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In the first ranked-choice voting results released Tuesday night, Keith Wilson leads the race to become Portland’s next mayor.
Wilson, the owner of a private trucking company and a political outsider whose campaign focused almost entirely on ending unsheltered homelessness, received 63% of votes in the first round of vote-counting, compared to 37% received by City Commissioner Carmen Rubio. (Those tallies include the redistribution of votes from people whose first choices were eliminated.)
Wilson, surrounded by his wife, Katherine, friends and supporters, received the news at his election night party at Old Town Brewing on Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
Before the numbers were released, Wilson told a packed second-floor audience that he’d gone from last place in fundraising to first, thanks to an outpouring of support for his plan to tackle unsheltered homelessness.
When the first results showing him with a big early lead were released about 8:10 pm, Wilson told WW he was “stunned and proud—proud of Portlanders for taking the time to listen to my plan and believe in it.”
The preliminary results generated by the Multnomah County Elections Division do not mean Wilson has won the mayor’s race. Under new ranked-choice voting, the county will continue to generate a once-daily report that incorporates additional votes cast.
The next report will be published at 6 pm Wednesday.
If Wilson maintains the top spot in the coming days, his victory would present a rebuke to Rubio and Rene Gonzalez, both sitting city commissioners and politically connected. Earlier this year, pundits and City Hall insiders framed the mayor’s race as a two-candidate battle between Rubio and Gonzalez, who represented the two sides of Portland’s political spectrum. Rubio hails from the nonprofit sector and is to the left of Gonzalez, who projects support for law and order.
But increasingly, voters saw Gonzalez and Rubio as deeply flawed candidates. Gonzalez gained a reputation as a slapdash legislator and firebrand, and The Oregonian’s report about Rubio racking up more than 150 parket tickets soured voters on her candidacy.
At Kell’s Irish Brewing, where Gonzalez held his campaign party, the mood was festive 10 minutes before 8 pm. After several supporters of Gonzalez’s spoke about his vision for the city, including City Council candidate Terrence Hayes, who said Gonzalez would be the leader to “bring us back to being a safe, clean city,” the PA system blasted “Turn Down for What” as supporters noshed on fries, chatted amongst one another and bopped to the music.
When the first results appeared at 8 pm, the mood quieted.
Twenty-five minutes later, Gonzalez took to the podium to conciliatory claps. He conceded that the results didn’t look good so far but said that nothing yet was baked.
“The full story of what a post-pandemic city is has not been written. We are all co-authors of that story. Regardless of this election’s results, we’re all going to be part of that story,” Gonzalez said. “Don’t let the loud minorities dictate the direction of our city. Portland deserves leadership that’s protecting this city, and accountability, and standing up for what’s right, even when it’s hard.”
The mood at The Sports Bra, where Rubio hosted her party, was upbeat and casual. Servers passed out baskets of fries and tater tots, and more than one table feasted the Sports Bra Nachos, which feature pickled onions. “I’m feeling a lot of love and support tonight,” Rubio said. “I feel very hopeful for Portland.” She said she chose to celebrate at the Sports Bra because she feels the bar, which is dedicated to women’s sports and accepting of all genders, is a reflection of the city. No matter what happens, Rubio said she looks forward to the new chapter. Multiple people close to her campaign said they wouldn’t know the results on election night, and the mission was to just keep it light.
The first results offered a glimmer of hope—if nothing else, Rubio led her nemesis, Gonzalez.
Rubio took to the stage at 8:15 pm to the roar of her supporters. “First results are in and we’re in second place guys, that means we’re still in this running,” Rubio said. “We still have a chance to represent Portlanders and what they care about today. This is really a chance to say, ‘Stay tuned.’”
The energy in the bar was still lighthearted, and people turned their attention fully toward the presidential race. For those who too overwhelmed by those results, there was also a TV blasting footage of cute kittens and puppies.
Joanna Hou contributed reporting to this story.