To Save A State - a 2022 election game (interest thread)

[OBD]

CBS

Presenting another Oregon election game from OBD!

While Tina Kotek just held Oregon's governorship for Democrats IRL, To Save A State takes us to an alternate Oregon - one whose politics have devolved even further into chaos.

Oregon's recent upheaval have centered on Portland. It began with the formation of the ESAZ (East Side Autonomous Zone) - molded after Seattle's CHAZ, the ESAZ - and its chaotic dismantling by a mix of Portland Police and federal officials - brought Portland into the national spotlight, and not in a good way. Then, it was the Pioneer Place arson incident, occurring amid a flareup of post-George Floyd social unrest. And then, in November 2020, a political earthquake rocked the city when leftist activist Sarah Iannarone narrowly defeated deeply unpopular Mayor Ted Wheeler, putting Portland City Hall in the hands of the far-left.

Portland, OR Mayoral Election, 2020
Activist Sarah Iannarone 189,370 votes 52.16%
Mayor Ted Wheeler (i) 172,761 votes 47.31%
Other 1,925 votes 0.53%

None of these developments have made governing easier for the ruling Democratic Party. The stunning election of Iannarone - openly affiliated with Antifa - has brought waves of negative publicity for the state from right-wing news outlets in particular, and more importantly for Democratic prospects in 2022, has seriously spooked affluent suburbanites. Iannarone, meanwhile, has consistently butted heads with the Brown administration, with Portland and the state government warring over Iannarone's drastic cuts to the Portland Police and worries over a major spike in crime in 2021. Governor Kate Brown is the most unpopular governor in the state by far, and with the left splintered and center alienated, opposition candidates in Oregon smell blood in the water.

Complicating matters is Oregon's shiny new voting system. Measure 111, passed narrowly in the 2020 election, brings ranked-choice voting to Oregon. Measure 111 is highly similar to Alaska's RCV reform package (also passed in 2020) - rather than party primaries, one large jungle primary will now be held in each state election, with the top four candidates advancing to the general election, which will be held with ranked-choice voting.

With Democratic strength at a nadir, Oregonians of all political stripes crying out for change, and a drastically different voting system to boot, Oregon's gubernatorial election is shaping up to be a marquee election. Surprisingly, the field is wide open, with many established Oregon politicos passing up a run - Speaker Tina Kotek will remain in the House, while Minority Leader Christine Drazan is reportedly challenging Kurt Schrader in the redrawn 5th district. With Democrats struggling to handle Portland and against allegations of extremism, while Republicans have jumped off the deep end with electoral denialism, a clear lane has opened in the center for a strong moderate candidate - especially considering that RCV will eliminate 'wasted vote' arguments from the two major parties. Not to mention the possibility of a leftist challenger, egged on by Mayor Iannarone and Portland's strong activist base, or a far-right candidate dissatisfied with a Republican standard-bearer that may be too moderate for rural Oregon tastes.

An election game in the mold of East of the Merrimack and Flip the 6th - elevated to the statewide level - To Save A State will feature custom characters. Unlike many other election games in the past, independent candidacies are encouraged here - specifically, I am looking to fill  'moderate independent' (Betsy Johnson-type) and 'Portland leftist' (Iannarone-type) niches, and possibly a far right (Ammon Bundy-type) niche as well. That said, partisan candidates are preferred. Your character can be a state legislator, activist, millionaire business(wo)man, county official, journalist, even the owner of a locally beloved establishment - just keep it within realistic bonds (as determined by yours truly).

I'm also carrying over the rules from Kaiser's game. Here they are, for reference:

Rules

1. No Violating the Rules of this Blog

2. No Powergaming, Metagaming, etc.

3. Be polite please, rudeness ain't needed. Be considerate and kind towards your fellow players and blog posters.

4. Be reasonable and stick to realism.

5. If you commit to playing a big role, please stay active. And lengthy and complete inactivity without any message or reasoning will result in removal.

