Dirk VanderHart
Dirk VanderHart covers Oregon politics and government for OPB. Before barging onto the radio in 2018, he spent more than a decade as a newspaper reporter—much of that time reporting on city government for the Portland Mercury. He’s also had stints covering chicanery in Southwest Missouri, the wilds of Ohio in Ohio, and all things Texas on Capitol Hill.
Dirk’s byline has appeared in USA Today, The New York Times, The Houston Chronicle, The Columbus Dispatch, The Oregonian, and more. He’s got a journalism degree from Michigan State University.
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The shooting occurred at Silver Rail Elementary School. Multiple victims, including children, have been sent to an area hospital. -
In their final Oregon gubernatorial debate in Bend, Tina Kotek and Christine Drazan clashed over Donald Trump, housing affordability, data centers, and water rights. -
It’s the first time publicly released polling has shown the Democratic incumbent leading GOP challenger Christine Drazan. -
Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek and Republican Christine Drazan clashed over taxes, school performance, and business retention during a gubernatorial debate in Medford. -
The largest single political donation on record in Oregon arrived mid-September in the account of Building a Stronger Oregon, a political action committee controlled by carpenter unions. -
A new OPB poll shows the Oregon governor's race virtually deadlocked between Tina Kotek and Christine Drazan as rising costs and homelessness top voter concerns. -
Kotek's reelection platform falls into four main categories, including increasing affordability, boosting the economy, improving Oregon's underperforming K-12 schools, and defending attributes that make the state unique. -
Pacific Green candidate Brett Smith could siphon key votes from Gov. Tina Kotek in a tight Oregon governor rematch against Republican Christine Drazan. -
Oregon Democrats express faith in the upcoming vote-by-mail election despite ongoing legal battles over President Donald Trump's attempt to restrict mail ballot delivery. -
The Oregon governor is escalating her stance on the facilities as they emerge as a political hot potato.
