Murmurs: Ted vs. Charlie? A Potential 2016 Fight For City Hall.

1. Portland Mayor Charlie Hales looks like a cinch for re-election next year, but some powerful constituents would like to see Hales work to keep his City Hall job. Three sources tell WW that representatives of the business community have reached out to State Treasurer Ted Wheeler to gauge his interest in running for mayor. Wheeler, whose term ends in January 2017, saw his chances to succeed former Gov. John Kitzhaber dim when Kitzhaber’s Feb. 18 resignation elevated Wheeler’s rival, then-Secretary of State Kate Brown, to the governor’s office. Wheeler is cagey about his plans. “I have been approached by lots of people about lots of opportunities,” he says, “but it would be premature to comment on any of them. I haven’t ruled anything in and I haven’t ruled anything out.” Hales, meanwhile, has been aggressive about showing his political strength. As wweek.com reported two weeks ago, Hales recently raised $21,000 from big donors—and then disclosed it nearly a month before he was required to. Hales has added nearly $9,000 since then.

1. The Portland cab industry’s fight with ride app Uber is driving to Salem. An alliance of taxi companies is backing a bill in the Oregon Legislature that would require transportation companies like Uber and Lyft to carry commercial insurance at all times. The insurance industry has proposed a bill mandating that the companies’ drivers carry such insurance. Cab companies, which are fighting Mayor Charlie Hales’ deal to allow Uber to operate in Portland starting in April, say the insurance requirements would level the playing field. “It’s proper for protecting the public,” says Stephen Kafoury, a lobbyist for Broadway Cab.  “I’ve talked to a lot of legislators about this, and I don’t think anybody disagrees with me.” Uber is urging lawmakers to wait until the city rules are written. “We think the Portland process is going very well,” says Uber regional manager Brooke Steger, “and could be a model for the state.”

1. The bitterly fought election for the top job at Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 290 isn’t over after all (“Steaming Mad,” WW, Dec. 24, 2014). In January, incumbent business manager Fritz “Al” Shropshire beat challenger Lou Christian for another three-year term atop one of the state’s largest trade unions. But after an investigation of alleged campaign irregularities, including Shropshire’s use of union resources for his campaign, an official of the Plumbers and Steamfitters voided the results and ordered a new election. “These violations require a rerun of the election,” wrote investigator Scott Smith in a Feb. 12 letter to the candidates. Shropshire didn’t return calls for comment.

WWeek 2015