OPB Politics Now

For Oregon’s political world, the question heading into next week’s midterm is how much power Democrats will cling to.

Education is top of mind for Oregon voters. What to do about the state’s struggling schools remains up for debate. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, we took the show on the road for another live taping, this time in Corvallis on the campus of Oregon State University.

It’s only fitting since we were on a beautiful college campus that we took a deep dive into the nuts and bolts of Oregon's education system and outlined just how it came to pass that the Beaver State is one of the worst performing in the nation when it comes to education. OPB education reporter Elizabeth Miller explained it all for us.

Plus, we dove into just how the top candidates for governor are viewing this crisis. Miller and OPB politics reporters Dirk VanderHart and Lauren Dake discussed education and the governor’s race.

Two OSU student journalists also joined the program – Jenna Benson and Marina Kandas – and shared their insights from their work at the Daily Barometer.

We started the show with our friend Rebecca Hansen White from KLCC in Eugene.

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek and Republican state Sen. Christine Drazan sat down with OPB for separate interviews in recent days. What did they have to say about the major issues? This week on OPB Politics Now, we are dropping those interviews as full episodes. We talked about education issues, vote by mail, abortion and more. You can listen anywhere you get your podcasts.

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek and Republican state Sen. Christine Drazan sat down with OPB for separate interviews in recent days. What did they have to say about the major issues? This week on OPB Politics Now, we are dropping those interviews as full episodes. We talked about her record as governor, what she would do in a second term and much more. You can listen anywhere you get your podcasts.

Data centers. Taxes. Law enforcement and accountability. Those are some of the top issues this election cycle for voters east of the Cascade mountains. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, regional reporters Monica Carrillo-Casas, Antonio Sierra and Jen Baires chat with politics reporter Bryce Dole about their beats. With less than a month until Election Day, we discussed what those reporters are hearing in their communities and explored what’s defining this political moment.

Ballots are going out in a couple weeks. Campaigns are ramping up. Tensions are rising. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, we hosted a live taping from the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts in Beaverton. We dove deep into the Oregon governor’s race with reporters Dirk VanderHart and Lauren Dake. Is this the year that Republicans break through and win the governor’s office for the first time since 1982? Or will this be more of the same as the past few races, where it really won’t be that close after all. We discussed.

The nation’s political eyes are once again trained on a key House race in Southwest Washington - where a moderate Democrat is hoping to hold her seat - this time facing a more conventional politician than in her past two races. Southwest Washington reporter Elena Neale-Sacks broke down that race for us.

But we began our conversation with a deep dive into Washington County politics. We talked about ICE, data centers, democratic socialists, bird watching of a certain kind and much more with OPB suburban communities reporter Holly Bartholomew and OPB politics reporter Bryce Dole. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts, and join us in Corvallis Oct. 20th for a second live taping of the podcast. We will be on the campus of Oregon State University at the Prax Center. Find more details at http://OPB.org/events. (edited)

On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Bryce Dole and Alex Zielinski talk about the upcoming Portland election and how it differs from the 2024 election. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

The election is less than seven weeks away, and prognosticators across the nation are expecting a strong night for Democrats. It’s not clear what that might mean for Oregon, as incumbent Gov. Tina Kotek is facing headwinds in her reelection bid. But past Oregon Democrats in the same seat saw tight polls late in the race fade away as they sailed through to election night victories. Will it be the same for Kotek, or will state Sen. Christine Drazan break the Republican drought in Salem? We discuss.

For quite some time, Gov. Tina Kotek and state Sen. Christine Drazan didn't seem to have a very strong -- or clear -- stance on how they felt about data centers in Oregon. That changed this week. Within hours of each other, they both announced they support a data center moratorium; tapping into a debate playing out across Oregon and the nation. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Lauren Dake and Dirk VanderHart break it all down. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

We are exactly two months away from election day. And there is a lot of confusion on the electoral landscape. On this week’s episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Dirk VanderHart and Lauren Daketalk about all the uncertainty surrounding vote by mail, what state leaders and politicians are saying and much more. Find the show wherever you get your podcasts.

