No Free Ride for Sam Adams?

Now that one-term wonder Portland Mayor Tom Potter has officially announced his retirement from office and the floodgates are open to all the perennial candidates, the only serious declared candidate is long time political operative and current City Commissioner Sam Adams. Portland developer Bob Ball spoiled his own bid for mayor with an attempted smear campaign trying to create an inappropriate relationship between Adams and a 17-year old intern. Based on his own character, Ball clearly forgot about the lost art of loyalty in the political world. But, former Mayor Vera Katz and City Commissioner Randy Leonard did not and they promptly outed Ball’s low grade tactics thereby ending his campaign before he could print even one bumper sticker. New Seasons co-founder Eileen Brady dipped her toes in the mayoral pool (along with the US Senate pool) for about five minutes and decided to take a pass for now.

So, that leaves Adams alone to walk casually across the finish line next May? Not so fast says Portland community activist and businessman Sho Dozono. Word is spreading quickly that Dozono is seriously considering a bid for Portland’s bureaucrat-in-chief, weighing whether or not he wants to relinquish some of his closely held business entities before launching such an effort. Dozono could pose are large challenge to Adams, but would need to beware of the traps fallen into by former City Commissioner and mayoral candidate Jim Francesconi. If history communicates anything to this batch of candidates, be sure to throw Portlanders enough liberal drivel and campaign on issues that won’t do anything for the enhancement of the city (i.e. the Iraq war). Dozono’s biggest challenge should he run? Overcoming the Willamette Week puff pieces for Adams.