Portland Mayor Charlie Hales has made it official: He's running for re-election in 2016.
Hales announced his decision to The Portland Tribune editorial board this afternoon. Hales' announcement comes after two months of fending off potential challengers with a show of fundraising strength. As WW reported earlier today, he has raised more than $35,000 of campaign contributions in less than two months—much of it from real-estate developers and business executives close to the Portland Streetcar.
That money was disclosed nearly a month before campaign law requirements—suggesting Hales was trying to scare off potential 2016 challengers.
Multiple sources have told WW that State Treasurer Ted Wheeler has been approached by Portland business leaders about challenging Hales.
WWeek 2015