The deadline for Members of OPP to suggest nominees was March 14, 2018. The nominees suggested by Members were Chris Henry and Marc Koller. They have both said they are willing to serve.

The State Council believes that both of them would be valuable additions:

• Chris has been the OPP's leading vote-getter in Oregon elections every 2 years since 2014 (and 2nd leading vote-getter in 2012). His vote totals have been legally necessary to maintaining our status as an official Oregon minor party.  Chris is an active union member and long-haul truck driver.
   
• Marc Koller has been running for U.S. Representative in Oregon's 3rd Congressional District (mostly the east side of Portland an Multnomah County, plus some of the west side and some of Clackamas and Hood River counties). He is a long-experienced business executive, union member, and educator at several universities and other schools.

The State Council is amenable to having both of them serve on the State Council. That would require amending the Bylaws to increase the number of persons on the Council from 5 to 6. The State Council can amend the Bylaws by majority vote.

The voting of OPP members on the State Council candidates, Chris Henry and Marc Koller, will take place at the OPP Monthly meeting on April 16 (7:00 pm) at the usual meeting place (411 S.W. 2nd Avenue, 2nd Floor, in Portland). The meeting will also be available by conference call at (712) 775-7031, code 209-508-222#.

If you have questions, please send them to statecouncil@progparty.org.

The term of Alaina Melville as a member of the Oregon Progressive Party (OPP) State Council has expired. The party will conduct an election for a new 5-year term for this seat. Members of OPP may suggest nominees for this seat until midnight of March 14, 2018.  We will post the names of the nominees on this website on March 15.

Please send your suggested nominations to statecouncil@progparty.org. A nominee must qualify as a Supporter or Active Member of OPP and must maintain that status throughout the term of office.

Supporters and Active Members of OPP will be eligible to vote in this election.

Votes may be cast at the party's monthly meeting on March 19 (7:00 pm) at 411 S.W. 2nd Avenue, 2nd Floor, in Portland. The meeting will also be available by conference call at (712) 775-7031, code 209-508-222#. Votes will also be accepted by email to vote@progparty.org on or before midnight of March 18.

The Oregon Progressive Party has elected a new 5-person State Council, which is generally in charge of all party matters. The new council members are:

Alaina Melville
David Delk
David Hess
Jason Kafoury
Liz Trojan

Below is biographical information about the State Council candidates, in alphabetical order.
 

Don Baham

Don Baham is a progressive populist activist and originator of Conversations with Dr. Don, a weekly news interview program.  Don writes:

David Delk

David Delk has been the President of the Alliance for Democracy for the past 12 years. Four years ago, he established a public cable access program called the Populist Dialogues. He is a native Portlander who also is President of the Eastside democratic Club, heads up the Move to Amend efforts in Portland, is a founder of Oregonians for Renewable EnergyPolicy (advocates for a feed in tariff), and also a founder of Oregon Democracy Coalition.  In 2006 he was a chief petitioner for Measure 46, which would have amended the Oregon constitution to allow limitations on campaign contributions and expenditures.  He is also the co-chair of the Global Justice Committee of Jobs with Justice, working with the Oregon Fair Trade Campaign to promote fair trade policies and to oppose global multi-national "free" trade agreements like the currently being negotiated Trans Pacific Partnership and the Trans Atlantic (European-US) Free Trade Agreement.  In his spare time, he is a member of the First Unitarian Church and its Economic Justice Action Group, and he likes working in his garden, organically.

Barbara G. Ellis

Barbara G. Ellis, Ph.D., is a member of 350.org’s divestment project, was active in Occupy's Labor Solidarity Committee, a life-long political activist, and a contributor to both London’s Carbon Tracker Initiative, and the TruthOut website. She also is a long-time journalist (LIFE magazine; Washington, DC. Evening Star; the Beirut Daily Star, the International Medical News Group). For several years, she was a journalism professor (Oregon State University, Louisiana’s McNeese State University). She’s written several books and was a nominee for the 2004 Pulitzer Prize in history (“The Moving Appeal”), and, now, is a principal of a Portland OR writing/PR firm.
 

David Hess

David Hess was one of the first five members of the Oregon Progressive Party (formerly the Peace Party) and has served on its Nominating Caucus from its inception.

He has also served as Treasurer of the Oregon Progressive Party for 3 years, a job that includes reporting all contributions and expenditures to the Oregon campaign finance reporting system.

He has worked as a paralegal at the law firm of Kafoury & McDougal since 2005.

He actively participates in anti-war and anti-surveillance protests and has been a key organizer for Oregon Progressive Party events since 2008.
 

Jason Kafoury

Jason Kafoury is an attorney at Kafoury & McDougal law firm, where he represents victims of corporations and insurance companies.  Prior to joining the firm 5 years ago, he worked for Ralph Nader for 5 years.  He was the national coordinator of the Nader for President 2008 campaign, putting Nader on the ballot  in 45 states (and DC) by collecting voter signatures and conducting voter conventions (and arranging write-in status in 4 other states, as Oklahoma bans write-ins).  His coordination also created new minor parties in Connecticut, Maryland, New Mexico, and Hawaii, and Nader's general election vote totals preserved the existence of other minor parties in California, Delaware, and Florida. Jason helped found the Peace Party of Oregon in 2008, which nominated Nader for the Oregon ballot and in 2010 changed its name to the Oregon Progressive Party.  He has been a leader of the Party since he moved back to Portland in December 2008.
 

Liz Trojan

Liz Trojan was one of the original founders of the Peace Party of Oregon in 2008, which changed its name in 2010 to the Oregon Progressive Party (OPP).  She has served on the party's Nominating Caucus since 2008. Liz writes:

My political experience includes active involvement in a number of ballot initiatives. In the campaign finance reform and people's utility district initiatives, I was one of the chief petitioners. In addition to ballot initiatives, third parties are a powerful means to influence our government. I have been involved with the Oregon Progressive Party since it's inception. For me, the Oregon Progressive Party represents a way to push forward an agenda that puts people and communities first. As a State Council member for the party, I intend to be present at all the monthly meetings and to help with table opportunities whenever possible. The Oregon Progressive Party needs more visibility. Tabling is a great way to gain some visibility and have one on one conversations with interested individuals.

The Oregon Progressive Party's State Council has initiated the 21-day period during which Members or Supporters of the Party may submit to the State Council proposed nominations for the 5 State Councilor positions to be elected this summer.

These are volunteer, unpaid positions.  One is for 1 year, one for 2 years, one for 3 years, one for 4 years, and one for 5 years.  After this year, one State Council position will be up for election each year.

Please send the names (and, if possible, email addresses) of proposed nominees to info@progparty.org on or before June 28, 2014.

The 16 categories of duties of the State Council, as stated in the Bylaws, are:

1. Appointing officers and senior advisers;
2. Managing day-to-day activities of the operation of the Party;
3. Budgeting and finances, including seeking contributions and assisting candidate's fundraising efforts;