In Portland, Oregon, political outsider Keith Wilson elected mayor after homelessness-focused race
Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Voters in Portland, Oregon, have elected political outsider Keith Wilson as their next mayor. Wilson, a Portland native and CEO of a trucking company, ran on an ambitious pledge to end unsheltered homelessness within a year of taking office. He says he will accomplish this in part by increasing the number of nighttime walk-in emergency shelters in existing facilities such as churches and community centers. His message appears to have resonated after years of growing frustration over homeless encampments and open drug use. Wilson was elected under Portland’s new ranked-choice voting system. He beat three current City Council members to win the position.