Political Science Department

Cylvia Hayes may be the most influential first lady in Oregon history.
Since Gov. John Kitzhaber took office in January 2011, Hayes, 47, has played a central role in his administration. She keeps a desk in the governor’s office, attends senior staff meetings and communicates regularly with…

Jon Bauer, a longtime editor and writer at the Daily Herald, will assume the title of editorial page editor Oct. 4.
Bauer replaces Peter Jackson, who has overseen the Opinion page and Viewpoints section of the Daily Herald since 2012. Jackson is leaving to work on a book and to…

Ten congressional races and dozens of legislative contests across Washington will be decided by voters this week, though many of the races don’t offer much competition.

In 95 of the 123 legislative races on the ballot, there’s no contest. Twenty-two races are unopposed, and for 73 seats,…

Supporters of a Washington gun control measure on the November ballot may have just gotten a mid-summer boost. They’re capitalizing on an audio recording that recently surfaced.

Ross Reynolds talks with Todd Donovan, professor of political science at Western Washington University, about whether low voter turnout can ruin an election. This is ahead of the election on August 5, in which Seattle voters will decide whether to create a permanent taxing district for city…

Supporters of a Washington gun control measure on the November ballot may have just gotten a mid-summer boost. They’re capitalizing on an audio recording that recently surfaced. They say it captures the NRA’s Northwest lobbyist mocking Jewish people who support stricter gun laws. Olympia…

The 6th Legislative District is bound for another expensive campaign season, as Democrat Rich Cowan challenges incumbent Republican state Sen. Mike Baumgartner in November.

Although they are the only two candidates in the race, making the Aug. 5 primary election almost inconsequential,…