Becky Lange loved making use of things that others considered trash. The Portlander was an artist and civic leader who was killed earlier this year in the city's urban center. On this week's episode of OPB Politics Now, we hand the podcast over to our friends at The Evergreen. Alex Zielinski shared stories about her past reporting on Lange, her leadership in civic circles and much more.

Oregonians are facing food insecurity just as federal cuts to the food assistance programs known as SNAP play put in realtime. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, we hand the podcast keys to our friends at The Evergreen. OPB politics reporter Bryce Dole went on a reporting trip with producer Mia Estrada and visual journalist Eli Imaldi. Here’s their dispatch.

Practically all year, elected officials in Oregon have been trying to solve a puzzle: How can they ensure the enigmatic new owner of the Trail Blazers doesn’t attempt to take the team elsewhere, but not lose the public’s metaphorical shirt in the process? We now have a basic idea of what that approach looks like. This week – after a fair amount of drama – the Portland City Council finalized the terms the city will seek in exchange for funding a renovation of the Moda Center. If all goes as planned, they’ll join the state and Multnomah County in funding that roughly $600 million dollar project.

The nation remains captivated – or depending on your view horrified – by the artificial intelligence technology boom. And that boom wouldn’t be possible without the major infrastructure that powers AI. Yes, on the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, Dirk VanderHart, Courtney Sherwood and Holly Bartholomew discuss data centers, two words everyone is hearing a lot these days. Oregon, like many places, is seeing a fast-growing backlash at these facilities, and so today we’re going to talk about the politics, policies and environmental impact of data centers.

One of the most competitive U.S. House races in the country is Washington’s 3rd Congressional District. Blue-collar Democratic incumbent Marie Gluesenkamp Perez is facing a challenge from a Republican state Senator who is more mainstream than her previous political opponent. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Lauren Dake, Erik Neumann and Elena Neale-Sacks discuss the hottest races in Southwest Washington primary and what to watch in Clark County. Find the show wherever you get your podcasts.

Oregon’s gubernatorial race features a high-profile race rematch between Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek and Republican state Sen. Christine Drazan. Just like the 2022 race between the two political rivals, at least one more person will be on the ballot, this time from the Pacific Green Party. On this week’s episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Lauren Dake and Dirk VanderHart discuss the role of third party politicians in gubernatorial races in the past two decades, what another candidate may portend about this race and much more. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

A surge in enforcement by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has led to two fatal shootings by ICE agents in recent weeks. Those occurred in Texas and Maine, but Oregon continues to grapple with immigration enforcement as well.

The Portland ICE building that was a focal point of protests much of last year is back in the news, as lawsuits and land-use cases surrounding the property come to a head. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Dirk VanderHart, Alex Zielinski and Conrad Wilson discuss the latest on this lingering fight here in South Portland just up the road from OPB headquarters. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

It’s been clear for a year at this point that major changes are coming to Oregon’s state sponsored health plan. Ever since President Trump signed HR1, his massive tax cut and spending bill, the state’s top health officials have been trying to figure out how much federal funding for health care will be cut – and how to respond. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Dirk VanderHart and Amelia Templeton break down the possibilities and the politics surrounding the conversation. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

The Supreme Court seemed on the verge of barring Oregon, Washington and other vote-by-mail states from accepting ballots that arrive after Election Day. But the court ruled this week – and those changes are not coming. This week, we'll take a look at the latest developments that dictate how elections in the Pacific Northwest will play out.

The Moda Center has a packed summer lineup with performances by Chance the Rapper, Benson Boone and others. The arena is no longer devoid of basketball in the summer thanks to the triumphant return of the Portland Fire.

But this week the building is taking center stage for other reasons. Portland Trail Blazers owner Tom Dundon is in town for an annual business summit at Moda Center. Meanwhile city and county leaders discussed the plan to renovate the arena with public cash – there was spiciness. Reporters Lauren Dake, Kyra Buckley and Alex Zielinski discussed all that and more this week on the latest episode of OPB Politics Now.