Could Wheeler Be Vulnerable to a Challenge from the Left?

Email to a friend Permalink

Monday, November 02, 2015

Brendan Murray, GoLocalPDX Contributor

A week after incumbent Mayor Charlie Hales ended his campaign for re-election against State Treasurer Ted Wheeler (D), there has been no announcement of a new challenger in the race to be the city’s top executive. Experts tell GoLocal that what Wheeler should be most afraid of is an opponent that can present a more progressive platform than the State Treasurer.

“I think Wheeler could really struggle with a challenge from his left,” John Horvick, Vice President and Political Director of DHM Research, a Portland-based political research and polling firm. “Both he and Charlie Hales, before Hales decided not to run, aren’t part of the further left part of the party. I think if someone really challenged him as a liberal and a progressive that he could be vulnerable to that.”

Since stepping off the campaign trail, Hales has remained vocal about the campaign, saying that he would like to see a strong challenger enter the race, and mentoring liberal leaders such as Marissa Madrigal, Multnomah County’s COO, and community organizers from the Lents neighborhood. 

"The filing deadline is still over four months away, and I hope and expect that several qualified candidates will seek the office of mayor," Hales said in a statement announcing the end of his campaign. "There are some dynamic new leaders in our community, and I'm excited to see who steps up."

Following National Trends

Horvick said that he believes the city would support an outsider candidate in the same way they have supported outsiders in the 2016 Presidential primaries. 

“I think that if you look at national trends, outsider candidates that find themselves at the more extreme end of the spectrum have found a lot of success, and I think the city could follow those trends,” Horvick said. 

Horvick cited the reception that Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders (I) received when he visited Portland earlier this year.

“We’ve already seen evidence of it. Bernie Sanders had an incredible turnout at the Moda Center,” Horvick said. “If someone could challenge Wheeler in that same way that Sanders has challenged a more establishment Democrat like Hillary Clinton, I think they would have a lot of success.”

Len Bergstein, a political analyst and President of Northwest Strategies, Inc., agreed with Horvick, saying that Portland would respond to a candidate that bucked the status quo of politicians in the area.

“Both Ted Wheeler and Charlie Hales are just middle-aged white guys, and I think there’s a lot of people that want to see something different in the city,” Bergstein told GoLocal. “I think there is a big hunger in Portland for someone who would fill a different lane.”

Wheeler Responds

Wheeler himself embraced the title of progressive, and called on Hales to show his liberal credentials, during his campaign announcement speech on September 10.

“It’s not enough to call yourself a progressive, or an activist, or a leader when so many of the basic things that make a community thriving and successful aren’t getting done,” Wheeler said. “You can’t claim to be a progressive if you’re not making progress on helping the homeless get off the streets, into transitional housing with the mental health care or intervention they need to stay off the streets. You can’t wear the mantle of activism when you have not taken action on creating economic opportunities for the entire city.”

Jake Weigler, Wheeler’s campaign spokesman, told GoLocal that Wheeler has done plenty to show his liberal credentials and that he plans on doing more to probe his progressivism as the campaign continues. 

"Ted will be happy to stack up his record of progressive results with anyone," Weigler said. "Ted committed Oregon to doubling its investment in renewable energy technologies; pioneered a revolutionary retirement plan that will protect middle and working-class families; and led the first Oregon jurisdiction to ban the box and offer health benefits to the transgender employees. He launched his campaign pledging to make progress on the challenges we face and we look forward to continuing the discussion in the campaign to come."

---

Related Slideshow: SLIDESHOW: Ted Wheeler Announces Portland Mayoral Candidacy on Rooftop of Revolution Hall

Related Articles

• BREAKING: Ted Wheeler Challenges Mayor Charlie Hales to 12 Debates
• Ted Wheeler Comes Out In Support of St. Mary’s Students
• Ted Wheeler Signs Working for the People Pledge
• Ted Wheeler Calls for Kitzhaber’s Resignation
• Ted Wheeler Announces He’s Running for Mayor of Portland
• Spotted in Portland: Charlie Hales and Ted Wheeler at Blue Collar Baking
• Wheeler Campaign Blasts Hales for “Mismanagement of City’s Growth”
• Wheeler Says “I Know We Can Do Better” in Campaign Announcement Speech
• Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in Oregon Politics: Ted Wheeler, Charles McGee, Julie Parrish
• Why is Ted Wheeler Speaking at Oregon Mayor’s Conference?
• Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in Oregon Politics: Ted Wheeler, Tina Kotek, Loretta Smith
• Who Has the Upper Hand in a Debate: Charlie Hales or Ted Wheeler?
• Wheeler to Challenge Hales in Race for Mayor of Portland
• Scott Bruun: Ted Wheeler’s Wheel of Big Government Solutions
• NEW: Wheeler Slams Hales on Portland’s Rape Kit Backlog
• Hales, Wheeler Split on Novick’s Gas Tax Proposal
• Hales, Wheeler Voice Support for Minimum Wage Increase
• Hales Gets Blindsided as Former Mayor Katz, Potter and Adams Endorse Wheeler
• Hales Flip Flops on Out of State Money; Wheeler Takes it Too
• Governor Brown Declares Drought Emergencies in Baker and Wheeler Counties
• How Ted Wheeler Could Unseat Charlie Hales in 2016
• Is Ted Wheeler the New Sam Adams?
• NEW: Hales Says Wheeler Should Focus on His Job in Salem
• NEW: Facebook Page Calls for Ted Wheeler to Run For Mayor of Portland
• Is Ted Wheeler Winning the Fundraising Battle Against Charlie Hales?

Enjoy this post? Share it with others.

Email to a friend Permalink