”, and the politics of running statewide for a nonpartisan office.
You can check out Christina's campaign here:
https://www.christinastephenson.com/
As well as our interview with Cheri Helt here:
https://youtu.be/t3f7KzkS70g
If you've ever wondered why cryptocurrency matters, or why you should care about it, this episode is for you. We talk about the origins of crypto, the practical uses for blockchain technology, what crypto can be used for, environmental concerns about bitcoin mining, "crypto candidates" (including prominent Oregon candidates), and the future of crypto policy and regulation in U.S. politics (with some insight into how both the Democratic Party and Republican Party talk about the issue). Ian Mair is the Head of U.S. Policy for Blockchain.com. Previously, worked as Vice President at The Smith-Free Group, a lobbying firm, where he advised fintech and crypto clients on legislative and regulatory matters--and advocated on their behalf with decision makers. As a reminder, nothing in this episode should be considered financial advice! Links referenced in the interview:
- The Wired story Ian referenced: Inside the Bitcoin Bust That Took Down the Web’s Biggest Child Abuse Site
- The Texas Blockchain Council
- CoinCenter.org, which describes itself as "the leading non-profit focused on the policy issues facing cryptocurrencies"
Michelle Wilde Anderson is an award-winning Professor at Stanford Law School and an expert on poverty, inequality, and local government. Her new book The Fight to Save the Town (published by Simon and Schuster in June 2022) prominently features Josephine County as she describes signs of progress in places in America with high poverty and broke governments (the book also looks at Stockton, CA, Lawrence, MA, and Detroit, MI). In this episode, Michelle provides a portrait of Josephine County and the people who live there--and what makes the place so interesting. We talk about the origin of poverty in southern Oregon, the caliber of people running for local office, and how communities provide "public safety" when the government fails to. Perhaps most importantly for our listeners, we talk about the lessons we can learn from Josephine County, a deeply conservative place with anti-government tendencies, where they finally passed a series of local levies after years of failed attempts. Michelle offers a more hopeful "counter-narrative" to what's happening in Josephine County than what you'll read in most papers. Here is a short blurb on The Fight to Save the Town: The book "focuses on the dismantling and rebuilding of local government in high-poverty communities. Rooted in narrative portraits of urban and rural poverty, the book describes the fallout from decades of cuts to local government amidst rising segregation by income and race." We can't recommend the book enough -- it is engaging, sobering, and uplifting all at once. Michelle's Recommendations on Organizations to Support: * Riverstar Performing Arts * The Four Way Community Foundation * Illinois Valley Community Development Organization
Last week, OR360 broke the news that former Rep. Mike Nearman, who was expelled from the legislature and pled guilty to official misconduct, endorsed Betsy Johnson for governor. Later, The Oregonian picked up the story and included a quote from Johnson rejecting the endorsement. In this unscheduled "emergency pod", we share the story of how it all happened -- and give an update on the state of the three-person governor's race. Here's a link to The Liftoff where we broke the news about Nearman's endorsement. Here's a link to The Oregonian story on Johnson rejecting the endorsement.
The Oregon Bridge is excited to announce a new co-host of the podcast. It's a familiar face and a longtime friend of the pod. Listen in to find out whether it's Ben or Alex who is getting fired, and to hear about what the future of the podcast will look (and sound) like.
Thanks for all your continued support. Here's to another year of interesting conversations and a better Oregon.
Michael Sipe is the Republican nominee for a new state house seat in central Oregon (House District 53), considered one of the most competitive in the state. He is running against Democratic nominee Emerson Levy, who we interviewed previously. Take one look at Michael's website and you'll see he's an unusual candidate: a Cold War Army Ranger, black belt martial artist, podcast host, owner of a private equity advisory firm, and organizer of one of the largest Christian men's gatherings in Oregon (with Mike Huckabee as the special guest). In this episode, we talk about the major challenges facing Oregon (and central Oregon in particular): sky-high housing prices, water issues, and addiction. We also have a conversation about gun violence in which Michael, Alex, and Ben all disagree with each other on solutions--but also find some common ground. You can check out Michael's website (including his own podcast) at www.avoiceforcentraloregon.com. Also mentioned in this episode: Article: Race to the bottom: How Central Oregon groundwater sells to the highest bidders from OPB Ben's book recommendation: Stronghold: One Man's Quest to Save the World's Wild Salmon by Tucker Malarkey
Alex and Ben discuss the top 5 political stories that you should be aware of as election season starts to ramp up. We hit on everything from fundraising numbers and competitive congressional seats, to a new ballot initiative on guns and drama in the Portland sports scene. Look forward to more of these 1-1 interviews as we get close to the election!
