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Shannon Singleton, former director of the Joint Office of Homeless Services, and Meghan Moyer, policy director of Disability Rights Oregon, hold slim leads in their races for the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners.
Singleton leads Sam Adams, the former Portland mayor looking to salvage his political future after a series of scandals, 53% to 46%. Moyer leads Vadim Mozyrsky, an administrative law judge, 57% to 42%.
It is still early going. Only 50,000 votes have been counted. But if the early results hold, it’s a major victory for embattled Multnomah Chair Jessica Vega Pederson.
Pederson, who not only runs the county but steers the board’s agenda, needs only two additional votes to enact policy. But she’s losing her two stalwart allies, Lori Stegmann and Jesse Beason—and Vince Jones-Dixon, who was elected in May, is unlikely to be as supportive.
The election of one more critic would complicate any efforts by Pederson. And Adams, if elected, would be that critic. He has loudly denounced Pederson’s handling of Portland’s homeless crisis, and just about everything else.
But he has a lot of ground to make up, and his challenge is greater because late voters tend to skew left.
At his election night party at the Irish pub T. C. O’Leary’s, Adams sat with City Council candidate Eric Zimmerman at the corner of the bar, drinking pints and chatting. The bar was full but largely oblivious to the two candidates. Someone was playing the flute.
Adams pulled out the results on his phone and took a sip of his drink. “I’m behind—but within striking distance,” he said.
“It feels really good to be in the top three, I’ll sleep OK tonight,” replied Zimmerman.