BREAKING: Charlie Hales Announces He Will Not Run for Re-Election

Monday, October 26, 2015

Charlie Hales

Portland Mayor Charlie Hales announced today that he will be ending his campaign for re-election, saying he did not believe he could balance his obligations to the City of Portland with the demands of running a campaign.

"While I have been doing the work you elected me to do, I have also begun preparing to formally launch a re-election campaign. In the process, one thing has become crystal clear to me. I cannot do both of these tasks faithfully and well," Hales said in his announcement. "I ran for office to do something, not to be something. For me, serving the city we love has never been a political stepping stone."

Read Hales' full statement below:

Dear Friends:

Last spring, I let it be known that I was planning to seek another term as Portland’s Mayor. I’m very proud of what we have accomplished in less than three years. There is now tremendous momentum in this work:

• We and our partners are taking historic action on homelessness and affordable housing – and backing it up with funding and the declaration of a housing emergency.

• We have seen strong results on police reform, significantly reducing the use of force, improving the ability to de-escalate a crisis, and repairing the relationship between police and the community.

• We have become national and international leaders on local action for climate change.

• We are making Portland more equitable, including raising the minimum wage for city workers and contractors, and more prosperous, creating new jobs and investment.

• At the same time, we righted city government’s severely listing financial ship, erasing a record budget gap and making important new investments in transportation and our kids.

Making this kind of progress for Portland is why I ran for mayor.

While I have been doing the work you elected me to do, I have also begun preparing to formally launch a re-election campaign. In the process, one thing has become crystal clear to me. I cannot do both of these tasks faithfully and well.

I ran for office to do something, not to be something. For me, serving the city we love has never been a political stepping stone. Our city and the work are the motivation, and now, in addition to the initiatives I mentioned, there are other big challenges that need my full attention:

• The pressures of growth are upon us, and more is ahead. Over the next twelve months, we will draw the map for Portland’s next twenty years…and our next 200,000 neighbors.

• I am heartsick about the nightly toll of gang violence in our city. It doesn’t necessarily show up in political polls or even get full media attention, but it keeps me up at night. Over 850 shots have been fired in over 158 gang violence incidents this year, resulting in ten deaths and 45 people injured. This community crisis deserves everything I have.

So when confronted with a choice between giving my full effort to the job of being mayor and spending that energy on a long and consuming re-election campaign, it’s an easy choice. Therefore, I have decided not to file for re-election.

The filing deadline is still over four months away, and I hope and expect that several qualified candidates will seek the office of Mayor. There are some dynamic new leaders in our community, and I’m excited to see who steps up.

I thank you for your support and encouragement. Together, we have made great progress, and over the next 14 months, we will make more. I pledge to you that I will focus all of my time and energy on that responsibility.

Sincerely,

Charlie

Reaction

Ted Wheeler, Hales' former opponent in the race for Mayor of Portland, issued a statement regarding Hales' departure from the campaign. In it, he said that "this is a decision that only the Mayor along with his family can make, and I respect his decision." Read the full statement below:

"Today I learned that Mayor Hales withdrew his bid to seek re-election as the mayor of our city," Wheeler said. "This is a decision that only the Mayor along with his family can make, and I respect his decision. Mayor Hales said today that he wants to continue to focus on the issues that matter to the people of Portland. That’s what I’m going to do, too. This race is not about the personalities involved. It is about finding solutions for the real issues facing our city - like homelessness, fixing our roads, finding long-term affordable housing solutions and creating good, family-sustaining jobs. I believe that by tapping into the talents and ideas of our residents, Portland can overcome these challenges and craft the innovative, progressive solutions that will be examples to the entire nation. The race is still about the issues, and I will work hard between now and Election Day to unite the city on a common vision for our future."

Rebecca Tweed, Political and Communications Director for State Street Solutions, told GoLocal that while she did not expect Hales to drop out of the base, the move did not come as a complete shock. Tweed cited the lack of Mayors that have run for re-election and said that she thinks Hales wants to focus on finishing up his agenda in the 14 months that remain before his successor assumes the office.

Related Slideshow: Charlie Hales’s Top 15 Donors

Portland's mayoral election is still over a year away, but that hasn't stopped incumbent mayor Charlie Hales from launching his campaign. Thus far, Hales has raised over $88,000 in donations from more than 60 donors, whose contributions have ranged from $100 to $5,000 each. Using state campaign finance records, GoLocalPDX compiled a list of Hale's 15 biggest donors, many of which are major power players in Portland's development industry.

BREAKING: Charlie Hales Announces He Will Not Run for Re-Election

Related Slideshow: Charlie Hales’s Top 15 Donors

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