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

[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.

[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.

[OBD]

Glad to see renewed interest but I think this is canceled/on hold until at least after Dave’s game ends. Sorry y’all, can’t handle GMing and playing at once under the college schedule.