OPB Politics Now

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.

Portland’s elected leaders entered this budget season with a $170 million funding hole. Finally, after weeks of painstaking deliberation, they passed the city’s budget Wednesday. Once again, no one seems pleased. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Alex Zielinski and Bryce Dole break down where the city landed and what the deliberations say about how Portland’s new council is working in its sophomore year. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

There was an era in Oregon politics where moderate Republicans were very influential. One of them was Bob Packwood. Packwood died last week and he leaves a very messy legacy. On this week’s episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Lauren Dake, Dirk VanderHart and special guest Jeff Mapes talk about Packwood’s political history and his downfall, which was one of the more stunning scandals in Congressional history. Find the show wherever you get your podcasts.

Last month, Southwest Washington was struck by tragedy when 11 people were killed at a Longview paper mill. But as the community tries to find out what happened, an investigation into the incident may be jeopardized by national politics. On the latest episode of  OPB Politics Now, reporters Dirk VanderHart, Lauren Dake and Erik Neumann talk about the fallout from the tragedy – and the jockeying over the federal agency that’s looking for answers. Find the show wherever you get your podcasts.

OPB reporters recently spent months looking into Lakeview, a tiny southern Oregon town with huge financial problems. They were interested in what went wrong in Lakeview, and what lessons the town could offer other places facing similar dynamics. OPB’s podcast The Evergreen just dropped an entire episode looking at this, and it’s so good, we’re putting it in your Politics Now feed this week.

The primary election is over. Oregon voters shot down a statewide gas tax proposal and Christine Drazan won the Republican nod for governor. That sets up a rematch between Drazan and Gov. Tina Kotek. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Bryce Dole, Lauren Dake and Elizabeth Miller dive into the local taxes that did pass and explain what we can glean from the election and the gubernatorial rematch. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

Voters across Oregon are probably scrounging at this point to find their ballots as Election Day is just a few days away. The main event awaits in November as Oregonians will select their next governor. But for voters in Central and Eastern Oregon, there are some key races on the May ballot and big issues driving the politics behind the scenes. We spent last week talking about the suburbs and this week we are taking a closer look at the politics playing out east of the Cascades. Reporters Bryce Dole, Kathryn Styer Martinez and Antonio Sierra break down the issues of note. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

This year’s primary election doesn’t have many statewide races of note, but the Portland suburbs have a bevy of interesting races. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, we dive into the dynamics at play on the Clackamas and Washington County commissions. Plus we hit on the Metro Council seats up for grabs. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

Ballots should be arriving any day now for Oregon voters. And in a matter of weeks, we will know who will be facing Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek in the November election. It’s one of the more competitive GOP primaries we have seen in recent years. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Dirk VanderHart and Lauren Dake take a deep dive into each of the top candidates. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

Local governments in the Portland metro area are having serious money problems. To fill their massive budget gaps, leaders are proposing to cut hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars for government programs. What will this mean for the Rose City and the region’s future? On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Alex Zielinski and Bryce Dole discuss the budget happenings. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

 Oregon’s top four Republicans vying to be their party’s nominee in the gubernatorial election squared off in Hillsboro on Thursday night. It was the first time the four appeared on stage to answer questions. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Dirk VanderHart and Lauren Dake discuss how the candidates did, what they said to differentiate from one another and much more.  Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

One of the highest courts in the land is once again focused on a tiny area of Portland. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Lauren Dake, Troy Brynelson and Conrad Wilson discuss the latest legal drama. This week saw federal appeals judges hear debate on the use of tear gas near the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Portland will continue to be restricted. Plus, we dive into more data on ICE detentions in the Pacific Northwest. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

Portland Mayor Keith Wilson entered office last year, promising to end unsheltered homelessness in the city. He opened several overnight shelters. And on most nights, the shelters are full. Wilson sees this as evidence that homelessness is decreasing. 

But the actual evidence -- the numbers we have -- say there are thousands more people sleeping on the streets each night compared to when Wilson entered the scene

We are going to explain why once again officials from city of Portland and Multnomah County disagree and why the effort to quantify who is without housing is so fraught. Plus we’ll discuss the Portland arts tax and some recent OPB reporting as well. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts. 

Earlier this week, The US Supreme Court heard arguments in a case challenging a Mississippi law related to voting by mail. At the same time, President Donald Trump is pushing Congress to pass a new law that would require proof of citizenship for all voters, including those who vote by mail. Oregon is very proud of its history as the first state to pivot to voting only by mail in the early 2000s, and has done a lot to cement that legacy in the years since. On the latest episode of “OPB Politics Now,” we explore how this case and proposed legislation could upend some of that work. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

On this week's episode of OPB Politics Now, we hand the mic to our friends at The Evergreen.  Producer Julie Sabatier went to Salem with OPB politics reporter Lauren Dake to see what session was like. Take a listen. We'll be back next week with a new episode.

The 2026 short legislative session is over. In just over a month, lawmakers passed so many bills it was nearly impossible to keep track of it all. They moved a gas tax vote to the May election. They spent big to keep the Trail Blazers in Portland. They filled state budget holes and even bought a waterfall. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Bryce Dole, Dirk VanderHart and Lauren Dake discuss all that and more. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts. (edited) 

Each year, Oregon school districts look to the state legislature to help patch funding gaps, maintain academic standards, and not create more budget problems with new mandates. As the sun sets on this year’s legislative session in Salem, it appears there are going to be few wins for schools. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, we explore how this year's session fared for Oregon educators and students. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

Three years ago, Pacific Northwest tribes reached a landmark deal with the Biden administration aimed at saving salmon populations. Then President Trump came back into the office and killed the whole thing. But that’s not the end of the story. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Lauren Dake, Tony Schick and Dirk VanderHart discuss the federal judge ruling, plus we hit on a legislative potpourri with roughly a week to go in this year’s session. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

Tensions are rising in the Oregon State Capitol as the legislative session nears the halfway mark. Republicans boycotted a floor session, a House leader resigned his post, and a Representative accused her Democratic colleague of creating a hostile working environment.  And that was all just this week. How will lawmakers manage the political drama and keep their legislative priorities on track? We’ll give you the latest on the latest episode of OPB Politics Now. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts. 

The city of Portland has recently uncovered several piles of money no one knew was there. At the same time, the city is looking at a pot of money that some say should be off limits to keep the Portland Trail Blazers in town.

We are living in a time of meager public budgets. Look pretty much anywhere in Oregon these days, and you find school districts preparing cuts, state budget writers figuring out what has to go, and cities looking at tough choices.

So it’s been notable in recent months to see the city of Portland stumbling over piles of money that no one knew was there. At the same time, the city is scrambling to make sure it keeps the Portland Trail Blazers in town, and to do so it’s looking at a pot of money that some say should be off limits.

We are diving into the city’s bank accounts today – with a side of sports talk.

Lawmakers wasted no time this week, considering substantive policy bills in their first week in the 35-day legislative sprint. Plus, activity escalated around the South Portland ICE building last weekend, with tear gas use from the federal officials prompting outcry and a legal response. On this week’s OPB politics now, we’ll talk about  how much money the state is expecting to have in Salem, their efforts to push back on the federal govt and the latest on the ICE building and the politics surrounding it. Find the show wherever you get your podcasts.