Voters have elected Mingus Mapps to replace City Commissioner Chloe Eudaly on Portland City Council. By 9 pm Tuesday, Mapps had collected 56 percent of Portland votes, with incumbent Eudaly trailing at 43 percent.
Mapps told the Mercury that he "feels great" about the night's results.
"To me, it's a sign that Portlanders are interested in a new kind of politics," Mapps said." Politics that embraces our dreams and our best selves."
Mapps, a former professor and city employee, ran a campaign to the right of Eudaly, attracting voters seeking a more moderate leader in City Hall. His campaign has centered on unity, responding to homelessness, and minor reforms to the Portland Police Bureau (PPB).
Mapps will be the third Black man ever elected to Portland City Council. When Mapps starts his new job on January 1, 2021, white people will be in the minority on City Council for the first time in Portland's history.
Eudaly joined Portland City Council in 2016 with a campaign primarily rooted in tenants' rights and housing affordability. Since entering City Hall, Eudaly's championed several policies to strengthen tenant rights, including the renter relocation ordinance, and pushed for other progressive reforms.
It's some of these policies that turned Portlanders away from Eudaly this election.
Eudaly has been a longtime thorn in the side of Portland's landlord and developer industry, and her work to restructure the city's community engagement process turned several neighborhood associations against her. Recently, Eudaly partnered with City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty to call for a second round of cuts to the Portland Police Bureau's budget, suggesting those dollars be rerouted to programs that assist people impacted by COVID-19. Mapps, meanwhile, argues that the police bureau instead needs more support from City Hall, a position that's earned Mapps the endorsement of Portland's union for rank-and-file police, the Portland Police Association. Mapps has also garnered the support of the neighborhood groups, business associations, and property owners.
Mapps' victory was foreshadowed in an early October poll commissioned by OPB. The poll found that voter support for Eudaly trailed Mapps by nine percentage points—with 40 percent of voters undecided on the candidates.
On Tuesday, Mapps expressed his thanks for Eudaly's work on Portland City Council, and said he hopes to preserve her "noble legacy," especially around tenants' rights.
"I don't want Portlanders to read this [election] as a rejection of Chloe's policies," said Mapps. "I plan on continuing the work she started, and bring the next chapter of tenants' rights to the table."
In a press call, Eudaly said her loss has made her "sad for Portland."
"We were poised to have the most progressive council in this city's history," said Eudaly. "With the re-election of Mayor Wheeler and election of Mingus Mapps, it's a step backwards for progress. It's a win for big business, the landlord lobbies, and police unions."
Asked why she believed Mapps' campaign platform resonated with voters, Eudaly said her opponent was "good at saying a lot of words without saying anything."
"And he's really good at playing into people's fears," she added. "I really think Portland is in for a surprise in the coming months and years when they realize who they've elected."
Eudaly said she's prepared to continue fighting for vulnerable communities up until she leaves office in January—and beyond.
"Losing this election is not going to change my dedication to these issues or causes," she said. "I'm excited to figure out what to do next."
Mapps will be joining a council made up of relative newcomers in January: City Commissioner Dan Ryan, who joined Portland City Council in September, Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty, who joined Council in 2019, and Carmen Rubio, who will replace retiring City Commissioner Amanda Fritz on January 1, 2021. It's predicted that Ted Wheeler will be elected for a second term as Portland mayor—at 9:50 pm, Wheeler's collected 46 percent of the vote.