Beth Sandor from Community Solutions (a national nonprofit working to end homelessness) and Lori Kelley from the Joint Office of Homelessness Services (a collaborative effort between Multnomah County and the City of Portland) join the podcast to discuss a new approach to addressing homelessness in the metro area. In this episode, we discuss what the "Built for Zero" program actually does (and where they've seen remarkable success), the controversy from a recent Willamette Week article (linked below), and some important information that politicos should understand about homelessness (e.g. how the "point in time" count works and why it's problematic). Links Referenced in the Episode: Willamette Week Article: Could Portland End Homelessness With a By-Name Directory of People Living Outside? Officials Are Going to Try. www.HomelessnessIsSolvable.com Built for Zero from the Joint Office of Homelessness Services
Rep. Karin Power was first elected to the legislature in 2016, representing House District 41 (Milwaukie and part of SE Portland). Power is known for her policy savvy and work ethic; in her second term, Willamette Week called her "the House member held in the highest and widest esteem." Alongside Rep. Rachel Prusak and Rep. Anna Williams, she announced she would not be running for re-election this cycle, citing the demands of the job and low legislative pay. In this episode, we talk about the political dynamics and policy complexities of legislator pay--and whether she's optimistic that things will change. We also cover several issues she's led on (get ready for a mind-blowing conversation about Oregon's childcare crisis). We cover what the end of Roe v. Wade means in Oregon, how she ended up in Oregon from New Jersey, and an under-the-radar issue more Oregonians should be talking about. Power was recently announced as the new Executive Director of Business for a Better Portland. She moved to Oregon from the east coast and graduated from Lewis and Clark Law School. We hope you enjoy the conversation! Representative Karin Power Facebook Page A Plan for a Balanced Economic Recovery (The Business Oregon report Rep. Power cites) The @NJGov Twitter (Official Account of New Jersey) Ben's favorite band Bleachers' song "Chinatown" with Bruce Springsteen
Emerson Levy is the Democratic nominee for the new House District 53 (Bend and Redmond) in Central Oregon. Levy ran for the seat in 2020 against now-Rep. Jack Zika, losing by about 14 points. In 2020, the district was R+6, but after redistricting, it's D+4--and Zika isn't running for re-election (Republicans nominated Michael Sipe). This could be one of the closest legislative races in the state. Levy is an attorney, mom, and community leader in Bend. She is active with the Deschutes County Democratic Party, serving as Vice Chair, and has volunteered on the Oregon Task Force for School Safety. She has experience working in complex clean energy deals. In this episode, we talk about her views on school safety (and potential gun laws), the politics of central Oregon and how they differ from the metro area, the sky-high cost of housing, and how Oregon can lead the country on clean energy. To learn more about Emerson, visit her website: www.EmersonVotes.com
Les Zaitz is a well-respected figure in the Oregon journalism world (and beyond, as we discuss), having spent decades working in the industry both as a reporter and, more recently, as a media entrepreneur. He is retiring from his post as the founding editor of the Oregon Capital Chronicle and will continue to lead two local publications, the Malheur Enterprise and the Salem Reporter. This was a fun episode--Les is funny, knowledgeable, and direct. We cover many aspects of journalism (local vs. national news, business models, the rise of "creators", whether the state should fund news, etc.), as well as the recent controversies involving the Enterprise and Rep. Greg Smith and some new ideas on closing the urban/rural divide. Here is his bio, courtesy of the Chronicle: "Les Zaitz is a veteran editor and investigative reporter, serving Oregon for more than 45 years. He reported for The Oregonian for 25 years and owns community newspapers and a digital news service. He is a national SPJ fellow, two-time Pulitzer finalist, including for a lengthy investigation of Mexican drug cartels in Oregon and five-time winner of Oregon’s top investigative reporting award. He has investigated corrupt state legislators, phony charities, and an international cult that moved to Oregon, and the biggest bank failure in Oregon history. He also has been active in reforming the state’s public records law and was appointed by the governor to the Oregon Public Records Advisory Council. In his spare time, he operates a ranch nestled in a national forest, feeding horses and assorted animals." You can support Les' work at the Enterprise, the Reporter, and the (free!) Chronicle.
Oregon360 Media, the parent company for The Oregon Bridge podcast, also puts out a weekly newsletter (The Liftoff) and a weekly collection of opinion pieces (The Oregon Way)--both available on our Substack. Brad Phelps, an Oregon native who recently graduated from Princeton, will be editing The Oregon Way this summer -- and he's got ideas to improve the way civic leaders share their ideas. Brad grew up outside Lyons, Oregon. In this episode, Brad talks about losing his childhood home during the Beachie Creek Fire as well as his ideas for revamping The Oregon Way. Thank you for listening, and if you haven't yet, make sure you subscribe to the newsletters and our YouTube page to stay up to date!
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 O; 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.
Brian Clem is a well-known figure in Oregon politics. He was first elected to the state legislature in 2006 and served for twelve years before retiring late last year. Clem was one of the leading moderate Democrats in the state house, known for his candor and willingness to buck his own leadership (e.g. he is one of the only Democrats who didn’t vote for any of the major PERS reform bills in the last decade). In his retirement from the legislature, he helped launch a PAC called Oregonians Are Ready, which supported more moderate or business-friendly Democrats during the 2022 primary election with over $125,000 in spending. Clem actively considered running for Congress this cycle before declining to run (which we talk about in the episode).
As a legislator, Clem was a dealmaker and had several high-profile accomplishments, including a landmark bill to protect the Metolius River, expanding Oregon’s “farm to school” program, and crafting the “land use grand bargain” of 2014. In this episode, we talk about his legislative service, why he started his new PAC, and his advice to Democrats running in rural areas in this year’s tough political environment. We also cover how Clem’s rural background informed his political views–and his close relationship with the late Rep. Vic Gilliam (including the infamous story of every member of the House, Republican and Democrat, marching to Senate President Peter Courtney’s office in protest).
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 themes from the election.
Races include: Democratic and GOP primaries for Governor and Congress, the statewide BOLI race, Portland metro-area races, and legislative highlights.
Cheri Helt is a candidate for Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industry (Labor Commissioner) and a former state representative from Bend. On May 17, she finished in second place in the primary, meaning she will move to the general election in November and face civil rights attorney Christina Stephenson. While this statewide position is nonpartisan, Cheri is a moderate Republican and business owner. Previously, she served on the Bend-La Pine School Board for nearly a decade. In this episode, we talk about her experience as a moderate Republican in the legislature (including a couple of difficult votes she took on the Student Success Act and vaccines). We also cover her vision for the role of Labor Commissioner (apprenticeships, workforce development, BOLI staffing, etc). We have an interesting exchange on the famous "Sweet Cakes by Melissa" decision on LGBTQ+ rights and religious freedom (which played out under Commissioners Brad Avakian and Val Hoyle, but may be resolved by the next Commissioner) where Helt describes how she would approach the decision. You can learn more about Cheri Helt on her website: www.cherihelt.com
Political consultant and Oregon Catalyst editor Reagan Knopp joins the pod to discuss everything you need to know on the Republican side of the aisle heading into the 2022 primary election (don’t worry, we also cover some Democratic primaries).
The GOP has excellent pick up opportunities across the state and a strong slate of candidates in key races. But who will actually be on the ticket come November? Reagan provides analysis on key races for the GOP ranging from the races for governor, congress, and the legislature — including who’s up, who’s down, and why. Reagan, Alex, and Ben also discuss how they think the Supreme Court’s potential decision on Roe v. Wade will impact elections in Oregon (spoiler: they disagree).
John Horvick is one of the top pollsters in the state of Oregon. If there's anyone with their finger on the pulse of public opinion in Oregon, it's John. He is a Senior Vice President for DHM Research (where he's worked for over a decade), a nonpartisan polling firm that works for government agencies, media companies, and nonprofits across the state. His personal Twitter account, @Horvick, is highly recommended for those interested in the intersection of Oregon politics and public opinion research. This episode is a must-listen for those engaged in the campaign world. In this episode, we talk about John's personal background and some of the basics of polling (e.g. what are some of the indicators to look for to determine if a poll is reliable?).