6. No cheating, I don't know how you would but don't do it

7. Characters, and this is very important, must be well rounded and sensible. I will not accept God-like characters. Within those constraints, get creative!

8. Have fun!

9. If you have any suggestions, please provide!

And here is the info:

1. The game will commence in January 2022, and will last approximately 7 turns (3 pre-primary, 4 post-primary). This is to avoid burnout and ensure we can take this game to a successful conclusion. I hope to have at least 6 or 7 candidates and partisan diversity - remember, 4 will advance to the general election (I hope this will allow more players to enjoy the game for longer, compared to other election games). As in OTL, the primary will occur in mid-May.

2. I will incorporate news. Assume that any events that happen OTL happen in this TL, unless they contradict with established lore. Additionally, assume that all OTL politicians exist, except for those that conflict with player characters (e.g. if the player represents Oregon's 10th State Senate seat, the current senator from that seat does not exist for this game's purposes). Endorsements will play a limited role - I've never really been big on the influence of endorsements, so there'll only be major interest groups, major national/local figures, and major Oregon officeholders up for grabs.

3. Detail is good. Go into depth about the locations you visit, and try to tailor your campaigns to them. Results are calculated on a local level so this can and will affect your numbers!

And lastly, the character app. Once again borrowing from Kaiser.

Character App
Name:
Gender:
Age and DOB:
Hometown:
Current Residence:
Political Party:
Occupation:
Background:
Political Record*:
Visual Description**:
Additional Information:


*Tell us more about your character's time in politics, if they're a local lawmaker what have they prioritized, what are some important votes they've taken on controversial issues. If they're a private sector outsider who have they fundraised for or publicly supported, what are some issues where they've been vocal?

**Image not required

Candidates

Democratic:
Tommy Matthews (D-Eugene) - Orwell
Jordan Jenkins (D-Portland) - FalterinArc

Republican:
Doyle Brooks (R-Pendleton) - RGM2609

Independent

[NewYorkExpress]

I rather wish you'd reconsider the idea of allowing real people for this game.

For some reason, the idea of a Phil Knight independent candidacy appeals to me.

[Orwell]

I rather wish you'd reconsider the idea of allowing real people for this game.

For some reason, the idea of a Phil Knight independent candidacy appeals to me.

Phil Knight would be pretty overpowered at the beginning having unlimited funding and 100% name recognition

[NewYorkExpress]

I rather wish you'd reconsider the idea of allowing real people for this game.

For some reason, the idea of a Phil Knight independent candidacy appeals to me.

Phil Knight would be pretty overpowered at the beginning having unlimited funding and 100% name recognition

Need I remind people money does not buy success in politics, or we'd have been talking about President Romney after the 2012 election?

[Orwell]

Name: Tommy Matthews
Gender: Male
Age and DOB: 53 (Born: March 12, 1969)
Hometown: Lebanon, Pennsylvania
Current Residence: Eugene, Oregon
Political Party: Democratic
Occupation: Football Coach
Background: A graduate and former football Wide Receiver at the University of Pennsylvania where he was named a Division 1-FCS All-American in his Senior Season, Matthews entered coaching after brief stints on the practice squads of the Colts and 49ers, He originally worked as the Wide Receivers coach at the University of Nevada, before joining the Oregon Ducks as their Wide Receiver Coach under Head Coach Mark Belotti, he spent 8 seasons as the Wide Receivers coach and co-Offensive Coordinator at Oregon before being promoted to Offensive Coordinator before the 2005 season. Following Belotti's retirement, Matthews was named the next Head Coach of the University of Oregon. During his time as Head Coach of the Ducks, he led them to the 2010 National Championship game, the 2014 National Championship game, and 4 PAC-10/12 titles from 2008 through 2014. He is best known for coaching a fast-tempo offense which led the Ducks to significant success. In 2016 2 years following his retirement, Matthews announced that he has been active in championing social justice causes in Oregon, but is also noted for opposing the rioting in Portland after formerly supporting the 2020 protests, he has been outspoken in his support for police reform though.

