PORTLAND, Ore. — Significant political shifts are on the horizon for Portland, Oregon, as the open mayoral race has attracted 19 candidates competing for a leadership role in a city grappling with homelessness issues. Among these contenders are three current City Council members, including one amidst a controversy regarding their driving record, a dancer, and a trucking executive promising to resolve unsheltered homelessness within a year.
The vacancy in the mayor’s office arises from Mayor Ted Wheeler’s decision to step back from the election after serving since 2017. Wheeler became nationally recognized during the protests of 2020, which erupted in the city following the police killing of George Floyd.
The upcoming election will usher in a new governmental framework, as Portland plans to expand its City Council from five to 12 members, all of whom will be elected from distinct districts rather than at-large. Additionally, the city will introduce a city manager position. For the first time, all candidates, including nearly 100 aspirants for the new council seats, will be selected using ranked-choice voting.
Efforts to amend Portland’s charter had previously failed, but voters finally approved the changes in 2022. This latest review of the charter was initiated during the nationwide protests of 2020, which shed light on issues of racial inequality and underscored the need for a more accountable governance structure.
Numerous diverse candidates are stepping forward for both mayor and council positions in Portland, a city with a predominantly white population. Yet, the way voters and the elected officials will adapt to the new voting system remains uncertain. “There’s a lack of clarity about the immediate aftermath of this election and how everything will function,” noted Chris Shortell, an associate professor of political science at Portland State University.
Despite the shifting political landscape, core issues surrounding homelessness and drug use persist as leading topics in this year’s campaign. Polls conducted in recent years indicated that Portland residents prioritize homelessness as a primary concern, emphasized John Horvick, senior VP of DHM Research. “Homelessness continues to be a defining issue for Portland politics, guiding discussions and strategies in this election and beyond,” he remarked.
City Council members Rene Gonzalez and Carmen Rubio have emerged as the top fundraisers in the mayoral race, alongside Keith Wilson, whose trucking company has electric vehicles. Each candidate offers unique strategies for addressing homelessness in a metro area where nearly 4,000 individuals were found living unsheltered as of January 2023.
Gonzalez, backed by law enforcement groups, has pushed for stricter enforcement of anti-camping regulations and has called for a halt to the distribution of tents and tarps to homeless individuals. In contrast, Rubio advocates for increased outreach and better cooperation among various organizations involved in homelessness support, such as shelters and social services.
Wilson, who founded a nonprofit aiming to boost homeless shelter availability, has made an ambitious promise to eliminate unsheltered homelessness in his first year if elected. His campaign plans to enhance nighttime emergency shelter options at existing facilities, including churches and community centers.
Following these frontrunners are City Council member Mingus Mapps and Liv Østhus, a musician and dancer known as Viva Las Vegas. Mapps is aiming to be Portland’s first Black mayor, and if he or either Gonzalez or Rubio—who also share Latino backgrounds—are successful, it will mark a historic moment for the city’s leadership.
Throughout much of the campaign season, Gonzalez and Rubio have been seen as leading candidates. However, revelations regarding Rubio’s extensive driving record and some past incidents concerning Gonzalez have shifted the dynamics of the race. Rubio has accumulated around 150 driving violations over two decades, resulting in multiple license suspensions, a fact reported first by The Oregonian/OregonLive. In response to the fallout, she expressed regret and emphasized her commitment to regain the trust of Portland citizens.
Gonzalez has a less eventful driving record but noted having a couple of license suspensions two decades ago alongside various speeding tickets. “I admit that I used to drive recklessly, but I have grown more responsible with age,” he commented.
These revelations have offered opportunities for Wilson, a newcomer to the political scene. “What initially seemed like a straightforward contest has become considerably more unpredictable in recent weeks,” Shortell observed, adding that the ranked-choice voting method could benefit Wilson’s campaign.
Ranked-choice voting allows voters to list their top choices on the ballot. If no candidate receives over 50% of first-choice votes initially, the candidate with the lowest votes is removed, and their support is redistributed according to voters’ next choices, continuing until one candidate garners a majority.
If Gonzalez and Rubio fragment their support, Wilson could attract enough second-choice votes to advance. The combination of a new electoral system, a restructured government, and the large pool of candidates is unprecedented for both participants and voters. As they navigate this new electoral environment, understanding its processes may take several election cycles, according to Shortell. “This situation is fundamentally about change, and everyone is still figuring out what it entails,” he concluded.