Republican political strategist Bryan Iverson has over two decades of experience in media and politics. In this episode he joins Reagan to talk about what makes a good candidate as well as some of teh challenges republican candidates face in Oregon as well as teh obstacles that revolve around recruiting new candidate to the party.   For more information on Bryan and his work you can check out https://iversonmedia.com ..read more

Daniel Kemmis is a giant figure in the politics of the American West. A former Speaker of the Montana House of Representatives and twice-elected Mayor of Missoula, Kemmis is also an author and political theorist. President Bill Clinton awarded him the Charles Frankel Prize for "outstanding contribution to the field of the humanities," and he also one the Wallace Stegner Prize from the Center of the American West.    His first book, Community and the Politics of Place, was published in 1990, and his most recent came out in 2020, Citizens Uniting to Restore Our Democracy. In this ..read more

Olivia Clark has worked in state, local, and regional politics and policy for decades, including stints working with cities, DEQ, the Kitzhaber Administration, and TriMet. In this episode, she reflects on how her previous work will inform her approach as a Portland City Councilor. We discuss her work for Gov. Kitzhaber, the challenges she navigated in that period, and why she stayed for nearly two full terms.    Olivia also offers her explanation for what went wrong in Portland over the last decade or two--and what can be done to fix it. She gives her vision for making the layers of ..read more

In the second half of this conversation with George Fox's Civility project, the Oregon Bridge is doing a deep dive on what civility means in the context of politics and how creating a more civil political environment can lead to more productive bipartisan policy and discourse.  A huge thank you to George Fox for inviting the Oregon Bridge out to be on this panel and for helping provide this programming. You can learn more about the Civility Project here: https://sites.google.com/georgefox.edu/gfcivilityproject/home   ..read more

In this special two part episode, recent guest Ron Mock returns to the Oregon Bridge but this time Ben and Reagan are the interviewees. In this first half of the conversation, the team unpacks the history, thesis and origin of the Oregon Bridge Podcast, how that has evolved over time, and also the role that the podcast plays in both Ben and Reagan's Lives. A huge thank you to George Fox for inviting the Oregon Bridge out to be on this panel and for helping provide this programming. You can learn more about the Civility Project here: https://sites.google.com/georgefox.edu/gfcivilityproject/home ..read more

Tony Morse is a candidate for Portland City Council's District 4 (the west side and a small slice of inner east Portland). Tony is an attorney by training and has worked in real estate and political organizing. He describes himself as "center left" and willing to work those who disagree with him to get things done.    In this episode, we talk about Tony's recovery story and what it means to be a "recovery candidate" for the Council--including some specific ideas about how the City can help resolve the crisis. We talk about Ballot Measure 110, harm reduction strategies, public consump ..read more

Metro Councilor Chrisinte Lewis has had an extensive career in Oregon politics. A Portland Business Journal "40 Under 40" honoree, she graduated from Reed College and quickly entered the world of political organizing. She has worked as campaign manager for former Senate President Peter Courtney, former State Rep. and Multnomah County Commissioner Jules Bailey, and several ballot measures. She also worked on the "official side" (non-campaign) for then-Speaker Tina Kotek, the City of Portland, and the Bureau of Labor and Industries. In 2018, she was elected as a Metro Councilor representing ..read more

Former legislator and Secretary of State Phil Keisling has had a truly remarkable career in Oregon politics. Prior to his own tenure in elected office, he worked on the campaign of Gov. Tom McCall (McCall's third and only unsuccessful attempt) and for then-Speaker Vera Katz. Elected to the legislature in 1988 after a career in journalism, Gov. Barbara Roberts appointed him as a freshman legislator to assume the office of Secretary of State (it is an incredible story, involving Phil arriving an hour and a half late for his interview with the Governor). He was subsequently elected to two full te ..read more

The 2024 election cycle is already heating up in Oregon even at this early stage! In this episode Ben and Reagan discuss what candidates will be expected to contend, as well as which candidates have already declared and began fundraising campaigns for some of Oregon's open seats in office ..read more

Eric Zimmerman is a chief of staff for a Multnomah County Commissioner and a Major in the Oregon National Guard. Previously, he worked as a senior advisor to the Mayor of Portland and as an assistant city manager. He's also thinking about running for Portland City Council.    In this episode, we cover Eric's background in the military, his experience running for office, and why he has hope for Portland's future--but wants a more action-oriented set of leaders in charge. We also talk about the time that he punched a man in the face (following an attack on his then-boyfriend)--and what ..read more