Then we then talk about how voters are feeling and what they're thinking about as we head into the 2022 election. We cover the nature of a three-person race for governor (Democrat vs. Republican vs. Betsy Johnson), how we should think about the largest bloc of voters in Oregon (non-affiliated voters or NAVs), and the challenges/opportunities for both parties in the current political landscape. It's a fascinating and revealing conversation that will help you think about the upcoming election.
Rep. Andrea Salinas is a Democratic candidate for Oregon's new 6th Congressional District. She has served in the state legislature since being appointed to serve House District 38 in 2017. Previously, she worked as a legislative advocate for progressive causes. Earlier in her career, she worked as a congressional staffer for Sen. Harry Reid, Rep. Pete Stark, and Congresswoman Darlene Hooley. Salinas is a top-tier candidate in one of the most competitive congressional primaries in the country. Of all the candidates, she has by far the most support among progressive groups and elected officials. In a normal election, she would be considered the frontrunner -- but, because of unprecedented SuperPAC spending, this is anything but a normal election. In this episode we talk about abortion access, health care policy, climate change, and foreign policy (including China and Ukraine/Russia). We also talk about the politics of the race: what it's like to be running against huge SuperPAC spending (including a PAC aligned with Speaker Nancy Pelosi) and how she believes she can win the race. You can connect with Rep. Salinas on Twitter, Facebook, or her website.
Metro President Lynn Peterson has worked at just about every level of government, both as an elected and appointed leader. She's served as a Lake Oswego City Councilor, Clackamas County Commission chair, senior transportation policy advisor to Governor John Kitzhaber, and head of the Washington State Transportation Department (we ask her about the wild end of her tenure in WA, forced by the state senate). Now she serves as Council President of Metro, the one-of-a-kind regional government for the Portland area (which she explains in the episode).
In this episode, Peterson takes complicated policy issues (like housing, the urban growth boundary, homelessness, and transportation) and explains them in simple terms. She also underscores the scope of the challenges we face (spoiler: we are way short of the number of housing units we need in the region, and it might be worse than you think). We also talk about "People for Portland" and its impact on the political landscape in Portland, plus her advice for Mayor Ted Wheeler on how to immediately solve for Portland's dysfunctional form of government.
Peterson is running for reelection. You can learn more about her on her website, Twitter, or Facebook.
No congressional candidate in Oregon is getting more attention this cycle than Carrick Flynn, a Democratic candidate in Oregon's new 6th Congressional District. At least three SuperPACs are supporting him with millions of dollars in independent expenditures--more than any other candidate in America. Most recently, the SuperPAC aligned to House Democratic leadership (e.g. Speaker Nancy Pelosi) has signaled its support, to the frustration of Flynn's primary opponents, who called the move "unprecedented".
So--who, exactly, is Carrick Flynn? Flynn grew up in Vernonia, Oregon in a working class family. His family was displaced by a major flood, making him homeless for a period of time. On a Ford Family Foundation scholarship, he attended the University of Oregon and then Yale Law School. Since then, he has worked in artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and pandemic prevention across the world. Now he's running for Congress. In this episode, we cover his ties to the 6th CD, China, drug policy, SuperPACs (and why he thinks they're supporting him), whether he's an outsider, and what kind of congressman he hopes to be. You can learn more about Flynn on his website, Twitter, or Facebook. Thank you for listening and supporting the podcast! If you haven't yet, please subscribe to our YouTube channel and our newsletter.
Matt West is a Democratic candidate for Oregon's new 6th Congressional District -- and he has an unconventional background for a candidate. He is a scientist who earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas specializing in fuel cell technology. He now he works for Intel as an engineer. His bio says he is "the first congressional candidate with cryptocurrency development experience in decentralized finance." In this episode, Matt explains why he believes crypto can be a tool for progressive values, his ideas for addressing climate change and improving America's healthcare system, and how he would determine whether to vote for congressional approval for U.S. intervention in Ukraine. Matt's website is www.MattWestForCongress.com and his Twitter handle is @MattDWest.
Nick Kristof is a world-renowned journalist, author, and humanitarian. A two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, he is also a cider orchardist living in Yamhill, Oregon. He briefly ran for governor of Oregon until being ruled ineligible in February 2022. We start the episode with a campaign debrief: Was the experience positive or negative? Will he consider running for office again? Who will he vote for in the Democratic primary?
Then, we focus on the war in Ukraine. This episode is designed to explain the conflict (and why it matters) for lay people without a deep background in foreign policy (like us). In addition to decades of experience in reporting on war, humanitarian crises, and other international conflicts, Nick has family ties to the region (which we discuss). We cover no-fly zones, chemical weapon "red lines", the function of journalism in conflict, the opportunities and dangers of social media during wartime, cyber attacks, and the role of the United States in the emerging geopolitical re-ordering.
For more on Nick, you can follow him on Substack, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Here are Nick's recommendations for staying in the loop on the war in Ukraine: The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Kyiv Independent, and photojournalist Lynsey Addario on Instagram and Twitter.
Thank you for listening, and please subscribe to The Oregon Bridge on YouTube and on our Substack channel!
Jeff Gudman is a former Lake Oswego City Councilor who was twice the GOP nominee for State Treasurer. He learned his MBA in Finance and Management from the Wharton School of Business and has worked as a financial analyst, treasurer, and investor for several decades. He is also a former All-American swimmer! In this episode we cover PERS (an issue Gudman has studied deeply) and why he believes it matters, what it's like for a moderate Republican to be on the ballot with Donald Trump, whether or not the state should divest from certain investments (Russia, fossil fuel companies, China, etc.), and how Oregon should prevent future state government breakdowns like the ones seen recently with unemployment checks, distributing renter and landlord assistance, and the delay in the new family leave program.