Political Record: Strong Supporter of Social Justice initiatives including BLM, but not much is known outside of that for his views.
Visual Description: 6 foot 3 inches and 210 pounds, Matthews is marked by his blonde hair and a strong jaw, he looks like a football player.
Additional Information:

[Orwell]

I rather wish you'd reconsider the idea of allowing real people for this game.

For some reason, the idea of a Phil Knight independent candidacy appeals to me.

Phil Knight would be pretty overpowered at the beginning having unlimited funding and 100% name recognition

Need I remind people money does not buy success in politics, or we'd have been talking about President Romney after the 2012 election?

Fair enough, I am going with a fictional former Oregon head coach turned CPC Congressman who has shown support for BLM.

[Left Wing]

Character App
Name: Jordan Jenkins
Gender: Male
Age and DOB: 62 (Born June 21, 1960)
Hometown: Bend, Oregon
Current Residence: Portland, Oregon
Political Party: Democratic
Occupation: Journalist
Background: Growing up in Bend, Oregon, Jenkins cut his political teeth as a volunteer for the Frank Church campaign in 1976. After graduating from UO with a BA in journalism in 1982, he took on a staff job at The Bulletin, before being assigned as a local political reporter. In 1987 he was hired by The Oregonian as a full-time political columnist.

For the last thirty-five years, Jenkins has served The Oregonian diligently as a reporter, earning him respect from both sides of the political aisle. He is known for both his admiration and vast knowledge of Oregon political history. He also has a reputation of willing to meet with any political figure, including ESAZ leaders and militia groups in eastern Oregon. Prominent Oregonian members of Congress over the years such as Ron Wyden, Gordon Smith, Greg Walden and Peter DeFazio have often given Jenkins insider information and allowed in-depth looks at the inner workings of their offices.

On state issues, Jenkins is known for having a traditionally liberal perspective while still often criticizing members of the Democratic Party. In recent years, despite his support of both her elections, Jenkins has criticized the performance of Kate Brown, especially with regard to lagging state standards on issues like education. He has also directed heavy criticism towards the Oregon GOP, which he views as "hurtling into Trumpism". His campaign for Governor will be the first of his life, but his name recognition and outsider image will be key advantages for him to emphasize.

Visual Description**: 6'3, thinning wiry white hair, thick square black glasses.

[OBD]

I rather wish you'd reconsider the idea of allowing real people for this game.

For some reason, the idea of a Phil Knight independent candidacy appeals to me.

I would prefer to keep characters fictional. While I'm not immediately opposed to a Phil Knight independent candidacy, I'd like to see if anyone else has ideas for a compelling Independent in the race, particularly if this Independent is fictional - I don't want to have the Indy lane too crowded.

Name: Tommy Matthews
Gender: Male
Age and DOB: 53 (Born: March 12, 1969)
Hometown: Lebanon, Pennsylvania
Current Residence: Eugene, Oregon
Political Party: Democratic
Occupation: Football Coach
Background: A graduate and former football Wide Receiver at the University of Pennsylvania where he was named a Division 1-FCS All-American in his Senior Season, Matthews entered coaching after brief stints on the practice squads of the Colts and 49ers, He originally worked as the Wide Receivers coach at the University of Nevada, before joining the Oregon Ducks as their Wide Receiver Coach under Head Coach Mark Belotti, he spent 8 seasons as the Wide Receivers coach and co-Offensive Coordinator at Oregon before being promoted to Offensive Coordinator before the 2005 season. Following Belotti's retirement, Matthews was named the next Head Coach of the University of Oregon. During his time as Head Coach of the Ducks, he led them to the 2010 National Championship game, the 2014 National Championship game, and 4 PAC-10/12 titles from 2008 through 2014. He is best known for coaching a fast-tempo offense which led the Ducks to significant success. In 2016 2 years following his retirement, Matthews announced that he was challenging Suzanne Bonamici for the Democratic nomination in Oregon's 1st District, he ran a liberal campaign even against the already progressive Bonamici during his time as Coach he was outspoken in support of free speech by players and criticized police action during the Ferguson unrest, in the primary, he positioned himself as a fiscal and social progressive criticizing Bonamici for not helping the district enough. He won the primary in 2016, owing to large margins in the more suburban and rural areas of the district, he endorsed Hillary Clinton for President in 2016 early in the process, and was a strong early supporter of Joe Biden. He defeated Republican challenges in his district easily in 2018 and 2020 as well.
Political Record: A member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Matthews is on the more moderate side of the caucus, he has been a champion for the Timber Industry in Oregon while still supporting environmental causes. His first and foremost interest is bringing jobs and federal money into Oregon and has been noted as one of the top Congressmen for earmarks in both 2018 and 2020. He has heavily supported the right to choose and opposes a ban on partial-birth abortions and has been noted for his strong defense of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Visual Description: 6 foot 3 inches and 210 pounds, Matthews is marked by his salt and pepper hair and a strong jaw, he looks like a football player.
Additional Information:

