Oregon Democrats promised to reform the state’s campaign finance laws. But their fix tilts the playing field in their favor, says a Democratic lawmaker.

Shemia Fagan leaves office Monday, six days after she announced her resignation following news of a side job with a troubled cannabis dispensary.

“I have been inactive for the past two years but need to become active again,” Fagan wrote from her personal email address on Friday, Feb. 3, at 2:31 p.m.

"I had promised several legislators during the session, including Betsy, access to Pappy when available," he wrote

Shemia Fagan was supposed to be the next Democratic star in Oregon politics, but now she's about to be out of office due to a spectacularly fast-moving scandal in Salem. Reporters Lauren Dake and Dirk VanderHart talk about Fagan's rise to prominence and sudden resignation as Secretary of State.

Pay Dirt is a weekly foray into the pigpen of political funding. Subscribe here to get it in your inbox every Thursday. When Herschel Walker emailed a representative for billionaire industrialist and longtime family friend Dennis Washington in March 2022, he seemed to be engaging in normal behavior for a political candidate: He was asking for money. But unbeknownst to Washington and the billionaire’s staff, Walker’s request was far more out of...

Knight made the donation April 4 to the Bring Balance to Salem PAC

The state redistricting board drew maps to favor Republican candidates in state Senate districts, the court ruled.

Read more here.

A landmark decision firmly establishes that partisan gerrymandering violates the Alaska Constitution.

Justices concluded that the Alaska Division of Elections mishandled the withdrawal of the independent who sought to replace Don Young

A last-minute bipartisan effort to update Alaska’s election laws does not include new campaign contribution limits, nor does it make changes to the state’s open primaries and ranked choice voting system.

If signed, new bill would cap donations from individuals at $400 and donations from small-donor committees at $4,000 in municipal elections, among other requirements.

“Great feedback!” Secretary of State Shemia Fagan emailed Rosa Cazares. “Thanks Rosa.”

Fagan logged five out-of-state trips in the last six months. When in Oregon, she typically logged out of work by 2:30 p.m., the calendars suggest.

Imagine you are Oregon’s Secretary of State Shemia Fagan. A campaign donor in the pot industry offers you a job moonlighting to help them with business opportunities.

Shemia Fagan didn't make just one mistake in her dealings with La Mota cannabis chain owners Rosa Cazares and Aaron Mitchell, the editorial board writes. Her acknowledged "poor judgment" occurred repeatedly and reflects her prioritizing self interest over Oregon's. She must resign.

Treasurer Tobias Read believes he could be a good fit, and former Senate President Peter Courtney says he'll fill in if asked. Informal conversations with Democratic politicos Tuesday turned up a wide range of names, including a trio of current or former Multnomah County officials: Jessica Vega Pederson, Deborah Kafoury and Susheela Jayapal.

Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan resigned her post as secretary of state just five days after a story in Willamette Week touched off an avalanche of reporting about her work as a consultant for an embattled cannabis company. It was an unlikely end for a politician who was considered a rising star and a potential future governor or U.S. senator.

Oregon's Constitution gives the governor complete discretion in selecting the appointee.

Idahoans for Open Primaries will attempt to qualify a ballot initiative for the November 2024...

BOISE, Idaho — Idaho voters could soon decide whether to have open primary elections and whether to choose candidates in order of preference, through a burgeoning method called ranked choice

Pair of former legislators endorse creation of independent redistricting commission

Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan has resigned effective May 8, a major turn in a moonlighting scandal that broke out just last week.

Secretary of State Shemia Fagan resigned on Tuesday, a day after she apologized for accepting a moonlighting job for a cannabis company.

Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan resigned her position after revelations that she was working as a consultant for a cannabis company while her office was auditing the industry.