Shows
Stump Talk Podcast"This is so wildly different."City Hall reporters Shane Kavanaugh (The Oregonian), Sophie Peel (Willamette Week), and Alex Zielinski (OPB) join the podcast to take us inside the debates, alliances, and surprise twists that shaped the process.You can catch the final budget adoption vote here on June 18.Catch our guests' reporting here:.Willamette Week* Budget Season Reveals Two Clear Voting Blocs on City Council* Council Passes Amendment That Unknowingly Puts Proposed Budget $734,000 in the Red* Green and Novick Find a Way to Keep Metro Chamber From Opposing Future Parks Levy, for...2025-06-161h 05
Stump Talk Podcast“Budgets are a negotiation, right?”“Budgets are a negotiation, right?”In this episode, Rose City Reform chats with Elana Pirtle-Guiney and Eric Zimmerman about what to expect as the mayor’s budget hits the council floor on Wednesday.With big personalities and competing priorities on the line, sparks are likely to fly before councilors land on a final plan.Want to follow along as district reps make their case for what they believe in? The agenda page for Wednesday’s meeting includes a livestream and a sign-up link for public testimony. And while addressing the council can induce some sta...2025-05-191h 04
Stump Talk Podcast"For good news, take a look at Portland, Oregon."Fair warning—this is our nerdiest episode yet.On the other hand, if you’re curious about how Portland’s new voting system is shifting political dynamics, this episode is for you.Moon Duchin is a mathematician who leads the Data and Democracy Lab at Cornell University. George Cheung is the founding director of More Equitable Democracy, a Seattle-based group focused on racial justice through electoral reform.Neither of them lives in Portland—yet both can discuss the 2024 city election in more detail than most locals. The reason? Portland is now the only major U...2025-04-301h 02
Stump Talk Podcast"The reality is harsh."OPB reporter Alex Zielinski and the Oregonian's Lillian Mongeau Hughes join the podcast to discuss city leaders' efforts to tackle homelessness amid a brutal budget cycle.If you care to weigh in on the city budget after listening to this episode, you can do so here.Stump Talk is hosted by Maja Viklands Harris. It is brought to you by Rose City Reform, a research and journalism initiative dedicated to tracking Portland's historic reform process. The show is edited and produced by Jon Garcia of Lake Productions. This...2025-03-221h 05
Stump Talk Podcast"My boss is not in that building."Why did Sameer Kanal oppose one of Mayor Wilson’s top leadership choices? And what does he mean when he says he wants Portlanders to co-create policy with the council?These are just some of the topics discussed when Councilor Kanal and his chief of staff, Lisa Freeman, join the Stump Talk podcast.Stump Talk is brought to you by Rose City Reform, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research initiative dedicated to tracking Portland's historic reform process. The podcast is edited and produced by Jon Garcia of Lake Productions. This is a pu...2025-02-2550 min
Stump Talk Podcast"We have had an absolute clean break with the old."We’re back with a bonus episode that takes you inside City Hall, where a brand-new government is finding its footing.Joining us are The Oregonian’s Shane Kavanaugh and Willamette Week’s Sophie Peel, who discuss the “first day of school” vibes at City Hall, Mayor Wilson’s seemingly unflappable optimism, and a council that must balance big promises with one of the toughest budget cycles in decades.Stump Talk is hosted by Maja Harris of Rose City Reform. The show is edited and produced by Jon Garcia of Lake Productions. This is a pu...2025-01-131h 04
Stump Talk Podcast"Sausage-making in public is a good thing."On January 2, Portland’s newly elected city council gathered for a highly anticipated vote: selecting the council president.Many had expected that leader to be Candace Avalos, a former charter commissioner and a key architect of Portland’s new system. Yet, after nine rounds of voting, Avalos narrowly lost to Elana Pirtle-Guiney.In Episode 10 of Stump Talk, Avalos and her District 1 colleague Jamie Dunphy, who supported her for the role, reflect on the vote and what was at stake.Stump Talk is hosted by Maja Viklands Harris. The show is edited and produced by J...2025-01-091h 02
Stump Talk Podcast"It's gonna be us."Much has been said about how Portland’s new electoral system encouraged friendlier, more collaborative campaigning.Few candidates, however, worked as closely together as Tiffany Koyama Lane and Angelita Morillo. Were they Portland’s first example of a successful candidate slate?Tune in to Episode 9 of Stump Talk and decide for yourself.Councilor-Elect Tiffany Koyama Lane is a public school teacher and an organizer for the Portland Association of Teachers. Angelita Morillo is an anti-hunger advocate who runs a popular political TikTok channel. They have both been elected to serve Portland's third council dist...2024-12-0956 min
Stump Talk Podcast"It's working—so far."Did the landmark 2024 election deliver the change Portlanders were looking for? What were the big surprises? And does Keith Wilson’s win signal a mandate for his shelter plan?These are just a few of the topics we dive into on the latest episode of the Stump Talk podcast.That’s a wrap, Portlanders! Our historic 2024 election has concluded, and a new city government is set to take shape—well, almost. As of this morning, two city races remain too close to call. Here’s the projected lineup, with pending results marked by an asterisk:May...2024-11-1056 min
