We Asked Oregonians to Name the Secretary of State

It went about how you’d expect.

Hot Mic, Ep 7
By Aaron Mesh and Zave Payne

Shemia Fagan, we hardly knew ye.

More specifically, many Portlanders did not know the name of Oregon’s secretary of state. Perhaps it’s a little late for introductions. Last week, Fagan resigned after WW revealed she was moonlighting for the founders of an embattled weed chain after overseeing an audit of cannabis regulation.

In the wake of that scandal, WW sent Reed College filmmaker and roving civics quiz host Zave Payne to Pioneer Courthouse Square, where he asked passersby to name the secretary of state. We feared that people would mispronounce Shemia Fagan’s name. We were overly optimistic.

Watch the quiz here.


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