Mayor of Portland, Oregon

Last updated
Mayor of Portland, Oregon
Seal of Portland, Oregon.svg
180421-N-UK248-023 (41616137742) (cropped).jpg
Incumbent
Ted Wheeler
since January 1, 2017
Style Mayor
Term length Four years
Inaugural holder Hugh O'Bryant
Formation1851
Salary$143,666 [1]
Website Office of the Mayor

The mayor of Portland, Oregon is the official head of the city of Portland, Oregon, United States. The officeholder is elected for a four-year term and has no term limits. By law, all elections in Portland are nonpartisan. [2] The current mayor is Ted Wheeler, who has served since 2017, and was first elected in the 2016 election.

Contents

The current term for mayor of Portland is four years, having been increased from two years in 1913. [3] Mayoral elections were previously held in May of US presidential election years (years divisible by four), during the Oregon primary election, with a runoff between the top two vote-getters held in November of the same year should no candidate garner a majority vote in the May election, however a new system taking effect in 2024 [4] holds a single general election in November of Presidential election years using the Instant Runoff ranked choice voting method. The mayor-elect takes office the following January.

Duties and powers

Portland uses a city commission government, the only major city to do so. The mayor and commissioners are responsible for legislative policy and oversee the various bureaus that oversee the day-to-day operation of the city. [5] The mayor serves as chairman of the council, and is responsible for allocating department assignments to his fellow commissioners. His post is largely honorific; most powers exercised by mayors in cities of Portland's size are vested in the council as a whole. However, the mayor does have some powers, such as declaring an emergency and acting as police commissioner. Although, beginning with the 2025 mayoral term, Portland will switch to a Council-Mayor form of government. [4] The executive mayor will work with a professional city administrator to implement the laws enacted by council and administer the city’s bureaus, employees, facilities, and resources. [4] The executive mayor develops and proposes the city’s budget to council for review and approval, may introduce measures before the council, and breaks tie votes in the council. [4]

Elections

The mayor is elected in citywide election. Elections utilize the instant runoff ranked choice voting method, beginning with the 2024 general election. The city charter also allows for write-in candidates. The mayor is elected to a four-year term with no term limits. The office of mayor is officially nonpartisan by state law, although most mayoral candidates identify a party preference. Mayoral elections happen in conjunction with the United States presidential election. Elections followed a two-round system prior to 2024 where the first round of the elections was a primary election. If a candidate received a majority of the vote in the primary they were elected outright, however, If no candidate received a majority the top two candidates advance to a runoff election, called the general election.

The most recent election was in 2020, when incumbent Ted Wheeler was reelected in the November runoff.

List of mayors

Gallery of the mayors of Portland Portland Mayors Office Portrait Gallery 001.jpg
Gallery of the mayors of Portland
#ImageName

(Birth–Death)

Term start and end
1 Hugh O'Bryant.png Hugh O'Bryant (1813–1883)1851–1852 [6] [7]
2 A. C. Bonnell.png A. C. Bonnell (1801–1875)April 1852 – November 1852
3 No image.svg Simon B. Marye (c. 1810–1868)November 1852 – April 1853
4 Josiah Failing 1903.JPG Josiah Failing (1806–1877)1853–1854
5 William S. Ladd - Oregon.png William S. Ladd (1826–1893)1854–1855
6 George W. Vaughn.jpg George W. Vaughn (1809–1877)1855–1856
7 James O'Neill (Washington politician).jpg James O'Neill (1824–1901)1856–1857
8 William S. Ladd - Oregon.png William S. Ladd (1826–1893)1857–1858
9 No image.svg A. M. Starr (c. 1820–1891)1858–1859
10 S. J. McCormick.png S. J. McCormick (1828–1891)1859–1860
11 Mayor George Collier Robbins.png G. Collier Robbins (1823–19??)1860–1861
12 Mayor John Breck.png John M. Breck (1828–1900)1861–1862
13 No image.svg William H. Farrar (1826–1873)1862–1863
14 David Logan (Oregon).png David Logan (1824–1874)1863–1864
15 Henry Failing - Oregon.png Henry Failing (1834–1898)1864 – November 16, 1866 [8]
16 Thomas J. Holmes.jpg Thomas J. Holmes (1819–1867)1866–1867
17 JAChapman.png J. A. Chapman (1821–1885)1867–1868
18 No image.svg Hamilton Boyd 1868–1869
19 Goldsmith-Bernard.jpg Bernard Goldsmith (1832–1901)1869–1871
20 Philip Wasserman.png Philip Wasserman (1828–1895)1871–1873
21 Henry Failing - Oregon.png Henry Failing (1834–1898)1873–1875
22 JAChapman.png J. A. Chapman

