21 may 2008.
Yet another reason to move to Portland--let's fix that constitutional ban, though:
Portland elects its first openly gay mayor
5/20/2008, 10:44 p.m. PDT
By STEVEN DUBOIS
The Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Commissioner Sam Adams easily won the Portland mayoral race, making this city the largest in the U.S. to ever elect an openly gay mayor.
Adams avoided a November runoff by winning 58 percent of the vote with more than 80 percent of the ballots counted Tuesday night. Businessman Sho Dozono had 34 percent and almost a dozen minor candidates split the rest.
Adams, 44, said his main goals for the city are to improve the economy, reduce the dropout rate in public schools and prepare for the influx of people moving to the region.
The mayor-elect's sexual orientation was never an issue in the contest, but Adams was aware of the history he was widely expected to make.
"I'm running not to be a gay mayor, but a great mayor," he said after delivering his victory speech. "But I'm very cognizant, very aware that I'm the first openly gay mayor of a major American city. That's a real honor."
Adams seemed equally proud that he was able to rise from a small town to become the mayor of Oregon's biggest city: "I used to deliver The Oregonian as a newspaper boy in Newport, Ore.; I never thought I'd ever actually be in it."
Known as a policy wonk and City Hall insider, Adams served as chief aide to Mayor Vera Katz for more than a decade before getting elected to the Portland City Council in 2004. He will replace Tom Potter, who announced last September he would not run for a second term. Under Portland's commission form of government, the mayor and four city commissioners share executive branch duties.
With a population of more than 500,000, Portland is by far the largest city in a state that in 2004 voted to amend its constitution to declare that marriage is only legal when it's between a man and a woman.
Asked if it was odd that he can be mayor - but not married - in Oregon, Adams said it was "surreal."
"With the position of mayor comes life and death authority and responsibility in running a police force, emergency preparedness system and fire departments," he said. "But gay folks still can't be trusted to be married."
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Portland elects its first openly gay mayor
5/20/2008, 10:44 p.m. PDT
By STEVEN DUBOIS
The Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Commissioner Sam Adams easily won the Portland mayoral race, making this city the largest in the U.S. to ever elect an openly gay mayor.
Adams avoided a November runoff by winning 58 percent of the vote with more than 80 percent of the ballots counted Tuesday night. Businessman Sho Dozono had 34 percent and almost a dozen minor candidates split the rest.
Adams, 44, said his main goals for the city are to improve the economy, reduce the dropout rate in public schools and prepare for the influx of people moving to the region.
The mayor-elect's sexual orientation was never an issue in the contest, but Adams was aware of the history he was widely expected to make.
"I'm running not to be a gay mayor, but a great mayor," he said after delivering his victory speech. "But I'm very cognizant, very aware that I'm the first openly gay mayor of a major American city. That's a real honor."
Adams seemed equally proud that he was able to rise from a small town to become the mayor of Oregon's biggest city: "I used to deliver The Oregonian as a newspaper boy in Newport, Ore.; I never thought I'd ever actually be in it."
Known as a policy wonk and City Hall insider, Adams served as chief aide to Mayor Vera Katz for more than a decade before getting elected to the Portland City Council in 2004. He will replace Tom Potter, who announced last September he would not run for a second term. Under Portland's commission form of government, the mayor and four city commissioners share executive branch duties.
With a population of more than 500,000, Portland is by far the largest city in a state that in 2004 voted to amend its constitution to declare that marriage is only legal when it's between a man and a woman.
Asked if it was odd that he can be mayor - but not married - in Oregon, Adams said it was "surreal."
"With the position of mayor comes life and death authority and responsibility in running a police force, emergency preparedness system and fire departments," he said. "But gay folks still can't be trusted to be married."
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