A Green challenger to Oregon's longest serving state House member

By Alex Baumhardt | Senior reporter

Morning all,

Time is fast running out for Oregonians to ensure they can vote in the Nov. 3 midterm election. All voters should confirm they’re registered and their address is up to date by visiting oregonvotes.gov/myvote by 11:59 p.m. today.

For voters in the vast 57th House District in north-central and northeast Oregon — encompassing all or some of Clackamas, Gilliam, Jefferson, Marion, Morrow, Sherman, Wheeler, Umatilla and Wasco counties — a late arrival candidate running as a Pacific Green will be on the ballot. Josiah Dean, an advisor at the Columbia Gorge Small Business Development Center and a former hotel owner living in Dufur, is challenging 13-term incumbent state Rep. Greg Smith, a Republican from Heppner, in what Dean characterized as a quixotic quest to win over the area’s nonaffiliated voters.

Also in today's edition:

Oregon ethics officials investigate state Rep. Lamar Wise over income omissions.
Oregon among states pursuing single-payer, universal healthcare system.
House Dems condemn Homeland Security raid on home of Rep. Ilhan Omar.
Bipartisan lawmakers call President Trump’s order for Russian diesel illegal.
Trump heads West (not Oregon) to try to boost GOP candidates.
Americans’ water bills are rising faster than groceries, inflation. Oregonians among those suffering most.

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Green challenging Republican Rep. Greg Smith hopes to win with nonaffiliated voters

By Alex Baumhardt

State Rep. Greg Smith, R-Heppner, (left) is defending his seat against Pacific Green candidate Josiah Dean, of Dufur (right). (Photo of Smith by Laura Tesler/Oregon Capital Chronicle. Photo of Dean courtesy of Dean’s campaign)

Josiah Dean, 63 and a resident of Dufur, decided to run as the Pacific Green Party’s nominee for the 57th House District seat in north-central and northeast Oregon against 13-term Republican state Rep. Greg Smith when he learned that the Wasco County Democratic Committee had not put up a candidate to run against Smith in a decade.

Oregon ethics commission investigates state Rep. Lamar Wise over failure to disclose income

By Shaanth Nanguneri

Rep. Lamar Wise started representing Oregon's 48th House District last year. He is facing an ethics investigation related to income he allegedly failed to disclose. (Courtesy of the Lamar Wise for State House Campaign)

One of Oregon’s newest Democratic state lawmakers is under investigation by the Oregon Government Ethics Commission for failing to disclose income from a social justice nonprofit with influence on Oregon policies.

Tuesday is Oregon’s voter registration deadline. Make your voice count.

By Julia Shumway

Oregon election officials will begin mailing ballots to all registered voters Wednesday. Voters will have until 8 p.m. on Nov. 3 to return their completed ballots in the signed envelope to an official ballot box, county elections office or by mail using the prepaid postage.

Midterms have revived universal healthcare debate. Oregon is closer than any state.

By Markian Hawryluk (KFF News)

Democratic congressional members and candidates are already planning to use any midterm election gains to expand health coverage, including boosting Affordable Care Act subsidies, reversing Medicaid cuts, and lowering the Medicare eligibility age.

But Democratic strongholds across the country — including Oregon, California, New York, and Washington — have more ambitious goals: single-payer, universal healthcare systems.

No state is closer to that goal than Oregon.