September 05, 2003

(Updated) Is Ron Tonkin Running For Mayor? (And Other Mayoral Tidbits)

Note: This post has been updated. Any and all updates appear at the end of the original post.

So this afternoon I receive an email from someone I know from previous matters I've covered here. "Scuttlebutt amongst the conservative crowd," he writes, "is that some 'big name' local business person is going to step forward."

Now, certainly there's been much discussion that groups such as the Portland Business Alliance are shopping around for a candidate they can back in next year's mayoral election. But the writer had more to say, pointing me to a commentary by Ron Tonkin in today's Tribune which I had not yet read:

If I were running for mayor -- and I'm not (yet) -- I would run on a clear and simple platform that would be pro-business. Government is people. It is you, and it is me. It is for the rich, the poor and all those in between.

(The commentary, by the way, is worth reading in and of itself, regardless of this particular element.)

So the questions become: Is Tonkin just teasing? Or, if he's serious, has he been approached by some party (perhaps the PBA), or is it merely something he's been mulling over on his own?

Meanwhile, an editorial in today's Oregonian examines the mayoral race in the wake of Blumenauer's decision to bow out:

No point being coy about it. Like many Portlanders, we were truly disappointed when U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Portland, announced Tuesday that he had decided not to enter the race for mayor.

Still, with any luck, the exit of two formidable prospects from the race -- Blumenauer and incumbent Mayor Vera Katz -- will act as a cue for other good candidates to emerge from the wings.

...

Portland's standards are high. We want a mayor who's a bit of a swashbuckler, prepared to step in and be a hero, as needed, whether that calls for killing a freeway (Neil Goldschmidt), enticing a department store to locate here (also Goldschmidt, who worked his magic on Nordstrom) or strong-arming a deal to save the Portland school year (Katz).

"We need a mayor," the editorial says, "with the credentials, relentlessness and personal charisma to champion economic development, not just for Portland but also for our entire region."

And returning to today's Tribune, there's a piece which claims, "Issue [and] candidates soon will surface as result of Blumenauer's decision."

The music already has started. Former Portland Police Chief Tom Potter is running. He said he decided in mid-August to make the race and will formally announce his candidacy in a few weeks.

Sam Adams, former chief of staff for Mayor Vera Katz, is thinking about running, as is Robert Ball, the developer who authored a failed city charter change last year.

Also looking at a race is Willie Brown, owner of the River City Bar and Grill on U.S. Highway 30 and a member of numerous city budget advisory committees.

Blumenauer's presence, however, kept other prominent candidates away. City Commissioner Erik Sten, for one, said he would consider running only if Blumenauer did not. Sten, though, has been deeply involved with the city's effort to acquire Portland General Electric and hasn't said whether he will run next year.

[Roy Jay, a Portland businessman who earlier this year helped minority chambers of commerce win the contract to operate the city's Smart Park garages] also was asked to run. In fact, before he even had a chance to respond, supporters ponied up $480,000 in campaign pledges. He's decided against a race. For now.

There's a fair amount of coverage of just where Francesconi's campaign is at at this point as well.

So, all of you out there with eyes and ears into the various worlds of the City of Portland, tell me: What are you hearing, if anything, about Tonkin?

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