Marshall Kosloff (@makosloff on Twitter) is host of The Realignment podcast (almost 1.5 million channel views on YouTube alone) which focuses on shifting thinking in American politics, technology, economics, and national security. He is also an Executive Producer at the tech company On Deck. Marshall, Ben, and Alex all attended the University of Oregon together and have been friends since college. While Marshall and Ben are not foreign policy experts, they are both deeply interested in international affairs. In this crossover episode (also posted on The Realignment), they discuss why Russia's invasion of Ukraine matters and its implications for the future of U.S. foreign policy. Marshall offers his view of what it means for America to be an "arsenal for democracy" in the 21st century and Ben talks about the Democratic Party's evolution on foreign policy since the George W. Bush era in the 2000s. They discuss the emerging broad international consensus acting against Russia and whether that coalition could remain intact in an analogous China/Taiwan situation. They close with a conversation about cynicism, whether American politics is broken, and what young people interested in public service should do in an age of political dysfunction.
Lacey Beaty is the mayor of Beaverton, one of the largest cities in Oregon. In this episode, we talk about her experience as a combat medic in the U.S. Army during the Iraq War and the challenges that veterans face when they return home. We also touch on U.S. foreign policy, the value of compulsory national service, and the sustainability challenges of an all-volunteer military. We also talk about what can be done about affordable housing--including an idea she has modeled after an existing home ownership program for veterans. Finally, we touch on the convening power of mayors and the role of cities in solving complex project. We end with an explanation of what happened in the Twitter controversy that ended with the Executive Director of the League of Oregon Cities losing his job.
Treasurer Tobias Read returns to the Bridge, this time as a candidate for Governor. With Nick Kristof officially out of the running, Read and Speaker Tina Kotek are the two frontrunners to be the Democratic nominee. Read is a seasoned veteran in Oregon politics and on this episode he discloses some of the ideas he has for Oregon's future. We talk about Oregon’s homelessness crisis, conservation and natural resource controversies, campaign finance reform, and the governor’s role is addressing the challenges facing Portland. We also may have made a little history with what may be one of the first questions about cryptocurrency in an Oregon gubernatorial campaign.
Tigard Mayor Jason Snider is one of highest ranking independent elected officials in Oregon (he's never been a member of a political party) as mayor of one of largest cities. He is a fascinating (and funny) person with a deep knowledge of policy issues impacting local jurisdictions. He serves as Chair of the Metropolitan Mayors Consortium (which represents nearly all the Portland metro cities) and is on the board of the Oregon Mayors Association.
In this episode we talk about how and why the local response to COVID-19 has varied across Oregon, what cities can do to address the housing affordability crisis and homelessness, and the extent to which Oregonians are really divided. Stick around for the end of the podcast when he describes what mayors want from their next governor--and some of the biggest (and unsung) challenges of Oregon state government.
Mingus Mapps is a Portland City Commissioner. He leads the Water Bureau, the Bureau of Environmental Services, and the Bureau of Emergency Communications (9-1-1). He is also an academic scholar who teachers courses on government. Mapps defeated incumbent Commissioner Chloe Eudaly and former mayor Sam Adams in the 2020 election. He is a unique figure in Portland politics; as you'll hear in the interview, he is whip smart and pragmatic--and he doesn't hesitate to levy critiques (including Portland's "ineffective" form of government). In this episode, we cover Portland's homelessness crisis, the challenge of addressing addiction issues, his mentors (former Multnomah County Commission Chairs Gladys McCoy and Bev Stein), and his call for Portlanders to jump into the fray and get involved in city affairs.
Republican operative and political consultant Reagan Knopp returns to the Bridge to deconstruct the Oregon Governor's race. With candidates including: Bridget Barton, Christine Drazan, John Fosdick III, Jessica Gomez, Nick Hess, Jim Huggins, Kerry McQuisten, Brandon Merritt, Bud Pierce, Stan Pulliam, Amber Richardson, Marc Thielman, Wilson Bright, Peter Hall, Tina Kotek, Tobias Read, Patrick Starnes, Michael Trimble, and Betsey Johnson, voters currently await a decision from Dallas Heard and news from the supreme court about Nicholas Kristof.
Born and raised in Klamath Falls, Angela Wilhelms has had a long and diverse career in Oregon politics. After steering away from a projected career in corporate finance and life in the Bay Area, Wilhelms worked on the communications team in D.C for Congressman Greg Walden. She then returned to her home state and served a seven year stint as Chief of Staff for former minority leader and Co-Speaker of the House Bruce Hanna. She then spent time practicing law in Portland and working at the University of Oregon as the first secretary of the board of trustees, before taking her current position with Oregon Business Industry (OBI). With approximately 1,600 members, of which 83 percent represent small businesses, OBI's members are responsible for the employment of over 250,000 people across Oregon. Angela refers to manufacturing as "the unsung hero" of Oregon's economy. In this episode we talk politics, economics, policy, and the future of Oregon--including some innovative ideas for how to build common understanding across the state.
Natalie Fertig is the National Cannabis Policy Reporter for Politico. Fertig, who grew up in Washington State and attended Portland State Universiy, wrote a riveting, terrifying article title "‘Talk About Clusterf---’: Why Legal Weed Didn’t Kill Oregon’s Black Market" that exposes a serious problem in Southern Oregon: cartel-control marijuana grows and a law enforcement/regulatory infrastructure not equipped to respond. When Fertig visited, she heard gun shots (that were likely warning her and her guide to stay away) and gathered stories from residents who have been victims of intimidation. In this episode, we talk about the arch of marijuana policy in Oregon and how the federal landscape and political environment has changed since Oregon's legalization in 2014. We talk about the economics of illegal marijuana grows and the tools that law enforcement and state regulators do and do not have to fight back against the cartels.
Rachel Armitage has officially been selected to finish the term of former State Senator Betsy Johnson, representing rural northwest Oregon. A Democrat, Armitage has deep experience in politics, including working as a legislative assistant for Rep. Susan McLain and former Rep. Carla Piluso. She also worked at the national level on the campaigns of Montana Senator Jon Tester and former North Carolina Senator Kay Hagan. Gowland grew up in Medford, and in this episode we talk about the past and future of the timber industry and whether Democrats can win in rural districts in 2022. We do a deep dive on the appointment process to fill legislative vacancies, including the peculiarities of this specific vacancy (Armitage was actually supporting one of her opponents). Finally, we talk about the perspective Armitage will bring as a millenial legislator and how to bridge generational divides in Oregon politics.
