OPB Politics Now

On this week's show, OPB political reporter Lauren Dake takes a deep look at how the election counting mess in Clackamas County occurs and why who runs local elections varies wildly from county to county.

On this week's show, OPB reporters Dirk VanderHart and Rebecca Ellis look into the city of Portland's missing $1.4 million and Oregon school districts' complicated relationship with guns.

On this special election results episode, OPB reporters Dirk VanderHart and Rebecca Ellis and politics editor Anna Griffin talk through the possible three-woman race for governor, the staggering amount a cryptocurrency billionaire spent on a losing House candidate and the Portland City Council runoff.

In this special election preview episode, OPB reporter Dirk VanderHart examines a strange new trend in the 2022 election: Democrats bashing Portland.

For the first time in nearly 40 years, the district attorney’s office in Marion County is being contested. Incumbent District Attorney Paige Clarkson is facing a challenge from Spencer Todd, a 33-year-old public defender from Salem. Clarkson has been the county’s top law enforcement official for four years and has blamed state leaders, including the governor, of undermining public safety by pursuing criminal justice reforms. Spencer Todd has worked as a public defender in Marion County for eight years and supports criminal justice reforms that focus on mental health services and treatment for nonviolent emergencies and offenses.

Clarkson and Todd join us to share their perspectives on criminal justice, policing and public safety.

This year, Oregon voters will be able to cast their ballots in a new Congressional district created as a result of the 2020 Census. Oregon’s 6th District stretches from suburbs southwest of Portland to Salem, and includes all of Yamhill and Polk counties, as well as portions of Marion, Washington and Clackamas counties.

Joining us now for a debate are three prominent candidates running in the Democratic primary for the 6th District. Andrea Salinas is an Oregon state representative from Lake Oswego. Teresa Alonso Leon is also a state representative from Woodburn. Loretta Smith is a former Multnomah County commissioner.

U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio announced last year he would not seek re-election. This means for the first time in more than 30 years, Oregon’s 4th congressional district will not have an incumbent candidate. We hear from three Democratic candidates vying for the spot: Doyle Canning, Andrew Kalloch and Val Hoyle. The Democratic primary winner will face off against Republican candidate Alek Skarlatos.

This year, Oregon voters will be able to cast their ballots in a new Congressional district created as a result of the 2020 Census. Oregon’s 6th Congressional District includes the southwest suburbs of Portland, Salem, Yamhill and Polk counties, as well as parts of Marion, Washington and Clackamas counties.

Joining us now for a debate are two candidates running in the Republican primary for the 6th Congressional District. Ron Noble is an Oregon state Representative from McMinnville. Nate Sandvig is a vice-president at Rye Development, a company which develops hydropower projects.

Oregon picked up a sixth House seat after the 2020 U.S. Census. In this election preview episode, political reporter Sam Stites introduces us to the candidates and explains why this is one of the most expensive Congressional races in the country.