Election Special
Primaries 2012: Pulling Out the Big Ideas
One of the most competitive primary elec-
tions in recent history heads to the finish line
May 15, and longtime politics watchers are
happily sorting through the campaigns’ the
thicket of ideas for making the region a bet-
ter place.
While it is traditionally seen as a strong-
hold of liberalism, that hasn’t stopped
Portland and Multnomah County’s candi-
dates for office from fiercely jockeying for
position within a political spectrum remark-
ably lacking Republican Party involvement.
Here is a round-up of some of the biggest
ideas and issues coming out of the local and
state campaigns this season.
First up: the number of candidates who felt
unfairly excluded from the many forums
held around the city has been a consistent
issue. From the Urban League of Portland to
Oregon Public Broadcasting, candidates
have protested their lack of access to public
venues where the races were discussed.
The sheer number of candidates presented
a problem for forum organizers – 23 in the
Portland mayor’s race alone.
But the groups who bypassed the forum
format in favor of the “meet and greet”
approach, including the Delta Sigma Theta
sorority which held two separate gatherings
at their freshly-opened June Key Delta Com-
munity Center, appeared to have a winning
idea that brought together many more candi-
dates face-to-face with their prospective
voting constituency.
The Multnomah Youth Commission also
had a winner with its question and answer
roundtable event – also called a “forum” --
which included all candidates in a breakout
format where they sat down at tables with
young people who then peppered each with
questions.
State Attorney General
While medical marijuana laws have domi-
nated media coverage of the Attorney
General’s race, we at The Skanner News have
been more attentive to what candidates said
the high number of African Americans and
other people of color incarcerated in the
state, and the critical mass forming against
use of Measure 11 against juveniles.
In our interviews with candidates Ellen
Rosenblum and Dwight Holton, both said
Charlie Hales
they would expand the Attorney General’s
Civil Rights Division.
However on the issue of racial disparities
in Oregon’s incarceration rate, as well as the
FBI’s “anti-terror” operations here, Rosen-
blum’s answers stood out as more pointed
and critical of how law enforcement has
impacted communities of color.
Rosenblum highlighted the costs to the
state that have been incurred by mandatory
minimums, and while she stresses that it’s
the AG’s job to uphold Oregon laws, she
expressed support for a new committee that
has formed on the state level to re-examine
the impact of Measure 11 on the state.
Holton’s big idea about how to address
equity issues in the legal system is to build
better relationships between law enforce-
ment and the community – and he outlined
numerous instances of his efforts to do just
that by literally taking the time to sit down
with members of the Muslim and African
American communities.
City of Portland—Mayor
This race is the hottest potato of the season.
Top three candidates Jefferson Smith, Eileen
Brady and Charlie Hales really don’t differ
much – all are liberals in the non-partisan
race, and have jockeyed to differentiate each
other within that political spectrum.
The Skanner News asked Brady, Hales and
Smith what is the most important thing for
voters to know about their stands and what
are their best ideas for improving the city.
Brady’s campaign manager Neel Pender
stressed that few women have won election
to City Council – let alone the mayor’s
office, which has only seen one female in the
top spot, and that was more than 50 years
ago.
“She's been endorsed by business organi-
zations, labor unions, environmental leaders
and significant members of Portland's com-
munities of color, including former Sen. Avel
Gordly and former state representative
JoAnn Hardesty,” Pender said.
Brady’s biggest idea appears to be a focus
Jefferson Smith
on the private sector’s role in turning around
the tanking economy, which has crippled so
many government institutions; her years of
business experience in the sustainability and
tech sectors are the big guns of her campaign.
“Eileen has been talking about the same
issues for the entire campaign: good jobs, a
respected and accountable police force, ade-
quately funding our schools, making sure
that government is providing cost effective
services to its people,” Pender said.
See IDEAS on page 13
The Portland Skanner May 9, 2012 Page 11