Anyone watching Oregon campaign finance records earlier this year might have hit on a curious sight.
On a single day in February, two of the state senate鈥檚 most outspoken members 鈥� Mike McLane and Daniel Bonham 鈥� reported big purchases from the same electronics website, more than $35,000 combined.
About a month later, 鈥淥regon D.O.G.E.鈥� was born.
鈥淚 know it鈥檚 a controversial name,鈥� said McLane, R-Powell Butte, of the politics podcast he and Bonham launched in mid-March. 鈥淚 wanted to provoke thought. I want to be controversial. This is important.鈥�
The title is a nod to the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency, the Elon Musk-led endeavor that鈥檚 slashed its way through the federal workforce this year. For McLane and Bonham鈥檚 purposes, it actually means 鈥渄iscussion of government efficiency.鈥� And the two Republicans have found a lot to discuss.
In a little more than two months, 鈥淥regon D.O.G.E.鈥� has released 17 episodes digging into spending at state agencies and why McLane, Bonham, and their rotating cast of guests feel majority Democrats are doing it all wrong.
鈥淯ltimately it鈥檚 a nerdy podcast because we鈥檙e going through budget by budget,鈥� McLane said. 鈥淎nd we鈥檙e asking this question over and over to people: Is this the government that you want?鈥�
The jury is still out on that answer. Nationally, political podcasts are a hot commodity and one of the most listened to genres. Niche legislative podcasts don鈥檛 necessarily pack the same draw. Episodes posted to YouTube have so far topped out at hundreds of views, rather than thousands.
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But 鈥淥regon D.O.G.E.鈥� is just the tip of the spear in what has been an all-out blitz by state Republicans into the medium this year. With quality microphones, high-definition cameras and a professional-looking studio provided by Bonham and McLane, a growing cast of GOP lawmakers have emerged with their own shows.
Sen. Bruce Starr, R-Dundee, interviews colleagues and acquaintances in 鈥溾��.
On 鈥�,鈥� Rep. Jeff Helfrich, R-Hood River, promises his listeners ideas to 鈥渃ut through red tape, get to simpler government, and get to stuff that works for you.鈥�
And while State Sen. David Brock Smith, R-Port Orford, doesn鈥檛 have his own podcast yet, he鈥檚 pledged to release one soon with a title playing off of his initials: 鈥淣o B.S. with D.B.S.鈥�
At a time when Republicans hold super minorities in both chambers, McLane and Bonham say their party needs to expand its reach and speak directly to Oregonians. A mini-podcasting empire felt like the right move.
鈥淭he old days of a press release that shakes the fist at the majority party and says, 鈥榃e should be outraged!鈥� Guess what? That鈥檚 not working,鈥� McLane said. 鈥淗ow are you going to communicate to the generation that grew up with podcasts and Instagram reels?鈥�
If you鈥檙e looking for razzle dazzle, keep scrolling through your podcast feed. The Republican offerings mostly consist of staid interviews and issue discussions 鈥� all with a conservative bent. They鈥檙e great for politics nerds, but not always gripping.
But the shows are well produced and designed to reach the masses. High-quality video allows the GOP to circulate clips featuring pointed critiques of Democrats on social media sites like X and Instagram.
鈥淢y niece yesterday was like鈥� 鈥楿ncle Dan, I see you every day on Tik Tok,鈥欌�� Bonham said in a recent episode. 鈥淲e鈥檙e trying this new avenue [that鈥檚] relatively untested.鈥�
Some methods of promotion are more old school. Helfrich has stickers on his Capitol desk touting the 鈥淏ack to Basics Army鈥� that listens to his show 鈥� though he concedes he鈥檚 not sure how many troops he has.
鈥淚f people want to listen, great,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f they don鈥檛, that鈥檚 fine too. I鈥檓 just offering a different perspective.鈥�
With the crush of new shows, Republicans now dominate an Oregon legislative podcast market that they鈥檇 already had an edge in.
Even before the current glut of audio content, GOP legislative staffers Reagan Knopp and Bryan Iverson had been producing their own podcast, 鈥溾��, for about a year. The show is more freewheeling than those from sitting lawmakers, and doesn鈥檛 shy from campaign speculation and political gossip.
鈥淓ntertaining is as important as substance when you do podcasts,鈥� Iverson, who is married to Republican state Rep. Vikki Breese Iverson, R-Prineville, said recently when asked about the new offerings from his party. 鈥淐an you actually hold an audience, grow an audience and make it valuable? If that鈥檚 the case, then I鈥檓 all for it.鈥�
So where are statehouse Democrats? Members of the majority party, often quick to tout their love of podcasts, are sitting this one out. But some have dabbled in the past.
Sen. Jeff Golden, D-Ashland, briefly co-hosted a podcast called 鈥溾�� with former Sen. Shemia Fagan, D-Portland, in 2019.
And House Majority Leader Ben Bowman, D-Tigard, for years co-hosted 鈥溾��, a show that paired his liberal perspective with a number of Republican co-hosts (including Knopp).
The show attempted to offer a glimpse of Oregon鈥檚 more amicable political past 鈥� a time when Capitol walkouts were unheard of. But Bowman pulled the plug last year.
鈥淚t ended because podcasts take so much work to do well,鈥� he now says. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e going to do it weekly, you have to have a long list of people that you can ask weeks out. So it just became logistically challenging.鈥�
Asked about the flood of GOP podcasts, Bowman jokingly estimated the new shows have 鈥渄ozens of listeners in every corner of the state.鈥�
鈥淚 do know several of the people doing Oregon politics podcasts, and let me assure you, these are not Joe Rogan numbers that we鈥檙e putting up,鈥� he said.
Yet Bowman isn鈥檛 ready to completely cede the territory.
鈥淚 do want to bring back the podcast,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think we probably will.鈥�
