This doesn't include every race, just the prominent and interesting ones.
US President: Hillary Clinton / Tim Kaine
It's self-explanatory. Even if Donald were a change agent, we have no way of knowing what changes he'd bring. As an autocratic demagogue whose own words are contradictory and whose ill-tempered, egocentric personality gets in the way, he's the worst choice out there. You could pick Gary, Jill, or write in Evan, and you'd still be picking a better human. I'm picking the person whose values come closest to my own. I believe capitalism works, but markets require oversight. Gary and Evan would remove oversight, Jill would constrain markets, and Donald would do something but no one is sure what he'd do. Hillary's porridge is just right, by pushing trade agreements but with oversight.
US Senator: Ron Wyden
Without a doubt, he's one of the best senators in the Senate. He's a major champion of privacy rights and works with Greg Walden to support Oregonians. He's much more bipartisan than you might expect for a senator from a strongly blue state. I think most people take him for granted, and I wish they didn't.
Oregon Governor: Kate Brown
She's not a front and center leader who grabs the spotlight. She's done some good work, but also had some missteps. The alternative is Bud Pierce, a run of the mill Republican pushing the same sort of policies (cutting taxes) that has created chaos in Kansas. Plus, he's creepy when he talks. She's the best choice by far.
Secretary of State: Brad Avakian
This was a close one. Brad's had some problems in the past, and I was ready to pick Dennis Richardson. But Dennis Richardson is too cowardly to denounce Donald's actions and not a single Republican has brought up the multi-million dollar fines Donald has had to pay because of all the laws he's broken. In essence, Republicans are saying it's okay if a Republican does what a Democrat does. If that's the case, the difference between the two candidates is simply political, and I find his politics disagreeable.
Portland Commissioner #4: Steve Novick
This was another difficult choice. I really disliked his early actions in office, and there's still some squirrely stuff surrounding Uber that hasn't been fully resolved. Nonetheless, Chloe Eudaly's position on affordable housing -- support for rent control -- freaks me out. I strongly support paying more taxes to support affordable housing, but rent control will essentially cap housing prices, and in turn affect new housing starts in the city. Also, I think Novick will likely act differently when certain individuals are no longer on the council.
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