Sarah Iannarone grew up in a union family in upstate New York. Rather than going to college out of high school, Sarah pursued a trade and worked as a chef in great food cities around the U.S.. Not long after moving from New Orleans to Portland in 1998, Sarah opened a small restaurant to connect the people in her working-class neighborhood with high quality food from local farmers at a fair price. It was even featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Sadly, it is now shuttered due to the COVID crisis. After working without pay as a stay-at-home mom for several years, Sarah decided to enroll at Portland State University where she focused on planning sustainable cities. That's how she ended up spending the last decade helping urban leaders from around the world improve their places via the First Stop Portland program, best practices trips, and other educational endeavors, including lecturing to students here at home and to audiences around the world including in South Korea, China, Brazil and Canada. She resides in Mt. Scott-Arleta neighborhood, where 82nd Avenue meets Foster road, and can be spotted scooting around town on her e-bike, picking up groceries on her Xtracycle, running to catch the #10 & 14 buses, or enjoying the Douglas Firs in Mt. Scott Park park with her dog, Bacon.
Alex, Ben and Buddy wrap up 2021 and reflect on some of the highlights of the podcast thus far! With some of our favorite guests like Alek Skarlatos, Sara Gelser, Katherine Gehl, Tobias Read, Val Hoyle, Jessica Gomez, Dirk Vanderhart, The Knopp Family, and many many more, OR360 had nothing short of a successful foundation year, and the team is looking forward to all that is soon to come, including what is sure to be one of the most competitive gubernatorial races in Oregon history!
This may be our most surprising podcast episode to date. Folks may remember Jimmy Crumpacker as a candidate for Oregon's 2nd Congressional District in 2020, running as a staunchly conservative Republican (he had a popular ad that labeled him as a "Trumpbacker") to replace retiring Congressman Greg Walden. In a tight four-way race, he finished behind eventual winner Congressman Cliff Bentz, Knute Buehler, and Jason Atkinson. Now, Crumpacker is running again, this time in the new, ultra-competitive 5th Congressional District. He will face former Mayor Lori Chavez DeRemer in the primary (Congressman Kurt Schrader faces Jamie McLeod Skinner in the Democratic Primary). This episode starts with Jimmy's personal background, but veers quickly into a fascinating conversation on global geopolitics, including how the U.S. should handle China. This conversation on foreign affairs was the deepest of any we've had so far, and we really enjoyed it. We also talk about two of Jimmy's "celebrity donors", his beliefs on investing government funds, why 2020 was a challenging year for new candidates, and how he plans to appeal to voters of color this cycle.
Ron Noble spent his career in law enforcement before he entered the political fray as a state representative in House District 24 (Yamhill County). Bolstered by a reputation as a reasonable, moderate legislator, he is now running for the new, ultra-competitive 6th Congressional District, stretching from eastern Washington County all the way down to Salem, including Yamhill county.
Noble earned headlines for leading, along with Rep. Janelle Bynum, on a suite of 25 bills that helped reform policing and the criminal justice system. In this episode, we talk about how Noble has built the relationships necessary to pass bipartisan bills through the deep-blue state legislature, his views on COVID, racial justice issues, health care policy, and why he's running for Congress.
Senator Tim Knopp is a long-time figure in Oregon GOP politics. Starting off his political career as an insurgent candidate, he quickly rose to the peak of power of GOP power including serving as Majority Leader in the House and as the new Minority Leader in the Senate. We talk everything from redistricting and "the kicker" to why Governor Brown's approval ratings are so low and if Knopp describes himself as a conservative or moderate. The episode also features some really interesting discussion on how Knopp survived in a district President Biden won by more than double figures and the playbook that other GOP candidates can run with. Finally and maybe most importantly, Alex is forever banned from telling jokes on the podcast after another one falls flat.
Steve Novick is one of the most interesting figures in Oregon politics. He is funny, intelligent, and always entertaining. This was genuinely one of our most fun episodes to record and we hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed making it. We cover a lot of ground: the time he dropped the "f bomb" on Uber exec. and Obama alum David Plouffe, his thoughts on what's wrong with Portland and how to fix it, property tax reform (but in an interesting and easy-to-understand way!), and what Democrats need to do to avoid a red wave in 2022. Novick is a former Portland City Commissioner who ran the city's Transportation Bureau, where he clashed with Uber and advanced a controversial but ultimately successful gas tax proposal. He became a popular figure in progressive circles for his grassroots primary campaign for the United States Senate in 2008, when he ran a playful, creative, and competitive campaign but narrowly lost in the primary to now-Senator Jeff Merkley. He also has a deep experience in state level politics, working as the Oregon Senate Democrats caucus chief of staff for several years. He graduated from the University of Oregon at 18 and Harvard Law School at 21, and in this episode he explains how Oregon education funding is to blame for those achievements.
Kerry McQuisten is the Mayor of Baker City and running as a Republican for Governor. She's a 7th generation Oregonian and has done everything from serving in public office to running a successful publishing company. McQuisten made national headlines for declaring Baker a "common sense sanctuary" from Governor Brown's COVID-19 measures and hopes to use the popularity of her policies with the conservative grassroots to ride through the Republican primary and into the governor's mansion. We talk about everything from COVID-19 mandates to homelessness to urban-rural divide and Critical Race Theory. Ben and McQuisten also do a little left vs. right philosophy when it comes to key policy differences so prepare for some nerdiness.
After a decade of activism, Cameron Whitten is fired up and optimistic about Portland's future! Cameron's political activism journey began on the streets during the 2011 occupy movement where he emerged as a key influencer of a hunger strike that lasted over a month. In the years that followed, Cameron ran for Portland city mayor and has been an active participant in the Black Lives Matter movement since its inception. During the height of Portland protests in the Summer of 2020, Cameron was able to raise over a million dollars in private cash donations, which were then redistributed to Portland residents in need. This laid the foundation for Cameron's non-profit work with Black Resilience Fund and Brown Hope they are conducting today. After receiving the Skidmore Prize, The Willamette Week recently referred to Cameron as Portland's Non-Profit "Superstar" and along with those efforts, Cameron most recently ran a tough campaign for OR Metro District 5, with a platform centered around affordable housing and reparations for Oregon's black community.
