Sign of the Times: Campaigns Clash as Election Day Nears
Welcome to Stump Talk, your nifty end-of-the-month candidate tracker.
“Don’t Touch My Sign”
As Election Day approaches, tensions are beginning to show in what has so far been an unusually collaborative election cycle. A recent standoff between District 4 candidates Chad Lykins and Olivia Clark underscores the challenges of campaigning in crowded, low-visibility races.
Clark, whose resume includes leadership roles at TriMet and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, took exception when Lykins' campaign manager unexpectedly returned one of her campaign signs to her during a candidate meet-and-greet, claiming it had been illegally placed near a bus stop. While Clark later suggested that Lykin’s campaign may have run afoul of the law by removing the sign, the Portland Bureau of Transportation did not immediately respond to an inquiry about whether private citizens may remove campaign signs that are not on their property.
Lykins—the owner and operator of Rose City Chess—justified the removal as a favor to Clark. In a Willamette Week endorsement interview, Lykins remarked that his staffer could have reported the sign to the appropriate authorities. Clark’s response? “Don’t do me any favors.”
Dust-Ups in the Mayoral Race
Mayoral frontrunners Carmen Rubio and Rene Gonzalez both faced negative headlines in September—Rubio over her troubled traffic record and Gonzalez due to a campaign finance investigation involving his use of city funds to edit his Wikipedia page.
Seizing the moment, trucking executive Keith Wilson sent an email to supporters positioning himself as someone who would not “embarrass the city”, accusing his rivals of “flagrant irresponsibility, nonstop drama, and misuse of public funds.”
City Commissioner Mingus Mapps also took aim at his colleagues in a tweet that expressed frustration about The Oregonian’s decision to invite Rubio and Gonzalez for endorsement interviews while excluding Mapps, who is also running for mayor.
“…character clearly isn’t the issue—my opponent Carmen Rubio, who has racked up over 150 parking tickets, is being considered. Rene Gonzalez also has traffic violations, questionable use of public funds, AND lied about a Black woman attacking him,” Mapps wrote, referring to a 911 call placed by Gonzalez earlier this year.
The two later debated Mapps’ allegations in a Willamette Week endorsement interview.
An earlier version of this story mistakenly attributed a tweet with a broken heart emoticon to City Commissioner Rene Gonzalez. Rose City Reform regrets the error.
Candidates Compete for Crime-Weary Voters
Public safety has emerged as the central issue in Portland’s 2024 election, with frontrunners Carmen Rubio and Rene Gonzalez both making it their top priority. Gonzalez, a self-described law-and-order candidate, advocates for stricter enforcement of public camping and drug bans. Rubio, in turn, promises a return to community policing, more support for police alternatives, and bringing back a North Portland police precinct.
Meanwhile, mayoral candidate Keith Wilson proposes to reduce crime and improve response times by introducing a network of emergency overnight shelters, which he says will ease the burden on first responders overwhelmed by calls related to unsheltered homelessness.
Council Hopefuls Split on Boosting Police Presence
Two recent candidate forums, hosted by KATU and Willamette University, identified public safety as the top priority for candidates in Districts 1 and 2. City Commissioner Dan Ryan went as far as describing his record as “a deciding vote to stop the defunding of the police,” referring to his role as the swing vote that stopped a 2020 proposal to cut $18 million from the Portland Police Bureau’s budget.
Nevertheless, candidates were divided on whether Portland should increase its police force. While some advocated for growing the number of sworn officers, others focused on filling existing vacancies and exploring police alternatives before adding new positions.
Highlights from KATU’s District 1 Forum
Highlights from KATU’s District 2 Forum
Women, Though Outnumbered, Lead Fundraising in Council Races
Despite comprising just over 25% of the candidate pool, women are leading men in fundraising for city council races. Six of the top 10 fundraisers are women. At the forefront is Tiffany Koyama Lane, a public school teacher and union organizer in District 3, followed by Olivia Clark, a former legislative director in District 4.
Of the five candidates who have qualified for multiple rounds of public campaign financing, four are women: Koyama Lane, Clark, Steph Routh (a sustainability advocate in District 1), and Angelita Morillo (an anti-hunger advocate and TikTok influencer in District 3). The only male candidate to qualify by September 30 is Nat West, a former cidermaker running in District 2.
Several other candidates are close to securing their second round of public financing, including Mariah Hudson, an OHSU communications specialist in District 2, who recently informed supporters that she had met the criteria, though the program’s website has not yet confirmed her status.
As Election Day approaches, it remains to be seen if women will maintain their fundraising advantage. As of now, the top 20 fundraisers are nearly evenly split, with nine women and 11 men in the mix.
Gonzalez Maintains Fundraising Lead
City Commissioner Rene Gonzalez remains the top fundraiser in Portland’s mayoral race, having raised nearly $288,000, according to filings with the Oregon Secretary of State. He is followed by trucking executive Keith Wilson and fellow Commissioner Carmen Rubio, who are currently tied at $234,000, respectively. All three candidates have received a public campaign financing payout of $100,000, which is reflected in their totals.
Political action committees (PACs) are also expected to pour money into the race. Friends of Rene Gonzalez, a PAC backing Gonzalez, currently has $70,000 on hand. Carmen Rubio is also expected to receive PAC support, though it's still unclear how much and from where.
Meet Your November Ballot
Multnomah County has released sample ballots for the historic 2024 city election. The ballot shown below lists candidates for Portland mayor. Ballots for council races will look similar, but unlike the mayoral race, where only one candidate wins, council elections will yield three winners in each district.
As a reminder, Portland’s electoral overhaul has nixed the primary election, meaning all contenders now appear on the November ballot. In Districts 3 and 4—Portland’s most crowded races—voters will have as many as 30 names to choose from.
A Sneak Peek at the Multnomah County Voters’ Pamphlet
Anxious to research your choices? The online version of the Multnomah County Voters’ Pamphlet is now available. For a more interactive experience, visit Rose City Reform’s candidate tracker, and try your hand at filtering all candidates by endorsements, pledges, or contributions.