Occupy Portland Activist Formally Launches Mayoral Bid

Portland Mercury:

courtesy of cameron whittenMayoral hopeful Cameron Whitten, 20, is pushed by riot cops during Occupy's banks protest on November 17.Occupy Portland is finally be getting its first political candidate. Cameron Whitten, a 20-year-old fixture of the local movement, emailed this morning to say he "has entered his name into the race for Mayor of Portland" and has scheduled a news conference for tomorrow morning to talk about his candidacy. No, the city auditor's office still doesn't list him—not yet, at least—as an official candidate, but Whitten's also already got a live campaign website up where he explains why he wants in. “Portland and Oregon has a history of economic and racial oppression which is still apparent in its rural areas and highly segregated neighborhoods," Whitten says in his email. "Although the city flaunts its liberal, progressive politics, it is lagging behind in employment and education in comparison to the rest of the country. It’s time for Portland to experience a reawakening.” Whitten first served notice of his intent to run back in November, soon after Occupy's eviction from three parks near city hall, and has been going back-and-forth with the city over producing and then verifying the 100 signatures a candidate needs to make the ballot. If he doesn't get the signatures, I'm told, he'll just end up paying the filing fee. So far, Whitten has been arrested three times while protesting as part Occupy Portland. He helped plan the Jamison Square occupation in October, and was arrested when police cleared it out. He was arrested during some occupiers' last stand in Chapman Square. And then he was arrested during a theatrical occupation of tiny Mill Ends Park downtown. Whitten also has been a fixture at police accountability hearings in city hall in recent weeks, making that one of his issues, along with economic equality, political transparency, and foreclosure reform, according to his announcement. Whitten "asks that all person and non-person identities contribute no more than 200 dollars to his campaign, giving all income levels proper access to their public officials." Which, weirdly, is still more than Commissioner Amanda Fritz, running for re-election, will accept from donors. Whitten's whole statement is below the cut. [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

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