Not Your Grandparents’ Election (or is it?)

Former Oregon senator and political commentator Rick Metsger will elucidate the scenarios developing in 2022, as Oregon voters get ready to choose a new governor, repopulate the Oregon legislature, and fill three Congressional seats.

For the first time in 90 years a gubernatorial candidate who is not a member of one of the two dominant parties will be on the general election ballot. Democratic Party candidate Tina Kotek and Republican Party candidate Christine Drazan will be mixing it up with Betsy Johnson, an unaffiliated candidate who appears on the ballot by virtue of having collected tens of thousands of voter signatures. A governor’s race with three candidates coupled with the addition of a sixth Oregon Congressional seat makes this election season especially interesting.

According to Secretary of State Elections Department records, voter registration in Oregon as of August 2022 shows Democratic Party and unaffiliated voters number a bit more than a million each. About 730,000 voters are registered Republicans, and about 60,000 are members of minority parties or no party.

In this program Rick Metsger, writer, political commentator, humorist, and former Oregon state senator, will offer the latest information on important races and political trends. Rick will enlighten and educate those of us who are fascinated with Oregon politics and engage those who may not yet realize the importance of our voting decisions. His humor and depth of experience makes politics and civic engagement accessible, entertaining, and relevant for all Oregonians. We hope you can join us!