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When I moved to Portland in 2006, the state’s politics weren’t really on my radar. In fact, I didn’t pay a whole lot of attention to politics at all beyond the city level.
Over the years, though, I’ve gotten to know Oregon on another level, and for me, it sometimes feels like there’s Portland, and then there’s Oregon.
Portland has this progressive population with Pride flags on every block and heartrending protest art on its street corners, and weirdos who just like climb trees in the park to play their flute all afternoon. But in the smaller towns and whistle-stop villages of Oregon, the vibe is idyllic in a whole other kind of way, and it always feels much more conservative.
What would a Republican-governed Oregon look like? Would it look more like Newberg, where educators are banned from hanging Pride or BLM banners? Or would Portland’s progressive sheen be bolstered by tangible prosperity for all residents?
On this week’s episode of Dive, I interviewed Rachel Monahan, the reporter who authored this week’s cover story on Republican ambitions for the governor’s mansion. As Rachel advised: We’re hiring someone for a job, not marrying them, and qualifications matter.
Unless you’ve been caught wife swapping. Then all bets are off.
Thanks to our sponsor Neil Kelly, a leader in the design, installation and maintenance of residential solar energy systems in Oregon.