I like the concept, but I'd prefer if Matthews didn't primary Bonamici - Oregon's Congressional delegation remains the same as OTL, though I reiterate that fictional state legislator characters are allowed. Also, not sure why a Eugene native would run in the 1st district. If you can remedy this I'd be happy to approve.

Character App
Name: Jordan Jenkins
Gender: Male
Age and DOB: 62 (Born June 21, 1960)
Hometown: Bend, Oregon
Current Residence: Portland, Oregon
Political Party: Democratic
Occupation: Journalist
Background: Growing up in Bend, Oregon, Jenkins cut his political teeth as a volunteer for the Frank Church campaign in 1976. After graduating from UO with a BA in journalism in 1982, he took on a staff job at The Bulletin, before being assigned as a local political reporter. In 1987 he was hired by The Oregonian as a full-time political columnist.

For the last thirty-five years, Jenkins has served The Oregonian diligently as a reporter, earning him respect from both sides of the political aisle. He is known for both his admiration and vast knowledge of Oregon political history. He also has a reputation of willing to meet with any political figure, including ESAZ leaders and militia groups in eastern Oregon. Prominent Oregonian members of Congress over the years such as Ron Wyden, Gordon Smith, Greg Walden and Peter DeFazio have often given Jenkins insider information and allowed in-depth looks at the inner workings of their offices.

On state issues, Jenkins is known for having a traditionally liberal perspective while still often criticizing members of the Democratic Party. In recent years, despite his support of both her elections, Jenkins has criticized the performance of Kate Brown, especially with regard to lagging state standards on issues like education. He has also directed heavy criticism towards the Oregon GOP, which he views as "hurtling into Trumpism". His campaign for Governor will be the first of his life, but his name recognition and outsider image will be key advantages for him to emphasize.

Visual Description**: 6'3, thinning wiry white hair, thick square black glasses.

Approved.

[RGM2609]

I feel like my character from Flip the 6th would be more than fit for this environment. May I reuse him?

[Orwell]

I like the concept, but I'd prefer if Matthews didn't primary Bonamici - Oregon's Congressional delegation remains the same as OTL, though I reiterate that fictional state legislator characters are allowed. Also, not sure why a Eugene native would run in the 1st district. If you can remedy this I'd be happy to approve.

Fixed it, Matthews has just been commenting on Social justice issues since leaving UO

[OBD]

I feel like my character from Flip the 6th would be more than fit for this environment. May I reuse him?

Go ahead, just repost the profile here. Also feel free to alter info about Brooks - including, possibly, his home base now that the whole state is available. That said you have my approval.

I like the concept, but I'd prefer if Matthews didn't primary Bonamici - Oregon's Congressional delegation remains the same as OTL, though I reiterate that fictional state legislator characters are allowed. Also, not sure why a Eugene native would run in the 1st district. If you can remedy this I'd be happy to approve.

Fixed it, Matthews has just been commenting on Social justice issues since leaving UO

Approved.