Jessica Gomez is a business leader and running as a Republican candidate for governor. Born in New York, she relocated to the Southern Oregon with her family at a young age where she later experienced family issues and homelessness. Jessica overcame these tough circumstances and moved on to found and serve as CEO of a successful semiconductor company that now employs nearly 30 people. She also serves on the board of trustees of the Oregon Institute of Technology and a number of other Southern Oregon community organizations. Jessica identified as a Democrat until the mid-2010s but is running on the platform of self-described "moderate" Republican who believes she can unify the state (and electorate) with her pro-business and education reform agenda. We have a wide ranging conversation and discuss everything from critical race theory to semiconductors and geopolitical competition with China (Alex finally got his China question). We also talk about what it means for Jessica to be the only major gubernatorial candidate who is a person of color and what a GOP agenda for racial justice might look like.
Close races, but results are in for Virginia and New Jersey elections.
Biden's infrastructure bill is making political and economic waves.
Vaccines for kids and boosters are rolling out.
What does this all mean for the 2022 Oregon election?
Find out on this episode of The Bridge.
Dirk VandertHart is one of Oregon's most prominent political journalists, working for OPB. Previously, he worked at the Portland Mercury, and before that worked at several local publications across the country. Many Oregon politicos will recognize his voice from radio or from the OPB Politics Now podcast.
He is an incredibly well-sourced and thoughtful reporter with many nuggets of wisdom and insight you're unlikely to hear from anyone else. In this episode, we discuss the state of local journalism in Oregon, and Dirk explains whether he's optimistic or pessimistic about the future of state politics reporting in Oregon. Dirk's also tells us about his path to Oregon (and whether he considers himself an Oregonian) and some of the things he's learned along the way. Then, we dive into the most important political topics of today: redistricting and the 2022 election.
As you may have heard, our co-host, Ben Bowman, has announced that he's running for the Oregon State House in the newly-created District 25 (Tigard and parts of Beaverton). In addition to hosting this podcast and writing a weekly politics newsletter for Oregon360, Ben is the chair of the Tigard-Tualatin School Board. Previously, he worked for former Rep. Margaret Doherty and then-Rep. Val Hoyle (now Labor Commissioner).
In this episode, Alex asks Ben about how campaigns work, what he hopes to do in the legislature, and how his run for office will impact The Bridge podcast.
If you want to learn more about Ben's campaign (and offer your support!), check out his website: www.BenForOregon.com
Reagan Knopp is a conservative political consultant with over ten years of experience working in Oregon politics, campaigns, the state legislature, and more. He owns a small consulting firms and serves as the Editor in Chief of The Oregon Catalyst, a conservative blog covering Oregon politics. This episode might surprise you. Reagan walks us through what happened with redistricting, the future of the Oregon Republican Party, and what Oregon Republicans could learn from Stacey Abrams and Georgia Democrats. If you listen closely, you also might hear from Reagan's daughter in this episode!
Amaury Vogel is the Associate Executive Director of the the Oregon Values & Beliefs Center (OVBC). OVBC is an innovative organization that provides public opinion research for free to policymakers, news organizations, and the general public. In this episode we talk about how polling works (and why sometimes it doesn't work), and we discuss what makes OVBC unique.
We also talk about some of OVBC's incredible research on everything from climate change to wildfires to homelessness to Greater Idaho.
Amaury worked for Volunteers of America – Oregon for 7 years providing direct service and managing programs. She worked with vulnerable populations in a variety of settings, including early childhood education, domestic violence, and the healthcare system. She earned an interdisciplinary studies degree with a primary focus in psychology and a secondary focus in social work.
The Oregon Bridge is now The Bridge by OR360 Media! After 24 very successful episodes, the founders are sitting down in this episode to talk about the bright future of the podcast, of OR360, and demystify the suite of products that we will be offering moving forward including "The Way", "The Bridge", The Liftoff " and more!
Thank you all so much for your support of the podcast, we couldn't do this without you!
Be sure to follow and subscribe @OR360media on all major platforms!
The Oregon Bridge goes "under the hood' in this episode with our own producer Buddy Terry.
Buddy was born in Portland and raised in rural St. Helens Oregon. Along with being a full time multimedia producer, Buddy is a graduate of Anthropology from Oregon State University, and is currently pursuing his Masters of Journalism and Documentary Film Production at the University of California at Berkeley.
In this episode, Buddy discloses a little bit about his own personal politics, sheds some light on the 21st century state of news media, and takes listeners behind the scenes a bit by breaking down the Oregon Bridge production process.
Val Hoyle has been a leading figure in Oregon politics since she was appointed to the State House in 2010. She was quickly elected House Majority Leader by her colleagues, where she oversaw the political and campaign functions of the House Democrats. After a close second-place finish in the primary for Secretary of State in 2016, she was elected in 2018 as Oregon's 10th Commissioner of Labor and Industries, winning 17 of Oregon's 36 counties. She is frequently discussed as a potential candidate for Congress or Governor in the future.
This was a fun conversation. In this episode, Hoyle talks about her theory on why political polarization has worsened in America. She also talks about how the Bureau of Labor and Industries is re-imagining apprenticeships so more people can benefit, and how she has worked to change the culture of the state agency she leads. As a bonus, she also tells the story of the first time she met Ben (who worked for her when she was Majority Leader).
Bridget Barton is currently the leading fundraiser in the GOP primary for Oregon governor. While she has never held public office, but she's been involved in Oregon politics for decades as a consultant and in volunteer positions. She has deep connections among GOP leaders and is considered one of the front runners for the Republican nomination.
In this episode she tells us her personal story about addiction and being in recovery. Her experience informs her policy proposals for addressing Oregon's addiction crisis, and she has some views that might surprise you. We also discuss homelessness, the challenges facing the city of Portland, COVID-19 vaccine mandates, and campaign finance reform.
In this interview with business leader, author, political theorist, and speaker of a popular TED talk Katherine Gehl, we talk about why our political system is "fixed" and incentivizing the wrong behavior from elected leaders. Gehl is a fascinating figure. She's a successful businesswoman who sold her high-tech food company for $250 million so she could focus full-time on her organization, the Institute For Political Innovation (IPI), and bringing Final Five voting to states across the country.
Final-Five Voting is the combination of (1) a single open primary election with the top 5 candidates advancing to the general election and (2) ranked-choice voting in the general election. A similar proposal passed in Alaska in 2020.
