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Oregon’s nonaffiliated candidates face long odds making it onto the ballot
Betsy Johnson is aiming to make history this year as the first Oregon governor in decades without the backing of either major political party. If she were to win, it would be despite an election system that makes it much more difficult for candidates who aren’t Democrats or Republicans to get elected. Democratic and Republican […]
Oregon governor candidates to debate Sept. 27 in Bend
Oregon’s candidates for governor will participate in a televised debate from the Oregon State University-Cascades campus in Bend later this month, the university announced Thursday. The Sept. 27 debate among Democrat Tina Kotek, Republican Christine Drazan and nonaffiliated candidate Betsy Johnson will be the second time the three candidates take the stage together, following a […]
Oregon officials report new uptick in mail about election fraud conspiracies
This story is part of a project called Democracy Day, in which newsrooms across the country are shining a light on threats to democracy For the clerks who handle elections in most Oregon counties, September and October are busy months. There are ballots to proofread, print and ship, first to overseas or military voters and […]
Sandy nonprofit consultant Lori Kuechler to start short stint in Oregon House
The Oregon Legislature will return to Salem next week for one last pre-election batch of meetings, with a new face. Lori Kuechler, a nonprofit consultant from Sandy, was appointed last week to replace Rep. Anna Williams, D-Hood River, and expects to be sworn in before legislative meetings begin Tuesday. Williams, one of three Democratic legislators […]
Oregon congressional candidate Alek Skarlatos joked about choking women
Alek Skarlatos, a Republican candidate for Congress in a competitive Oregon district, repeatedly “liked” photos of underage girls in bikinis on Instagram and joked about strangling women on a podcast shortly before beginning his political career four years ago. Skarlatos, 29, is a former Oregon National Guardsman who parlayed his recognition for helping stop a […]
Oregon Gov. Brown, fire officials warn of increased fire danger this weekend
Hot, dry weather and high winds will make the next few days especially dangerous for wildfires, Gov. Kate Brown and state fire officials warned during an online press conference Thursday. Oregon has seven large active fires burning more than 168,000 acres across the state, Brown said. Conditions headed into the weekend mean those fires could […]
Democratic Oregon governor nominee Tina Kotek argues for gun safety at Portland forum
PORTLAND – Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tina Kotek has pushed for a debate solely on gun laws since a gunman murdered 19 young children in Texas this spring. By Wednesday, in the wake of a grocery store shooting in one of Oregon’s largest cities, Kotek had given up on getting her two rivals in the governor’s […]
Maryland Republican Gov. Larry Hogan argues Christine Drazan can become Oregon’s next governor
PORTLAND – In 2014, voters in deeply Democratic Maryland shocked the nation by electing Larry Hogan, only the second Republican to hold that state’s highest office in the past half-century. Hogan, who visited Oregon this week to campaign for Republican Christine Drazan, believes Drazan can do the same. The former minority leader of the Oregon […]
In homeless death data, Patterson sees need for more resources
Recently released data on homeless Oregonians who died this year shows a need for more detailed reporting and more resources, the state senator who requested the data told the Capital Chronicle. A 2021 law crafted by Sen. Deb Patterson, D-Salem, requires the state to keep records on people who died without a fixed address, listing […]
Oregon receives $83.5 million for small businesses from US Treasury
Oregon will receive $83.5 million from the federal government to help small business owners, the U.S. Treasury and Gov. Kate Brown announced Friday. The influx in federal funding comes from the U.S. Treasury’s State Small Business Credit Initiative, a competitive program that provides seed money with the expectation that private investors will invest $10 for […]
Board fires head of Oregon’s public defense agency
A state board fired the head of Oregon’s state public defense agency Thursday, just eight months into his tenure and amid an ongoing public defender shortage that has left hundreds of Oregonians waiting for legal representation. It was the second time in the past week that the Public Defense Services Commission has considered firing Stephen […]
Commission likely to fire head of Oregon public defense agency
The state commission overseeing Oregon’s public defense agency is likely to fire the divisive lawyer in charge of the department on Thursday, barely a week after its first attempt to remove him failed. The Public Defense Services Commission met Wednesday to hear advice from state attorneys and discuss the performance of Stephen Singer, director of […]