(1821–1885)

1875–1877
23 William Spencer Newbury.png William Spencer Newbury (1834–1915)1877–1879
24 Davidpthompson.jpg David P. Thompson (1834–1901)1879–1882
25 JAChapman.png J. A. Chapman (1821–1885)1882–1885
26 Mayor John Gates.png John Gates (1827–1888)1885 – April 27, 1888

(died in office) [9]

27 Van DeLashmutt.png Van B. DeLashmutt (1842–1921)May 2, 1888 [10] – 1891
28 William S. Mason.png William S. Mason (1832–1899)1891–1894
29 George P. Frank.png George P. Frank (1852–1896)1894–1896
30 SylvesterPennoyer.png Sylvester Pennoyer (1831–1902)1896–1898
31 William S. Mason.png William S. Mason (1832–1899)July 1, 1898 [11]  – March 27, 1899

(died in office) [12]

32 William A. Storey.png W. A. Storey (1854–1917)May 17, 1899 [13]  –1900
33 Henry Spoor Rowe.jpg Henry S. Rowe (1851–1914)1900–1902
34 George Henry Williams - Brady-Handy - Restored & Cropped.jpg George Henry Williams (1823–1910)1902–1905
35 Lane-Harry.jpg Harry Lane (1855–1917)1905–1909
36 Joseph Simon of Oregon.jpg Joseph Simon (1851–1935)1909–1911
37 Allen G. Rushlight.jpg Allen G. Rushlight (1874–1930)1911–1913
38 H. Russell Albee April 1905.jpeg H. Russell Albee (1867–1950)June 1913 – July 1917 [14]
39 George L. Baker.jpg George L. Baker (1868–1941)July 1917 – July 1933 [14]
40 Joseph K. Carson.jpg Joseph K. Carson (1891–1956)July 1933 – December 1940 [14]
41 No image.svg Earl Riley (1890–1965)January 1941 – December 1948 [14]
42 Dorothy McCullough Lee 1957.jpeg Dorothy McCullough Lee (1901–1981)January 1949 – December 1952 [14]
43 No image.svg Fred L. Peterson (1896–1985)January 1953 – December 1956
44 Portland mayor Terry Schrunk in Germany in 1965.jpg Terry Schrunk (1913–1975)January 1957 – December 1972 [14]
45 Neil Goldschmidt.jpg Neil Goldschmidt (born 1940)January 1973 – August 15, 1979 [14] [15]
46 Connie McCready (1921–2000)September 5, 1979 [14] [16]  – November 23, 1980 [14]
47 Frank Ivancie.png Frank Ivancie (1924–2019)November 24, 1980 [14] [17]  – January 2, 1985 [18]
48 Bud Clark 1988.jpg Bud Clark (1931–2022)January 1985 – December 1992 [14]
49 Vera Katz.jpg Vera Katz (1933–2017)January 1993 – January 3, 2005 [14]
50 Mayor Tom Potter in August 2008.jpg Tom Potter (born 1940)January 3, 2005 – December 31, 2008 [14]
51 Sam Adams Nov 2012 (cropped).jpg Sam Adams (born 1963)January 1, 2009 – December 31, 2012 [14]
52 Charlie Hales in 2011.jpg Charlie Hales (born 1956)January 1, 2013 – December 31, 2016
53 180421-N-UK248-023 (41616137742) (cropped).jpg Ted Wheeler (born 1962)January 1, 2017 – present

Note: The color shown in the number (#) column denotes political party (red for Republican, blue for Democratic, teal for the People's Party (Populist), gray for Independent).