This kind of proposal could be coming to Oregon in 2024 via ballot measure, and it could fundamentally change Oregon's electoral system. In this episode, we explore Gehl's diagnosis of the problem (the "political industrial complex"), her solutions, and we talk through some potential critiques from Alex and Ben.
This week, Ben and Alex discuss some big changes happening with the podcast -- and the formation of Oregon360, a partnership with The Oregon Way and The Liftoff Newsletter. Subscribe for free, or become a founding member, at www.TheOregonWay.substack.com. We really appreciate your support!
Then, we dive into the biggest news stories of the week with everything you need to know about what's happening in Oregon politics, government, campaigns, and elections. We offer analysis on Speaker Tina Kotek's likely announcement she is running for Governor, Nick Kristof's residency memo, Val Hoyle's good week, and more. We also talk redistricting and whether national Republicans will invest cash in Oregon, the saga of the Newberg School Board, Proud Boys vs. Antifa, and the ever-controversial kicker.
Dr. Bud Pierce is a familiar name in Oregon. A cancer doctor, he was the GOP nominee for Governor in 2016, losing to Governor Kate Brown by about 8 points. Six years later, with an open seat in 2022, Dr. Pierce is once again a leading contender for the GOP nomination -- and he thinks Oregon is ready to break the Republican losing streak. This interview spans Dr. Pierce's personal life, political views, and policy ideas.
He shares how he has coped with the recent loss of his wife, Selma, and what advice he has for others who are grieving. Dr. Pierce also offers his perspective on masks, vaccines, and other pandemic-related policy. He has an interesting reason for opposing mask mandates (it has to do with his goal of getting more people vaccinated). We talk about the GOP brand and the impact of Donald Trump, Portland's challenges with housing and homelessness, and his view on the Governor's role in education policy and how he would measure his success. We also talk about campaign finance reform and the impact of his significant self-funding on the race.
Casey Kulla has worn many hats: cannabis farmer, ecologist, entrepreneur, scientist, husband, father, and Yamhill County Commissioner. He's now added "gubernatorial candidate" to the resume as the first Democrat to officially launch a bid for Oregon Governor. He knows he has an unusual background for this kind of race and that his bid may be a long-shot in some folks' eyes, and in this interview he discusses why he believes he is the right candidate for this moment and how he plans to win.
We talk about how a proposed walking trail in Yamhill county has ignited the urban-rural divide and polarized the community (and what that tells about broader social/political forces). We discuss the decline of Oregon's timber industry and what Democrats should offer to folks living in economically depressed rural communities. He explains why he believes racial justice groups are not happy with the status quo leadership in Oregon, and what he would do differently. Finally, we ask about viability and how he plans to beat the heavyweights who are certain to enter the field soon.
Susheela Jayapal is a Multnomah County Commissioner. She moved to the United States from India at the age of 16; a Portlander for the last 25 years, she also has deep roots in the Pacific Northwest (her sister is also in politics, Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal from Washington State). Her resume is extensive and impressive, including working as Adidas America's top lawyer and serving in leadership roles with many nonprofits and community-based organizations.
In this episode, Commissioner Jayapal discusses Portland's reputation, whether or not our existing homelessness solutions are at scale, and the intersection between racial justice and criminal justice. Also: an interesting discussion about why and how the identities of the five commissioners (all women, three women of color) matter -- plus, one thing she is doing to help close the urban-rural divide. It's an interesting conversation that ranges from deep policy analysis to personal stories about her family -- we hope you enjoy!
There is no one else in the Oregon legislature like Sen. Sara Gelser. Over the last decade, she has been at the center of some of the most important issues in Oregon politics. She has received national recognition (e.g. Time Person of the Year during the #MeToo movement) -- and she occasionally criticizes her own party and leadership. She has long been a legislative warrior on child welfare issues in Oregon, and this episode includes some wild stories.
This is a fascinating conversation that covers a lot of ground: the significant power vested in the House Speaker and Senate President, culture change and sexual harassment in the legislature, the urban-rural divide, and the dramatic failures and meaningful successes of Oregon's child welfare system. Pro tip for this episode: at the 30-minute mark, the discussion shifts to child welfare, and it is both remarkable and important. We highly recommend you listen to the last segment of the episode.
James Ball and Nick Prelosky are longtime Republicans...but they can't stand Donald Trump. Nick and James have a successful podcast called "The Rational Republican" that explores the state of their Party in Oregon and nationally. In this episode, Alex (a proud Trump admin alum) and Ben (a progressive Democrat) debate, argue, and even sometimes agree. It's a lively conversation.
Can Republicans win statewide in Oregon again? Maybe. We talk about what it would take. We also talk about Portland's homelessness/housing problem -- and what we could do about it. We touch on abortion, taxes, big tech, and more.
Today, we've got an Oregon Bridge exclusive interview! Lori Chavez-DeRemer, a Republican former mayor of Happy Valley, just announced that she is challenging Rep. Kurt Schrader in Oregon's 5th Congressional District. In this interview, we ask her about why she's running -- and she drops some clues about the kind of campaign she will run against Rep. Schrader. We talk about the role President Joe Biden may play in the campaign, whether anything can get done in a broken Congress, and the prospect of a rematch against Rep. Janelle Bynum (if they both get drawn into a new congressional district after redistricting).
Rep. Dacia Grayber is considered a rising star in Oregon politics. A professional firefighter, she was named by Willamette Week as a "Leader who Emerged" during the pandemic and she is one of the few true "labor Democrats" in the state legislature. In this interview, we talk about her unusual (and sometimes aggressive) social media use, whether Republicans in Oregon have a shot at winning more working class voters, reparations, and the prospect of another devastating wildfire season.
Congressman Cliff Bentz is the newest member of Oregon's congressional delegation, defeating Knute Buehler, Jason Atkinson, and eight other candidates in 2020 to replace longtime Rep. Greg Walden in Oregon's second congressional district (the state's only safe Republican seat). Previously, Bentz was a state legislator with a reputation for dealmaking (e.g. one of the architects of Oregon's $5.3 billion transportation package in 2017). In Congress, Bentz' voting record has been interesting: he voted against certifying Pennsylvania's election results, but in favor of establishing a commission to investigate the January 6 insurrection against Congress. In this episode, we discuss whether an infrastructure deal is possible in DC, how Congress compares to the legislature, and Oregon's urban-rural divide. We also talk about the pressure (or lack thereof) of party leadership in DC (Kevin McCarthy!) and his thoughts on the Greater Idaho movement.
