Rubio and Gonzalez Concede to Wilson in Mayoral Race as His Commanding Lead Holds Steady

The political newcomer appears to be well on his way to becoming Portland’s next mayor.

Keith Wilson celebrates on election night. (Allison Barr)
By Sophie Peel

City Commissioners Carmen Rubio and Rene Gonzalez both conceded the Portland mayor’s race to political newcomer Keith Wilson on Wednesday evening after second-day results show Wilson maintaining a commanding lead over his opponents.

“I want to express my deepest gratitude to all who have supported me throughout my entire career, in this campaign, and the voters of Portland,” Rubio said. “I’ve said from the beginning that I got into this race because I love Portland and I believe that when we work together, we get things done. I’ve proven that as a city commissioner, and it’s truly been the privilege of a lifetime to serve.”

Rubio, once seen as one of two front-runners to become Portland’s next mayor, is running a distant second to Wilson in the latest count of ranked-choice ballots. She wrote that she’d called Wilson, the owner of a trucking company, earlier in the day to congratulate him on his likely win.

“In terms of our next mayor, I’m glad that we have someone who clearly believes in Portland,” Rubio wrote. “I’ve called Keith to congratulate him on his new role and wish him the best of luck. My hope for him is that he enters City Hall with a desire to listen and learn from those who have been working hard to get Portland back on its feet.”

Fellow mayoral candidate and City Council colleague Gonzalez wrote in a statement shortly after Rubio: “I have just called to congratulate our next Mayor, Keith Wilson on a race well run. It is time for all Portlanders to rally behind him as we work to make Portland all that we want it to be and a city we can once again be proud of.”

Updated results from the Multnomah County Elections Division on Wednesday evening show that Wilson received 35% of first place votes in the first round of counting, whereas Rubio received 21% and Gonzalez received 19%.

By the time all but Rubio and Wilson remained in the running, Wilson had captured 67% of the vote to Rubio’s 38%. The most recent results include 215,374 ballots cast out of 466,000 eligible voters in Portland. Turnout is expected to top out at 75%.

Wilson has not yet declared victory, though he wrote to supporters this morning that he was “confident” he’d win.


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