The City of Portland mayor's office, in the City Hall, contains a collection of mounted portraits of all the mayors to date. As of February 2024, only two mayors are missing from the collection; William H. Farrar (1862–1863), and Hamilton Boyd (1868–1869).

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mayor of Los Angeles</span> Chief executive of Los Angeles

The mayor of Los Angeles is the head of the executive branch of the government of Los Angeles and the chief executive of Los Angeles. The office is officially nonpartisan, a change made in the 1909 charter; previously, both the elections and the office were partisan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government of Portland, Oregon</span> City commission government system of Portland, Oregon

The government of Portland, Oregon is based on a city commission government system. Elected officials include the mayor, commissioners, and a city auditor. The mayor and commissioners are responsible for legislative policy and oversee the various bureaus that oversee the day-to-day operation of the city. Portland began using a commission form of government in 1913 following a public vote on May 3 of that year. Each elected official serves a four-year term, without term limits. Each city council member is elected at-large.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portland, Oregon City Council</span>

The Portland City Council,, is the legislative body of the City of Portland in Oregon and forms part of the Government of the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Ivancie</span> American businessman and politician (1924–2019)

Francis James Ivancie was an American businessman and politician who served as mayor of Portland, Oregon, from 1980 to 1985. Prior to his term as mayor, Ivancie served for fourteen years on the Portland City Council. After his retirement from elected office, Ivancie remained active in community affairs, occasionally lending his support to political causes. During his political career, Ivancie was a conservative Democrat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ranked-choice voting in the United States</span> Electoral system used in some cities and states

Ranked-choice voting (RCV) can refer to one of several ranked voting methods used in some cities and states in the United States. The term is not strictly defined, but most often refers to instant-runoff voting (IRV) or single transferable vote (STV).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amanda Fritz</span> British-American politician and retired psychiatric nurse

Amanda Fritz is a British-American politician and retired psychiatric nurse from the U.S. state of Oregon. Before being elected to Portland's City Council in 2008, Fritz was a neighborhood activist and seven-year member of the Portland Planning Commission. She was also the first candidate to win public financing under Portland's Clean Elections system in 2006, though she lost to incumbent Dan Saltzman in the first round of that year's election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 Portland, Oregon, mayoral election</span>

On Tuesday, November 6, 2012, an election was held in Portland, Oregon, to elect the mayor. Charlie Hales was elected, defeating Jefferson Smith. Incumbent mayor Sam Adams did not seek a second term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Portland, Oregon, mayoral election</span>

On Tuesday, May 17, 2016, an election was held in Portland, Oregon, to elect the mayor. Ted Wheeler was elected after garnering 54% of the primary vote. Incumbent mayor Charlie Hales did not seek a second term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Portland, Oregon, mayoral election</span>

On May 20, 2008, an election was held in Portland, Oregon, to elect the mayor.. Sam Adams was elected, defeating challenger Sho Dozono. Incumbent mayor Tom Potter did not seek a second term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2004 Portland, Oregon, mayoral election</span>

On November 2, 2004, an election was held in Portland, Oregon, to elect the mayor. Tom Potter was elected, defeating Jim Francesconi. Incumbent mayor Vera Katz did not seek a fourth term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2000 Portland, Oregon, mayoral election</span>

On May 16, 2000, an election was held in Portland, Oregon, to elect the mayor.. Incumbent mayor Vera Katz was re-elected to a third term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clara C. Munson</span> American politician

Clara Cynthia Munson was an American politician who served as mayor of Warrenton, Oregon, and was the first woman elected mayor in Oregon during the 20th century. Her term lasted one year (1913–14) before she was succeeded by George Schmitz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Petticoat Revolution</span> 1916 revolution

The Petticoat Revolution was the name given by some contemporary newspapers to the December 5, 1916, municipal elections in Umatilla, Oregon, United States, in which seven women led secret campaigns to gain control of most town government offices. After successfully capturing the mayorship and a majority of council seats, the female-led administration implemented several infrastructure reforms with the intention of reversing the town's decline into disrepair.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Portland, Oregon, mayoral election</span>

On May 19, 2020 and November 3, 2020, elections were held in Portland, Oregon, to elect the mayor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carmen Rubio</span> American politician

Carmen Rubio is an American politician and non-profit executive in the U.S. state of Oregon who is currently a Portland City Commissioner, having taken office on the Portland City Council in late December 2020. She had previously served as the executive director of the Latino Network since 2009.

