Betsy Johnson
American PoliticianWikipedia
9
MENTIONS
8
EPISODES
6
PODCASTS
Search complete. 9 mentions across 8 episodes found for "Betsy Johnson".
Oct 14, 2026
David KromanHOST
Hmm.
David KromanHOST
Last cycle, independent candidate Betsy Johnson got a significant number of votes.
David KromanHOST
I think it was about eight, eight points, eight percentage points.
David KromanHOST
This year we have Brett Smith running as a member of the Pacific Green Party.
David KromanHOST
Could that be a factor in this race?
Dirk VanderHartGUEST
I mean, I, I've been very intrigued by that question, and I've probably written more about it than it needed to be.
Dirk VanderHartGUEST
But y- look, this has happened before, so Betsy Johnson was an outlier.
Dirk VanderHartGUEST
We, we have not seen in Oregon the kind of campaign where a non-affiliated candidate comes in, has millions of dollars to spend, has big names backing her, a, a lot of alliances that served her well, and yet, you know, a- as you said, only got about 8% of the vote.
Spencer KimballGUEST
Uh, we saw this out in Oregon.
Spencer KimballGUEST
Remember last cycle in the governor's race, uh, Betsy Johnson was up, uh, but she melted over the last week of the campaign.
Spencer KimballGUEST
Went from, like, 20 down to eight or nine points because voters realized, "Hey, maybe I don't wanna push my vote where it's not gonna really matter.
Spencer KimballGUEST
I want, you know, to, to go with the winner or, or somebody else." So that's an important number to keep an eye on, uh, how well they're doing right now, and presuming they're gonna lose a few points, and then what direction will they go, they go in.
Reagan KnoppHOST
Yes.
Reagan KnoppHOST
So he was out there paving the way for Betsy Johnson and then decides at the end of the year – to flip to Democrat, December 12, 2006.
Reagan KnoppHOST
And that sets him up to run for treasurer against Allen Alley in 2008.
Reagan KnoppHOST
And that was an incredibly heavy Democrat year, obviously.
Lauren DakeGUEST
There are quite a few differences between this race and the race four years ago.
Lauren DakeGUEST
First, there's no Betsy Johnson.
Lauren DakeGUEST
She was the well-funded, pretty well-known state senator who left the Democratic Party.
Lauren DakeGUEST
She ran as an unaffiliated candidate.
Dirk VanderHartGUEST
I mean, so the complexion of last, uh, last time's race was different in 2022.
Dirk VanderHartGUEST
If, if you'll remember, Michael, we had a very well-funded, um, sophisticated, independent or, or non-affiliated candidate in, in Betsy Johnson-
Michael DunneHOST
Mm-hmm
Dirk VanderHartGUEST
... who was a former, a former Democratic state senator, ran a really energetic campaign.
Reagan KnoppHOST
And this time she doesn't have Betsy in the middle of it, who was can throw really good quotes out there.
Reagan KnoppHOST
Betsy Johnson and can, you know, be be very magnetic in a debate setting.
Reagan KnoppHOST
So I think that that she doesn't have that to draw away from this time.
Reagan KnoppHOST
And so maybe that's an advantage for Drazen because there's less for Kotech to hide behind or or point at other other people who are at fault.
Reagan KnoppHOST
And I've seen the greatest Senate of all time.
Reagan KnoppHOST
The 2013 Senate with 16 Democrats, one of them being Betsy Johnson and 14 Republicans and Peter Courtney, Senate president.
Reagan KnoppHOST
That's the greatest of all time.
Reagan KnoppHOST
Senate right there.