[RGM2609]

Character App
Name - Doyle Brooks
Gender - Male
Age and DOB - 47, born September 28, 1974
Hometown - Pendleton
Current residence - Pendleton
Political party - Republican
Occupation - Political commentator
Background - Political commentator on KDZR (1997-2015), campaign spokesman for Donald Trump in Oregon (2015-2017), political commentator on One America News (2017-2021)
Political Record - Brooks has vocally expressed very conservative views during his time as a commentator. He has been an unrepentant Trump supporter ever since he declared his candidacy, even serving as his campaign spokesman.
Visual Description - Average middle-class white guy. Moderately tall but chubby, pale complexion, dark hair which is cut really short, brown eyes.

[President of the great nation of 🏳️‍⚧️]

Character App
Name: Dani Avison
Gender: Female
Age and DOB: 45 in January, 46 in November (b. Sep. 5, 1976)
Hometown: Warrendale, Oregon
Current Residence: Warrendale, Oregon
Political Party: Republican (though I'm willing to go indy if OBD nixes the idea of my being a Republican)
Occupation: Attorney
Background: Avison was born and raised in Warrendale to a single mother. Seeing a series of men break her mother's heart throughout her life resulted in Avison growing distrustful of men. Her mother's murder in 2003, on the night Avison learned she passed the bar, resulted in Avison, otherwise bisexual, refusing to date men at all. She has one daughter, Petra, born Peter in 2002. Petra was raised by her grandmother before her death as her mother was a law student, and came out as a transgender girl in 2019. Avison was personally laissez-faire when it came to transgender issues, but she actively supported her daughter because she'd reduced the number of men in the world.
Political Record*: Avison was discouraged from running against Mark Johnson in 2016 by the local Democratic Party. Thus armed, she became a Republican in January 2017 and schmoozed the local Republican Party to get appointed to Johnson's seat when he resigned later in 2017. Avison narrowly won re-election in 2018 and 2020, winning roughly 51% of the vote in both the primary and the general in both years. Her voting record is shown below, bold are endorsements. Avison's campaign is one run on upholding the Consitiution [sic], the Bill of Rights, the abolition of all men, inalienable rights for all, and individual liberty. But not necessarily in that order.
Voting Record since 2012: Jill Stein for President 2012, Dani Avison (WI) for Governor 2014/Senate 2016/Congress 2012/2014/2016/2018, Hillary Clinton for President 2016, Kate Brown for Governor 2016/2018, Jo Rae Perkins for Senate 2020, Jo Jorgensen for President 2020, Joanna Harbour for Congress 2020
Visual Description**: Janet from The Good Place comes to mind, even though the concept is very loosely based on Ann Davison.

[Schiff for Senate]

I rather wish you'd reconsider the idea of allowing real people for this game.

For some reason, the idea of a Phil Knight independent candidacy appeals to me.

Phil Knight would be pretty overpowered at the beginning having unlimited funding and 100% name recognition

Need I remind people money does not buy success in politics, or we'd have been talking about President Romney after the 2012 election?

Better example: Michael Bloomberg. He poured, like, billions of dollars into his campaign only to win one territory (not even an actual state, but just a territory).

[Schiff for Senate]

