Portland, Oregon's City Council champion for public financing of elections, Eric Sten, is retiring having seen the Voter-Owned Elections program he fought hard to secure enter its second cycle with many candidates qualifying. The Willamette Week evaluates Sten's pet projects, including Voter-Owned Elections, and their staying power.

Rep. Chris Murphy (D-CT) wrote earlier this week about the enormous amount of time he, as a legislator, must devote to fundraising for his re-election campaign. Further proof of the dominance raising money has come to assume in the lives of members of Congress comes in the form of Rep. Darlene Hooley's (D-OR) announcement today that she will retire from Congress. She cited the demands of fundraising as part of her reason for stepping down.

The Portland Mercury News today profiles a candidate for a city council seat who was among the more vocal proponents of the city's Voter Owned Elections public financing program.  Chris Smith is a transportation activist who's looking to translate his policy knowledge into public support. Will the Voter-Owned Elections program help Smith and other others like him enter the fray for elected office?

In the first primary elections held under Portland, Oregon’s Voter Owned Elections law on May 17, the new law helped make Portland elections fair, open, and accountable with a more level playing field, less campaign spending, reduced influence of special interests, and new options for genuine participation in politics by typical residents from nearly all city neighborhoods, according to the Friends of Voter Owned Elections.