This just in: Mayoral contender Eileen Brady just scored a high-profile endorsement from one recent one-term mayor, Tom Potter, in her bid to replace our current one, Sam Adams. The message in the endorsement is meant to counter any claims that Brady’s campaign isn’t fueled by the grass-roots—Potter, after all, famously fended off Jim “Million-Dollar” Francesconi to take the city’s helm in 2004.
Eileen has the experience that Portlanders can count on to lead us through these difficult economic times. I am confident that she will effectively combine long-term vision with pragmatism and focus at City Hall, as she has in the private, non-profit and public sectors.
I am also endorsing Eileen for another reason: Because I believe in the way she has chosen to run her campaign.
When I ran for Mayor in 2004, I made a conscious choice to run a decentralized, people-powered campaign. I ended up setting a city record, which still stands, by collecting donations from 1300 individual contributors.
Eileen understands the power of the grassroots and has set out to beat my record of 1300 contributors – and I want to help her get there.
As of today, 850 people have contributed to Eileen’s campaign, 500 of which have been contributions of $100 or less. That’s an impressive start, but we still have a ways to go.
Will it help Brady? Potter also prominently endorsed, last election cycle, a ballot measure to bring pot dispensaries to Oregon. It didn’t win. Of course, not that Brady and medical pot have anything much in common.
The only thing Tom Potter endorses are naps.
That was mean. I ate too much candy. Going to bed.
Ask Sho Dozono how much an endorsement from Tom Potter is worth.
Easy come easy go I guess–is it grass-rootsy to have spent over a hundred grand already too? Where do you spend money like that in Sept and Oct before the primary? And I guess the other 300-odd contributions are non-rootsy big dollar checks? Potter’s imprimatur notwithstanding, I think the breadth-of-support contest is an open one still.
TOM POTTER – “I AM IRRELEVANT” 2007
THAT QUOTE IS STILL RELEVANT.
Slagging on Mayor Potter, folks? Not cool. As a newcomer to Portland (20 years ago) and seeing him march with his daughter, I felt honestly embraced in this town. And he ran a helluva grassroots campaign over a corporate funded candidate. Which is what puzzles me about this endorsement? Jefferson Smith just exceeded his team’s goal of getting a whopping 500 regular sized donations in just a month. That’s some healthy grass roots, organic 🙂 PDX style.
We’ve got three good Portlanders in the race. And all can be proud of Tom Potter.