Character App
Name: Dani Avison
Gender: Female
Age and DOB: 45 in January, 46 in November (b. Sep. 5, 1976)
Hometown: Warrendale, Oregon
Current Residence: Warrendale, Oregon
Political Party: Republican (though I'm willing to go indy if OBD nixes the idea of my being a Republican)
Occupation: Attorney
Background: Avison was born and raised in Warrendale to a single mother. Seeing a series of men break her mother's heart throughout her life resulted in Avison growing distrustful of men. Her mother's murder in 2003, on the night Avison learned she passed the bar, resulted in Avison, otherwise bisexual, refusing to date men at all. She has one daughter, Petra, born Peter in 2002. Petra was raised by her grandmother before her death as her mother was a law student, and came out as a transgender girl in 2019. Avison was personally laissez-faire when it came to transgender issues, but she actively supported her daughter because she'd reduced the number of men in the world.
Political Record*: Avison was discouraged from running against Mark Johnson in 2016 by the local Democratic Party. Thus armed, she became a Republican in January 2017 and schmoozed the local Republican Party to get appointed to Johnson's seat when he resigned later in 2017. Avison narrowly won re-election in 2018 and 2020, winning roughly 51% of the vote in both the primary and the general in both years. Her voting record is shown below, bold are endorsements. Avison's campaign is one run on upholding the Consitiution [sic], the Bill of Rights, the abolition of all men, inalienable rights for all, and individual liberty. But not necessarily in that order.
Voting Record since 2012: Jill Stein for President 2012, Dani Avison (WI) for Governor 2014/Senate 2016/Congress 2012/2014/2016/2018, Hillary Clinton for President 2016, Kate Brown for Governor 2016/2018, Jo Rae Perkins for Senate 2020, Jo Jorgensen for President 2020, Joanna Harbour for Congress 2020
Visual Description**: Janet from The Good Place comes to mind, even though the concept is very loosely based on Ann Davison.

Jesus Christ

[Schiff for Senate]

Character App
Name:
Gender:
Age and DOB:
Hometown:
Current Residence:
Political Party:
Occupation:
Background:
Political Record*:
Visual Description**:
Additional Information:

I think I'd be interested. I'll go with my same character as last time - Heather Cooper - but I'll change a few details, I think.

Name: Heather Cooper
Gender: F
Age and DOB: December 13, 1988 (age 34 if/when sworn in)
Hometown: Gold Beach, Curry County, OR
Current Residence: Gold Beach, Curry County, OR
Political Party: Republican
Occupation: Politician and fisherwoman
Background: Cooper, comes from a working-class family that works in the fishing industry in coastal Oregon. Upon graduating from community college in Curry County, Cooper became the first person in her family to have graduated from college. Subsequently, Cooper was elected as a Republican to the Oregon House of Representatives in 2014, at the age of 26, from District 1. Two years later, in 2016, she was elected to the Oregon Senate from District 1. Both districts are in Southwest Oregon and include all of Curry County. Cooper has been known for her knowledge of local issues, as well as her senate office's accessibility, reachability, and efficiency. She is known as a conservative but pragmatic Republican. She was reelected to the Senate in a landslide in 2020, outperforming Donald Trump.
Visual Description: Fairly attractive. Light brown hair, blue-green eyes, about 5'7''. Resembles Hope Hicks.
Additional Info: Yeah I think I said all I had to say in the "Background" section.

[President of the great nation of 🏳️‍⚧️]

Jesus Christ

You hate to see a girlboss winning.

[Schiff for Senate]

Jesus Christ

You hate to see a girlboss winning.

 🙄

Besides, your character has about as much of a chance at winning as Doyle Brooks

[RGM2609]

Jesus Christ

You hate to see a girlboss winning.

 🙄

Besides, your character has about as much of a chance at winning as Doyle Brooks

From what I can recall, last time Brooks and Cooper faced off, Brooks was winning xd

[Schiff for Senate]

Jesus Christ

You hate to see a girlboss winning.

 🙄

Besides, your character has about as much of a chance at winning as Doyle Brooks

From what I can recall, last time Brooks and Cooper faced off, Brooks was winning xd

Yes, certainly. But the truth is Brooks would never have won, and never will win, the GE. Primary? Maybe (and I’m going to move Cooper to the right now - she will no longer state the obvious and admit that Trump lost, but to appease the sore-loser GOP base, she will instead try to finesse the issue-that-shouldn’t-be-up-for-debate-to-begin-with a la Youngkin). But the general, in an electorate as liberal as Oregon’s? Don’t care how unpopular Kate Brown is, he’d still lose comfortably if this game intends to bear the slightest semblance to real life.

I don’t think the primary will be easy for Cooper to win by any means. But in the general, I hold that Cooper would have a much better shot than Brooks (unless you moderate him a bit? IDK).

[RGM2609]

Jesus Christ

You hate to see a girlboss winning.

