Today we have some updates on political news at various levels of government:
Fight for Control of Congress
Control of Congress runs through swing districts like Oregon’s 5th District, represented by Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer. So already Democrats are focused on that race. This week saw the biggest endorsement yet in the Democratic primary to unseat Chavez-DeRemer: Gov. Tina Kotek threw her support behind State Rep. Janelle Bynum, who has twice beaten Chavez-DeRemer in state legislative races. Already Democrats are using Chavez-DeRemer’s support for newly elected U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, condemning the vote because of his extreme opposition to abortion and his support for Trump's effort to overturn the 2020 reelection. Chavez-DeRemer defended the vote in an interview with KTVZ, saying she didn’t know much about his record. [Oregon Capital Chronicle / KTVZ]
Oregon Supreme Court to Weigh Walkout
Walkouts have shut down the State Legislature repeatedly, but Measure 113 was supposed to do away with them by penalizing legislators who choose not to report for duty. In case you missed it, there was still a walkout last session — the longest in state history. And now five Republican senators who participated are challenging the provision that would bar them from running for reelection. The Oregon Supreme Court will decide whether the measure has any teeth. [OPB]
Bridge Operators: No More Political Colors
Multnomah County bridge operators have asked that the county stop lighting up bridges as a political message. The request came after County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson lit the Morrison Bridge blue and white for five nights to show support for Israel after the Hamas terrorist attack. She followed that up with five nights of white lights as a message for peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. [OPB]
- Related: What is it like to watch a traffic jam from a bridge operator’s perspective? [City Cast Portland]
