News Wednesday's WW described Portland mayoral candidate Jefferson Smith as "famously scattered and frenetic."Today, we got the following email—filled with gibberish—from Smith's campaign. It might seem to provide  evidence to support the above description. Then again, it was evidently not Smith who clicked the "send" button, as the email came from the account of Democratic Party of Oregon marketing ...   More

Politics State Rep. Jefferson Smith’s campaign for mayor isn’t off to an awe-inspiring start.   More

News Bus Project founder and State Rep. Jefferson Smith (D-East Portland) announced today that he will run for mayor. The current field of candidates to replace Mayor Sam Adams includes former City Commissioner Charlie Hales and New Seasons Market co-founder Eileen Brady.WW previously reported that Smith was considering entering the race. Today, Smith says, he received treatment for a corneal abrasion, ...   More

Murmurs Two prominent lawmakers are close to major career moves: Two-term state Rep. Jefferson Smith (D-East Portland) spent the weekend at the coast with his wife to arrive at a decision whether to enter t   More

News Two powerful unions paid for a poll last week to find out how strong Mayor Sam Adams is in his bid for re-election next year. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 75 and Service Employees International Local 49 paid for the poll. While it's unclear what the results showed, it's probably no accident that a high-profile lawmaker is now at least considering entering the ...   More

News Newly proposed green-energy tax credits in Oregon are prompting watchdog groups to warn that the measure is a warmed-up version of a discredited idea. And the tax watchdogs blasting the proposal f   More

News The Oregonians for a State Bank group is holding a forum Tuesday, Feb. 1 on a proposal circulating in the state Legislature to establish a publicly owned bank in Oregon.The state bank proposal—which opponents have said is barred by the state Constitution and deals with a subject the state lacks expertise in—aims to benefit Oregon's small businesses, family farmers and local communities by funding ...   More

News Perhaps the most important personnel decision Gov.-elect John Kitzhaber will make between now and inauguration day in January is whom to pick as chief of staff. The man who served that key role for most of Kitzhaber's previous two terms as governor, from 1995 to 2003, was Bill Wyatt—now the director of the Port of Portland, a job too good to leave. Kitzhaber has said he'll bring in new ...   More

News The Bus Project last night won two Pollie Awards, which — while not quite as well-known as an Academy Award — is a big deal for anyone involved in political campaigns. The awards from the American Association of Political Consultants honored the Bus Project for mobilizing thousands of young voters with its Trick or Vote campaign on Halloween to get people to vote. That program ...   More

News First-term Rep. Jefferson Smith (D-Portland) is up for re-election next year. And like most lawmakers, he's in the process of raising money. Earlier this week Smith, who founded the Oregon Bus Project, sent scores of lobbyists invitations to a $500-a-head fundraiser on Oct. 29. (Smith notes there is no charge for entry to the event "Some will give more [than $500], some will give less, some ...   More