Since graduating from the University, former ASUO President Adam Petkun has remained politically active in Eugene and throughout Oregon.
Petkun, who served as president for the 2004-2005 school year, is working for the Portland-based Oregon Bus Project political action committee, a grassroots organization formed in 2001 that sends volunteers on a bus to swing districts throughout the state to speak with voters on political issues and encourage voting. The project also works with candidates who share the project’s values.
A former volunteer and fellow with the project, Petkun opened the project’s first branch office in Eugene with University student Courtney Anglin and serves as Lane County director for the project.
“I spend a lot of time just talking to people about the bus project and growing the organization,” Petkun said. “I also spend time fundraising, and I also organize bus trips for the political action committee.”
One of the project’s latest events was on Sunday, where hundreds of volunteers went door to door throughout Eugene and asked voters what their concerns were. They also rallied for state Sen. Vicki Walker, D-Eugene, and state House candidate Chris Edwards, who is campaigning against Republican Debi Farr.
Petkun said the project has an estimated 2,000 volunteers throughout Lane County, including about 500 students. Volunteers from the University have included former ASUO Vice President Kyla Coy. ASUO Senate President Stephanie Erickson is joining the project as an organizer, Petkun said.
Project volunteers research candidates in political races that are expected to be close and volunteer their support to candidates by traveling door to door and speaking with voters to find out their concerns, Petkun said. He said volunteers plan to knock on more than 60,000 doors this summer.
“One of the needs that we saw was the need to renew grassroots politics and engage in grassroots politics,” Petkun said. “The most effective way, especially people our age, to be involved in politics is to go door to door and talk to voters.”
Petkun said the group works with statewide and local candidates who share their values on a six-issue platform that includes education, the environment, election reform and healthcare. The project supports a progressive platform, but it has supported Democrats, Republicans and Independents, Petkun said. He said one of the project’s slogans is not left or right, but forward.
“So many innovative pieces of policy came out of Oregon, and we want to build Oregon to again be a progressive model for the nation and to set an example for what a place can be like,” Petkun said. “If we do well, than other states will copy that and state by state we’ll start to see lots of great policies.”
In 2002 and 2004, the group helped nine of the 10 candidates for the Oregon State Senate and eight candidates in local races win elections. Petkun said they previously worked with Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy and Eugene City Councilors Bonny Bettman, Betty Taylor and Andrea Ortiz.
“We’re working really hard to expand the model and build a lasting organization that can be spread across the state,” Petkun said.
This summer three University students, Emily McLain, Tom Hojem and Llewynn Grayston, will participate in the organization’s summer fellowship program.