Nearly One-Quarter of Bailey’s Campaign Financing Came from Organized Labor

Wednesday, December 02, 2015

Brendan Murray, GoLocalPDX Contributor

Jules Bailey

According to campaign finance records for incumbent Mayoral candidate Jules Bailey, nearly a quarter of the money donated to his campaign for Multnomah County Commissioner in 2012 came from labor organizations such as worker’s unions and trade associations.

A GoLocal review of campaign contributions shows that more than $32,000 of the $141,167 Bailey raised during his campaign for County Commissioner from January to June of 2014 came from labor organizations. That makes up roughly 23 percent of his overall contributions during that time period.

What’s more, many of Bailey’s biggest individual donors during the campaign were labor unions and trade associations. Five of Bailey’s ten largest donations came from unions, including two of the top five. In fact, Oregon AFSCME Council 75, which gave Bailey two separate donations of $2,5000. None of Bailey’s other top contributors gave two such donations.

Jim Moore, Director of the Tom McCall Center for Policy Innovation at Pacific University, told GoLocal he was not surprised at Bailey’s close relationship with unions.

“Bailey was part of a Democratic caucus in the legislature that unions wanted to help win majority power,” Moore explained. “Unions might play a major role, but only if they see that Bailey has a chance of winning against Wheeler. Otherwise, there are better places for union political money to go.”

What It Means

“Unions are a big player in political fundraising,” according to John Horvick, Vice President and Political Director for DHM Research. “I suspect that he has a very good relationship with those groups.”

Gary Malecha, a Professor of Political Science at the University of Portland, told GoLocal that donors want to ensure that they have a good relationship with those in power.

“They want to make sure they have access to those who are going to be making these decisions,” Malecha said. “It’s not uncommon to see heavy contributions by those who are going to deal often with a government entity.”

Moore said he thought the issue of fundraising “should be a concern” to voters in the mayoral election. He cautioned, however, that whether it is made an issue will be left up to voters.

“It boils down to whether people feel they need to be concerned about it,” Moore said. “It's legal, and it's above board and it's been something that has always been happening in Portland, so I don't really think people are too worried about it.”

John Horvick, Vice President and Political Director for DHM Research, told GoLocal that he believes that regardless of whether voters show interest in campaign finance issues this election, candidates will bring it up often during their talking points.

“Certainly I would expect each candidate to make issues about where the other candidate is getting his money from,” he said. “They will try to tell a story about each other and say why this is a bad thing.”

Will They Give Again?

Bailey will likely need the support of labor leaders once again in this race against Oregon State Treasurer Ted Wheeler (D). Wheeler began his campaign months ahead of Bailey, and has wasted no time racking up endorsements and campaign funding.

Making it even more difficult for Bailey to close the fundraising gap is Bailey’s decision to limit campaign contributions. Bailey told GoLocal he was self-imposing a limit of to $250 during the Mayoral campaign. Horvick said that decision could cost him dearly.

“I think it puts him at a real disadvantage,” Horvick said of the decision. “I think he’s making it as a philosophical decision and as a tactical decision, but it’s not the norm and it could hurt him.”

Horvick said that the move could especially hurt considering his past contributions from unions. In place of high-ceiling contributions from labor groups, Bailey will need them to help in more creative ways.

“If the unions can’t contribute financially, they could help on the ground,” Horvick said. “People on the grounds, knocking on doors and sending mailers, things like that. But even still, those all cost money.”

Moore agreed.

“It means he had better have a strong volunteer base to have a chance in the election,” Moore said. “That has happened before, but Bailey is not nearly as well known as former Mayor Tom Potter, who had a big base of support from his very public role as chief of police.”

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.

Nearly One-Quarter of Bailey’s Campaign Financing Came from Organized Labor

What It Means

Will They Give Again?

Related Slideshow: Charlie Hales’s Top 15 Donors

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