Oregon’s Electorate: Who Will Vote—and Why It Matters

2016 was a year of electoral upset and 2018 may be another. Incumbents lost, underdogs won, and polls and pols alike failed to predict outcomes accurately. Political scientist Melody Rose, PhD, President of Marylhurst University and specialist in American elections, discusses what recent elections tell us about the future of Oregon’s unpredictable voters. Which voters will prove critical in our upcoming races, and what do trends in other states tell us about how Oregonians may vote? Dr. Rose will set changing demographics and political loyalties within the context of “political realignment,” arguing that a massive political shift is changing the party system and provoking political change in ways unseen in over a generation.

About Dr. Rose
Dr. Melody Rose is the 15th president of Marylhurst University and a nationally recognized scholar of women and politics. She has served as chancellor of the Oregon University System and in many different roles at Portland State University, culminating in her service as Vice Provost for Academic Programs & Instruction and Dean of Undergraduate Studies. She is also the founder and first director of the Center for Women, Politics & Policy.

Outside of work, Dr. Rose volunteers for education, civic engagement, and women’s organizations. She was a 2013 Portland Business Journal Women of Influence honoree, and she received the 2010 Governor’s Women of Achievement Award. She served as president of City Club of Portland in 2011-12, and she is an active member of the International Women’s Forum.