 🙄

Besides, your character has about as much of a chance at winning as Doyle Brooks

From what I can recall, last time Brooks and Cooper faced off, Brooks was winning xd

Yes, certainly. But the truth is Brooks would never have won, and never will win, the GE. Primary? Maybe (and I’m going to move Cooper to the right now - she will no longer state the obvious and admit that Trump lost, but to appease the sore-loser GOP base, she will instead try to finesse the issue-that-shouldn’t-be-up-for-debate-to-begin-with a la Youngkin). But the general, in an electorate as liberal as Oregon’s? Don’t care how unpopular Kate Brown is, he’d still lose comfortably if this game intends to bear the slightest semblance to real life.

I don’t think the primary will be easy for Cooper to win by any means. But in the general, I hold that Cooper would have a much better shot than Brooks (unless you moderate him a bit? IDK).

There will be a jungle primary. This should be interesting. OBD, is the game still on?

[Schiff for Senate]

Jesus Christ

You hate to see a girlboss winning.

 🙄

Besides, your character has about as much of a chance at winning as Doyle Brooks

From what I can recall, last time Brooks and Cooper faced off, Brooks was winning xd

Yes, certainly. But the truth is Brooks would never have won, and never will win, the GE. Primary? Maybe (and I’m going to move Cooper to the right now - she will no longer state the obvious and admit that Trump lost, but to appease the sore-loser GOP base, she will instead try to finesse the issue-that-shouldn’t-be-up-for-debate-to-begin-with a la Youngkin). But the general, in an electorate as liberal as Oregon’s? Don’t care how unpopular Kate Brown is, he’d still lose comfortably if this game intends to bear the slightest semblance to real life.

I don’t think the primary will be easy for Cooper to win by any means. But in the general, I hold that Cooper would have a much better shot than Brooks (unless you moderate him a bit? IDK).

There will be a jungle primary. This should be interesting. OBD, is the game still on?

Well that makes things VERY interesting. Maybe playing myself as a moderate is the best way to go.

[President of the great nation of 🏳️‍⚧️]

Jesus Christ

You hate to see a girlboss winning.

🙄

Besides, your character has about as much of a chance at winning as Doyle Brooks

Tomorrow we'll regret it, but today we rise.

[Kuumo]

Character App
Name: Natalie Strassen
Gender: Female
Age and DOB: 41 (born May 20, 1981)
Hometown: Beaverton, OR
Current Residence: Lake Oswego, OR
Political Party: Independent (since 2021), Democratic (2004-2021), Green (1999-2004)
Occupation: State Senator for SD-19 (since 2013)

Background: Natalie Strassen grew up in an upper middle class family in Beaverton. She attended Whitman College from 1999-2003, earning B.A.'s in Politics and Environmental Studies. Strassen married Brian McCann, a doctor, in 2017.

Political Record: As an undergraduate student at Whitman, Strassen volunteered for Ralph Nader's 2000 Presidential campaign. After graduation, she joined the Democratic Party and staffed for state senator Richard Devlin. After being elected to the Oregon Senate in 2012, Strassen initially supported the agendas of Governors Kitzhaber and Brown and the Democratic legislature. However, she gradually moved to the center, eventually bucking her party and voting against minimum wage increase, gun control, and automatic voter registration bills. Due to her opposition to progressive legislation and controversial endorsement of Republican Dennis Richardson for Secretary of State in 2016, Strassen narrowly prevailed against primary challengers in 2018 and 2020. In May 2021 she formally left the Democratic Party and became an independent, citing disagreements with Governor Brown and House Speaker Kotek and condemning Iannarone's administration in Portland.

Visual Description: 5'9", brown eyes, dark brown hair in bun, wears reading glasses, physically fit

Additional Information: Strassen is a vegetarian and proponent of mindfulness meditation. She was a competitive swimmer in high school and college and continues to be an avid rock climber.

[NewYorkExpress]

Since there is now an independent candidate that is likely to be approved, I am bowing out of this one.