Rose City Reform
Stump Talk Podcast
"Leaders Who Can Walk and Chew Gum at the Same Time"
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"Leaders Who Can Walk and Chew Gum at the Same Time"

Rose City Reform talks to labor leader Laurie Wimmer and United for Portland's Doug Moore about endorsements, campaigning, and money in politics.

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 what makes a good leader, dispel the myth that business and labor are always on opposing political sides, and get their take on why you can’t take money out of politics—and what they think should be done about it. Our guests also offer their thoughts on Portland’s new electoral system, share their optimism about the record-breaking candidate pool, and explain why a candidate with all the wrong answers can still earn their respect.

Curious about their picks for City Hall? Learn about the Northwest Oregon Labor Council's endorsed candidates here. United for Portland’s list can be found here.

The groups align on six council candidates: Elana Pirtle-Guiney (D2), Dan Ryan (D2), Steve Novick (D3), Olivia Clark (D4), Tony Morse (D4), and Eric Zimmerman (D4). In this episode, they’ll touch on why.

To explore other candidates endorsed by labor, business, and a wide range of interest groups and elected leaders, head to Rose City Reform’s candidate tracker.

Many thanks to our guests for taking the time, and to Emily Medress for contributing to this podcast. Stump Talk is produced and edited by Jon Garcia of Lake Productions.

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Rose City Reform
Stump Talk Podcast
How do you reform a city? Let us count the ways. The Stump Talk podcast digs into the sweeping reforms Portland voters approved in 2022, like Ranked Choice Voting and multimember districts. Curious about how City Hall is changing? We bring in political experts to give you the scoop and make YOU the political insider.