Wheeler: ‘Thank you for the opportunity to continue to serve as your mayor’

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said he is grateful for the opportunity to continue to serve as Portland’s mayor during a press conference the day after the election.

“I’m grateful to every Portlander who turned in a ballot,” Wheeler said. “Thank you for the opportunity to continue to serve as your mayor.” The mayoral race has not yet been officially called for Wheeler.

Wheeler said he’s energized despite the challenges the city faces — the protests, the pandemic and growing homelessness.

He’s also very aware challenger Sarah Iannarone got 41% of the vote — he got 47% — and that 13% of voters wrote-in someone else. But Wheeler said he knows the city’s priorities.

“In overwhelming numbers I know the public supports my call to as quickly and humanely as possible to get as many people off the streets and connect them with the care they need to stay off the streets,” he said. “I know the public overwhelmingly supports the Black Lives Matter movement that calls for racial justice and equity. We may have disagreements on the edges over what specific police reform should be adopted or not adopted.”

“To those who voted for me, thank you. For those who didn’t, I respect your choice, and I commit to doing my best to serve all of Portland.”

During his remarks, he renewed his commitment to social justice reform in the city.

“The last 4 years we’ve shown what we can achieve together,” he said. “Clearly there’s still a lot more to do.”

“I am committed to supporting smooth transition so the new city council is ready to hit the ground running in January,” he said.

Iannarone conceded the race on Wednesday night, thanking her supporters and campaign staff. She congratulated Wheeler for his victory and called on people to empower him to succeed and hold him accountable.

“Together, we must push to become the city we all truly know it can be,” she said. “Now is not a time for division, it is a time for unity. Because we are facing serious problems.”

Iannarone urged people to continue the fight against fascism and come together to “demand forward progress on the issues of our time, no matter who is in power.”

“I’m humbled by this community’s support for a courageous mom on a fast bike with a bold plan for progress,” Iannarone said, adding that she will continue to listen to her community to continue serving the city however she can.