Stump Talk PodcastCarmen Rubio: "We need a mayor who can hit the ground running."What’s Carmen Rubio’s vision for a safe and affordable Portland? Why does she believe she’s the only mayoral candidate with the experience to forge the deals needed to tackle Portland’s toughest challenges?Those are just some of the topics we discuss in the latest episode of the Stump Talk podcast.Carmen Rubio made history in 2021, as the first Latina elected to Portland City Council. As commissioner, she’s most known for overseeing the Housing Bureau, the Planning and Sustainability Bureau, the Bureau of Development Services, and Prosper Portland.Rubio’s resume inc...2024-10-2743 min
Stump Talk PodcastRene Gonzalez: "We can return to being one of the safest cities in the nation."How does Rene Gonzalez plan to become the strictest mayor on the West Coast in terms of enforcing public camping and drug use laws? And what’s his plan for keeping Portland “healthy, beautiful, and safe”?These are just some of the topics we’ll cover with the city commissioner in Episode 6 of the Stump Talk podcast.Elected to Portland City Council in 2022, Rene Gonzalez is currently serving his first term. Until recently, he oversaw the Portland Fire Bureau, the Bureau of Emergency Communications, and the Bureau of Emergency Management.A business attorney by profess...2024-10-2641 min
Stump Talk PodcastKeith Wilson: "We’re going to turn Portland around next year."How does Keith Wilson plan to get Portlanders off the streets and into shelters? How will his business background influence his approach to managing Portland’s budget?Those are just some of the topics we discuss in the latest episode of the Stump Talk podcast.Keith Wilson is the President of Titan Freight Systems, a regional transportation company. He is also the founder of Shelter Portland, a network of homeless shelters, and the Homeless Court Program of Multnomah County, which removes fines and warrants for people experiencing homelessness after completing a rehabilitation program.De...2024-10-2540 min
Stump Talk Podcast"Ask my mother."Over a decade ago, Nathan Vasquez did one of the toughest things required by his job at the Multnomah County DA’s office: he called the grieving family of a gun violence victim. The person who answered was the victim’s brother, Vince Jones-Dixon.Today, both men have been elected to serve Multnomah County.In this episode, we’ll learn about the unexpected bond between these two officeholders, dating back to 2013 when Vince Jones-Dixon’s brother was shot and killed—a loss that ultimately inspired him to seek public office.We’ll hear their vision...2024-10-2159 min
City Cast PortlandWho Can Win Over East Portland’s Disillusioned Voters?Today is the day that ballots are being mailed out to voters in Multnomah County, so it’s crunch time for sorting through the head-spinning 90+ candidates running for 12 open City Council seats in Portland. Over the next week on City Cast Portland, we’re covering the district races by honing in on the candidates with the most individual contributions in each district. We’ll be looking at what issues they’re campaigning on, who’s supporting them, and how they’re standing out. We’re starting with District 1, which covers parts of Northeast and most of East Portland. Here to help is Maj...2024-10-1624 min
Stump Talk Podcast"Leaders who can walk and chew gum at the same time"Stump Talk Episode 3: "Leaders Who Can Walk and Chew Gum at the Same Time"Can labor and business agree on who should be our new city leaders? Why do voters need “validators” to vet candidates? What drives political interest groups to spend money on key races?The answers may surprise you. Welcome to the latest episode of Stump Talk.In this episode, we’re joined by Laurie Wimmer, Executive Secretary/Treasurer of the Northwest Oregon Labor Council, and Doug Moore, Executive Director of the business group United for Portland.We dig into w...2024-10-031h 02
Stump Talk Podcast"Summer camp is over."Are candidates making promises they can’t keep? Who represents the status quo in Portland politics? What’s the “fed-up caucus?” And why is “summer camp” over for council candidates?These are just some of the issues we discuss in the latest episode of Stump Talk. Our guests are Alex Zielinski, City Hall reporter for OPB, and Nathan Williams, the filmmaker behind The Experiment, a documentary following Portland’s historic 2024 election.To follow Alex Zielinski’s election coverage, visit OPB.org or listen to the OPB Politics Now podcast. To learn more about Nathan Williams’ documentary, visit...2024-09-201h 01
Beat Check with The OregonianChronicling Portland’s historic elections for mayor and City CouncilPortland City Hall is on the verge of some truly monumental changes, ranging from the radical transformation of how the city’s government operates to an historic election in November that will usher in a new mayor and expanded 12-member City Council.The work to get here has now been years in the making. Few have followed the twists and turns of this civic saga as closely as Maja Viklands Harris.A longtime journalist and local government watcher, Harris is the founder of Rose City Reform, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news and research site that’s beco...2024-09-0927 min
Stump Talk Podcast"F***ing Madness or a Great Civic Experiment?"In our inaugural episode, we sit down with Sophie Peel, City Hall reporter for Willamette Week, and Shane Kavanaugh, who covers City Hall for The Oregonian. Together, we delve into the candidates and key themes shaping the 2024 election. Please note, the opinions expressed belong to the guests and do not reflect those of Rose City Reform.In this episode, two excellent articles are referenced. One is "Rise from Chaos: The Political Machines That for Decades Dominated Portland Elections Must Start From Scratch," published in the Willamette Week on Septmber 16, 2023. The other is "Mayoral Candidate Keith Wilson Is...2024-09-011h 05