Mingus Mapps Is Keeping the Endorsement of the Police Union

He called accepting money from police a "mistake," but backtracked on those comments.

On June 13, police began using crowd control munitions, such as smoke grenades and flashbangs, at 10:55pm. (Alex Wittwer)
By Rachel Monahan

Over the weekend of June 5, Mingus Mapps, who is challenging City Commissioner Chloe Eudaly in November, called his acceptance of a $15,000 in-kind donation from the Portland police union's political action committee a "mistake" in social media posts.

Advocates for police reform point out the union has been an obstacle to police reform.

"Accepting this donation was a mistake," Mapps wrote on Twitter. "That's why I returned it. I have learned some things. And will make different choices in the future."

But his campaign then acknowledged Mapps got his facts wrong while making his apology—he had not returned the donation or rejected the union's endorsement. He had instead returned some matching funds to the city's public financing program.

His campaign says he regrets misspeaking.

"The past few weeks have been intense for Black Portlanders," says Mapps' campaign manager, Bob Dobrich. "Like all Black men, Mingus is outraged. He is raising two Black sons and knows he could have been the guy lying facedown. In fact, he has been."

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