Margaret D. Strachan is an American politician who served on the Portland City Council, in Portland, Oregon, from 1981 to 1986. She was the first woman elected to the Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Tulsa municipal elections</span> Municipal elections in Tulsa Oklahoma

The 2022 Tulsa municipal elections were held on August 23, 2022. A top two runoff election was scheduled for November 8 if no candidate received a majority vote. All nine city council seats and the city auditor are elected to two year terms. The filing period was June 13–15. Incumbent Mayor G.T. Bynum would not be up for reelection until 2024. All nine city council seats will have contested elections. City Auditor Cathy Carter was re-elected without opposition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Portland, Oregon, mayoral election</span>

The 2024 Portland mayoral election will be held on November 5, 2024, to elect the mayor of Portland, Oregon. On September 13, 2023, incumbent Democratic mayor Ted Wheeler announced that he would not be seeking a third term. This will be the first Portland mayoral election to use ranked-choice voting after it was instituted by the passage of a 2022 ballot measure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Portland, Oregon municipal elections</span>

The 2024 Portland municipal elections will be held on November 5, 2024, to elect the mayor, city auditor and city council of Portland, Oregon. This will be the first Portland election to use ranked-choice voting after it was instituted by the passage of a 2022 ballot measure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Portland, Oregon City Council election</span>

The 2024 Portland City Council elections will be held on November 5, 2024, to elect the members of Portland's City Council. This will be a unique election as it will be the first election under Portland's new form of government, the first without a primary, the first where every seat will be up for election, and the first under a proportional ranked-choice voting system as opposed to a first-past-the-post voting system with a primary.

References

  1. "City of Portland, Oregon: FY 2019-2020 Requested Budget". The City of Portland Oregon. Retrieved 2021-03-03.
  2. "City elections in Portland, Oregon (2020)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2020-06-20.
  3. "Albee is Mayor ... 4-Year Term Begins July 1". The Morning Oregonian . June 4, 1913. p. 1.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Changing Roles for the Mayor and City Council | Portland.gov". www.portland.gov. 2023-10-13. Retrieved 2024-01-11.
  5. "City Government Structure | About Council | The City of Portland, Oregon". www.portlandoregon.gov. Retrieved 2020-06-20.
  6. Lansing, Jewel. (2003). Portland: People, Politics, and Power, 1851–2001, p. 26–49.
  7. "Directory of Current and Past Elected Officials: Mayors of Portland". Auditor's Office, City of Portland, Oregon. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  8. Chet Orloff. "Henry Failing (1834-1898)". The Oregon Encyclopedia .
  9. "Death of Mayor Gates". The Morning Oregonian. April 28, 1888. p. 8.
  10. "Mayor Van B. De Lashmutt; The Council Chooses a Head to the City Government". The Morning Oregonian . May 3, 1888. p. 8.
  11. "Mason at the Helm". The Morning Oregonian, July 2, 1898, p. 8.
  12. "William A. Storey Dies; Life in Portland For Many Years Was Prominent". The Morning Oregonian . July 31, 1917. p. 11.
  13. "Took Oath of Office: Auditor Gambell Declined, So Storey Went Before a Notary". The Morning Oregonian. May 18, 1899. p. 12.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "City Elected Officials Since 1913". Office of Auditor Mary Hull Caballero. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  15. Jennings, Steve (August 23, 1979). "Schwab says Portland needs 'budgetary diet'". The Oregonian. p. C1.
  16. Jenning, Steve (September 6, 1979). "Mayor McCready takes office". The Oregonian. p. 1.
  17. Williams, Linda (November 25, 1980). "Beaming Ivancie sworn in as Portland mayor". The Oregonian. p. 1.
  18. Painter Jr., John (January 3, 1985). "Mayor Clark takes oath; new era begins". The Oregonian . p. 1.