Mayor Stan Pulliam of Sandy, Oregon has made national headlines (New York Times!) over his resistance to Oregon's response to the COVID-19 pandemic (especially Governor Kate Brown's executive orders). He is among the "top-tier" GOP candidates for Oregon Governor in 2022 and he's beginning to pick up steam with the grassroots. In this episode, he talks about being mayor of a small city, his vision for Oregon's pandemic recovery, and what Oregon's governor should and shouldn't do with regards to racial justice, homelessness, and public education. The conversation includes some animated sparring on the impact of COVID-19 on Oregonians and the role of government in emergency situations.
Micah Meadowcroft and Nate Hochman are two leading young conservative voices (millenial and zoomer, respectively) with national profiles, both with roots in the Pacific Northwest. This conversation starts by discussing what "conservatism" means for the Republican Party in the age of Trumpism and the nuanced differences between conservative factions. We also talk about the GOP's challenge with younger voters. We wrap with focus on the political environment in Oregon (and Portland!) and discuss what it will take for Republicans to win again.
Micah is the managing editor of the American Conservative magazine and previously served as the White house Liaison for the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Nate is an Associate Contributor for Young Voices and a 2021 Publius Fellow (joining the ranks of our co-host, Alex Titus). He has written for National Review, City Journal, and others.
Oregon State Treasurer Tobias Read, the "de facto Chief Financial Officer" of the state, has served in both the state and federal governments. He worked for Larry Summers and Sheryl Sandberg during the Clinton Administration before returning to the Pacific Northwest (he graduated from Willamette University and then earned an MBA from the University of Washington). He served in the State House before being elected Treasurer.
In this episode, Treasurer Read discusses his policy accomplishments at Treasury (like the national-leading OregonSaves initiative) and his views on the evolution of Democratic Party/where he fits in. He also discusses his op-ed in The Oregonian, which criticized the State Legislature and Governor for the lack of strategic reopening plan for Oregon's economy post-pandemic, saying: "We need to stop reacting and start leading." Treasurer Read is often cited as a potential candidate for Governor in 2022 -- we ask him about that, too.
Senator Dallas Heard is a rising figure in Oregon Republican politics with a growing influence on the political right. He has deep ties in Southern Oregon, where he is a business owner and represents Roseburg in the state senate (he previously served in the state house). Recently, he was elected Chair of the Oregon Republican Party on a populist, Trump-aligned agenda. Senator Heard has gained national attention for ripping off his mask on the floor of the senate and sparring with colleagues. He answers questions about the "Citizens Against Tyranny" group that earned headlines for resisting COVID-19 public health rules, the future of the GOP in Oregon, and how the Party might compete at the statewide level in a post-Trump world. Senator Heard is considered a potential candidate for statewide office, including Oregon Governor, in 2022 and beyond.
On election night 2020, NBC news declared: "America's war on drugs is finally ending." Buzzfeed wrote: "Drugs Won The 2020 Presidential Election." Across the United States, drug legalization and decriminalization efforts are winning -- from deep blue to ruby red states. With the overwhelming passage of Ballot Measure 110, Oregon solidified its position as a national leader on drug reform. Both proponents and opponents are looking to Oregon to see what the fallout will be. Matt Sutton of the Drug Policy Alliance joins the pod to explain Measure 110, discuss how Oregon fits into the national trends, and debate whether there is an emerging bipartisan realignment on drug issues.
Jamie McLeod Skinner is one of the most interesting figures in Oregon politics. She gained prominence by challenging longtime GOP congressman Greg Walden in Oregon's deep-red second congressional district in 2018 -- and coming closer to beating him than any other candidate in his two decade career. She then ran a competitive race for Oregon Secretary of State in the 2020 Democratic Primary. Jamie has unique insight on Oregon's urban-rural divide, living in central Oregon and serving as interim city manager for Talent (a town recovering from devastating wildfires). In this episode, Jamie offers honest critiques of Oregon's political institutions and systems and talks about racial justice from a rural perspective.
Rep. Christine Drazan is a state representative from rural Clackamas County, serving as the House Republican Leader (a position she was elected to after only 9 months in the legislature, a remarkable feat). She joined the pod to talk about the differences in the Oregon Legislature from when she worked as a staffer in the 1990s to today, sexual harassment in the workplace, and and Oregon's response to the pandemic. Rep. Drazan has a unique perspective on how the GOP could regain traction in Oregon in a post-Trump political landscape.
Lori Chavez-DeRemer is a former mayor of Happy Valley, a two-time Republican nominee for the state legislature, and a small business owner. She joins the Oregon Bridge to discuss former Rep. Knute Buehler's exodus from the Republican Party, why more mayors should run for higher office, race and "identity politics", and Governor Kate Brown's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kevin Frazier is a law student who has founded several nonprofits and ventures, including The Oregon Way, a SubStack newsletter that serves as a virtual op-ed page for Oregon politics. In this episode, Kevin talks about the place for moderates in our polarized political system, feeling disenfranchised from the Democratic Party, and the future of local journalism.
In the 2020 election, 28-year-old Alek Skarlatos came closer to beating longtime Congressman Peter DeFazio (D-Eugene) than anyone else has in the last three decades. He earned international recognition for helping stop a terrorist attack in Paris, and went on to play himself in a Clint Eastwood-directed film about the event. In this episode, Alek talks about the January 6th Capitol Insurrection, big tech, Oregon's urban-rural divide, and the future of the GOP in Oregon.
Rep. Wlnsvey Campos is the youngest woman ever elected to the Oregon State Legislature and is an emerging leader in the progressive wing of the Democratic Party in Oregon. Ben and Alex ask her about how she got endorsed by Bernie Sanders, her views on race in politics, and how she plans to advance a progressive agenda in the Oregon legislature (including some news on a new caucus and PAC to support like-minded candidates).
Welcome to The Oregon Bridge Podcast!
Hosted by Ben Bowman & Alex Titus!
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This is a podcast about the future of Oregon politics, featuring guests from across the political spectrum. Subscribe to the podcast to hear from leaders across Oregon on the state of our political environment -- and what the future might look like.