OPB Politics Now

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler has just over a week left in the mayor’s office. And he’s in a reflective mood. This week on the podcast we’re letting him look back on his eight years in office, give advice to his successors, and talk about what’s next. OPB Portland city government reporter Alex Zielinski sat down with Wheeler. He spent nearly two decades in elected office – starting as Multnomah County board chair, then as state treasurer. He entered the mayor’s office in 2017, and has overseen a uniquely tumultuous period of time that included the COVID-19 pandemic, massive racial justice protests, an explosion of deadly street drugs and a spike in homelessness. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts. And if you have a question for the OPB Politics Now team as we head into 2025, shoot us an email at [email protected].

The rising cost of wildfires has left Oregon lawmakers scrambling to pay their bills on time. On this week’s show, we look at the problem and the results of this week’s special session to pay 2024 fire costs.

Republican Christine Drazan is returning to a leadership role in Salem and she’s not the only change in the legislative power structure. Democrats switched things around as well. In Portland,  the new City Council is already putting in work, and part of that is cajoling colleagues to support their run for a new powerful position. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

Earlier this week, Think out Loud and the Politics Now team joined forces for an election roundtable. And we tried something new. The episode was aired live – On camera – On OPB dot org and our YouTube page. It was fun! So fun we are sharing the audio for you here as well.

Keith Wilson will be Portland’s next mayor. And the 12 person city council is coming into focus. I’m Andrew Theen. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, we talk about Wilson’s victory, the new faces coming to city council and much more. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts

Democrats nationally are in disarray – but here in Oregon – the party appears poised for another cycle of big victories. On the next episode of OPB Politics Now, we discuss what to make of the local versus national disconnect and other major takeaways from statewide races. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

The Portland area found itself in the national spotlight this week for a not particularly flattering reason: Repeated arson attacks on ballot boxes. We’ll be going over what we know about those attacks, but first we’re going to take a close look at the many races this year for a spot in Portland City Hall. A massive governance shift approved by voters two years ago has upended how campaigning for city council and mayor works – with some pretty interesting results. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

The Legislature doesn’t get as much attention in this hotly-contested election cycle, but there are a number of key races and candidates are making their final arguments to voters. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Lauren Dake and Dirk VanderHart delve into the legislative races to watch and what Democrats may do if they land a supermajority in both chambers in Salem. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

Central Oregon will be decisive in the state’s most competitive congressional race this year, but there’s a lot more political intrigue just east of the Cascades. On this week’s episode of OPB Politics Now, we check in on the most dramatic and notable races in Bend and beyond. Find the show wherever you get your podcasts.

On this special live episode, OPB's political team runs through the biggest items on Oregon and Southwest Washington ballots.