Former Portland Mayor Sam Adams Files to Run Against Incumbent City Commissioner Chloe Eudaly

Many had expected Adams to file to run for the seat vacated by the recent death of City Commissioner Nick Fish.

Chloe Eudaly and Sam Adams. (Wesley Lapointe, Abby Gordon)
By Nigel Jaquiss

Former Mayor Sam Adams today filed to run for the Portland City Council seat held by City Commissioner Chloe Eudaly.

Adams' decision is something of a surprise. Eudaly ran a powerful grassroots campaign in 2016 to unseat then incumbent Commissioner Steve Novick. And while Eudaly has been slow to gear up for re-election, she has been a strong advocate for tenants' rights and enjoys the benefits of incumbency.

As recently as yesterday, people close to Adams expected him to run for the seat  vacated by the Jan. 2 death of Nick Fish.

Eudaly did today meet the Jan. 15 deadline to file for public financing under the city's new Open and Accountable Elections system.

Adams also filed to participate in that program, which provides a 6-to-1 match for the first $50 candidates raise from individual donors. (That means each $50 contribution yields $300 in public money. Candidates for council seats who qualify for public funding are limited to spending no more than $250,000 in the primary. Mayoral candidates using public funding may spend up to $380,000.)

Adams joins former city employee and political science professor Mingus Mapps and several other candidates in what is likely to be a highly competitive race for Eudaly's seat. His decision also leaves wide open the contest to succeed Fish.

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