[6] He graduated from Harvard University with a bachelor's degree with honors in government in 1982 and obtained a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies from Reed College in 2009.

He was elected by the voters regionwide as the first Metro Council President in 2002, with 58 percent of the vote[11] (taking office January 2003), and was re-elected in 2006 without an opponent.

[12] His accomplishments in office included the passage of a $227.4 million bond measure in 2006 which allowed for the preservation of thousands of acres of natural areas in Oregon.

He has also performed with Linda Austin's Boris and Natasha Dancers in "Catnip" as part of the Dance United benefit for Oregon Ballet Theater at the Keller Auditorium.

[19] Since 2013, Bragdon has been executive director of TransitCenter, a New York-based non-profit organization which commissions and conducts research and advocacy related to urban transportation.