Oregon Politics: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not?

Friday, October 31, 2014

Gus Wendel, GoLocalPDX Contributor

Photo credit: iStock

Every Friday, GoLocalPDX breaks down who's rising and who's falling in the world of Oregon politics. Check out who made the lists this week.

Hot

Fight for the legislature: With just four days until the election, many are clinging to the latest poll numbers in hopes of foreseeing the outcome of Oregon’s political future. One thing that’s for sure though, is that the fight for the Oregon legislature is in the air. Polls focused on House and Senate races have been consistently inconsistent, and it’s making Oregonians anxious. The battle is closest in the Senate, where just one Senate seat pickup by Democrats would mean a drastically different legislative landscape. Meanwhile Republicans have their ambitious eyes on taking both chambers.

Did They Vote? A popular new website lets you check if your friends voted, through Facebook. According to the website “It takes 60 seconds. If it appears the elections office hasn’t received your friends’ ballots yet, you can give them a little nudge by sending them a reminder message.” Oregon has already set a new voter registration record this election cycle, led in large part by the Oregon Student Association. The next test will be to see who actually votes.

Kitz n Merk: The two major statewide candidate races look to be leaning Democrat. The Oregonian/KGW poll this week found that, despite the Cylvia Hayes scandal, Gov. John Kitzhaber holds a 7-point lead over Rep. Dennis Richardson. Meanwhile, Sen. Jeff Merkley maintains a comfortable two-digit lead over his opponent Monica Wehby.

Marijuana legalization: Just days before the election, proponents and opponents of marijuana legalization are locked in dead heat. An Oregonian/KGW poll found that 44 percent of likely voters backed legalizing marijuana, while 46 percent were opposed. 7 percent were unsure and 2 percent did not say. Perhaps not surprisingly, the polls numbers largely break down along party lines—Democrats are mostly in favor of legalizing marijuana, while Republicans are against, and those in the middle are, still in the middle. Maybe Shirtless Ryan’s Youtube ad will give the pro marijuana effort the boost it needs.

3.5%: The percent increase in the nation’s economic output in the third quarter, according to the commerce department. This is a good-looking number when considering the long road to economic recovery still ahead. According to the New York Times, the increase was largely driven by an unusual increase in defense spending, as well as private investment outside the housing sector. Meanwhile in Oregon, signs of an improved labor market hint at a growing, albeit slowly, statewide economy.

Not

John Kitzhaber: The Governor’s failure to disclose information on payments has led to a formal complaint to the Attorney General, filed by GoLocalPDX. According to Josh Fenton, Co-Founder and CEO of GoLocalPDX, the Governor’s press office and legal council have purposefully delayed requests for information about whether or not the Governor received income from the consult contracts of Cylvia Hayes. “This is perverse.” Fenton said. “Regardless of your politics, this manipulation is an affront to Oregon’s public information laws and to government transparency.”

GMO Labeling: The massive amounts of out-of-state cash flowing into anti-GMO labeling efforts are starting to pay dividends. The Oregonian reports that an Oct. 26-27 survey showed 48 percent of likely voters were opposed to the labeling effort, while 42 percent were in favor. Over $16 million has been raised by opponents of the measure, to $7 million raised by proponents. Taken altogether, this has become the most expensive ballot measure fight in Oregon history.

Rich White Men: Speaking of big money, the Willamette Week breaks who’s given the most to Oregon’s campaigns this year, making this the most expensive Oregon election in history. Among the top donors—all white men—includes: billionaires Charles and David Koch who, through Freedom Partners, spent over $1 million on attack ads aimed at Sen. Jeff Merkley; John Arnold, who spent $1.7 million in support of Measure 90; Michael Bloomberg, spending $1.65 million in support of Measure 90; George Soros, spending $1.39 million in support of Measure 91; and David Bronner, spending $1.25 million in support of Measure 92.

Libertarian Party: The Democratic Party and GOP are no strangers to inter and intra-party drama. It turns out the smaller third parties aren’t either. GolocalPDX reports that the Libertarian Party of Oregon is in the midst of an expensive legal battle over allegations of a Republican takeover. “As we’ve gained more interest we’ve worried the major parties more and more, especially the Republicans,” Bruce Knight, a longtime member of the Oregon Libertarian party told GoLocalPDX.

Alta Bike Share: Portland-based company Alta Bike Share is leaving stumptown for the big apple. The Willamette Week reports that REQX Ventures is buying the company so it can bail out the Manhattan-based bike rental system Citi Bikes. Let’s hope this doesn’t further delay plans to bring a bike share system to Portland!

Gus Wendel is a writer, organizer, and musician. Originally from Eastern Oregon, he now resides in Portland.