IN his own words
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I asked for a work session to dig into the code surrounding the Form of Government Transition
Change is on the horizon for our city! Join us for an important city council work session today at 9:30am where we’ll discuss upcoming updates to the city code—our essential guide to how our new city government functions.
I asked for this work session as I find it deeply important to have publicly transparent conversations about how the new lines of authority will work at the City. Today is an important opportunity to learn about those changes.
Follow this link to tune in - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVdMTyxOwGY
I talked to KOIN about the City's looming budget cuts
https://koin.com/.../mapps-portland-budget-cuts-timing.../
As Portland faces serious budget shortfalls, will need to make some hard decisions to address these challenges head-on. Nearly 400 city jobs could be on the line, and it’s a reality that’s tough for our entire community.
While these cuts won’t take immediate effect, by early next year we’ll need to make strategic changes to keep essential services strong as we move forward. On top of this, Portland’s upcoming government transition brings startup costs, adding to our need for thoughtful, proactive planning.
As mayor, I’ll make it a priority to stabilize our budget while finding new ways to bring revenue into the city. Let’s work together to make sure Portland is financially sound and resilient for the future.
To move Portland forward, both people and businesses need the opportunity to thrive. That’s why my approach includes several critical strategies. First, I’m committed to weeding out redundancy and streamlining our permitting system to accelerate both residential and commercial development, especially around transit corridors and in our business districts.
Public safety is also a cornerstone of this plan. My commitment to bringing in 100 new officers by the end of 2025 will support proactive community policing, ensuring that Portlanders feel safe in their neighborhoods. Tackling homelessness is another top priority—Since I now have the support of a majority of council, I am actively setting a roadmap to rebuild our partnership with the county to promote financial transparency and accountability on outcomes with real, effective services. This will enable cleaner, safer neighborhoods and business districts that can genuinely thrive.
Finally, I’m committed to funding these initiatives by pursuing innovative financial sources, from getting creative in pushing City programs to try to qualify for PCEF dollars to securing new state and federal support. In my time on council, I’ve brought hundreds of millions of dollars into Portland for both small and transformational projects—work I’m ready to continue, supporting new job growth and economic stability over the next decade.
The coming year will demand an experienced leader who is ready to tackle tough budget cycles with a long-term vision. I’m prepared to be that leader.
We are hitting the streets of NE Portland!
Out in Argay, Wilkes, Hazelwood, and many more Northeast neighborhoods today with an incredible team of volunteers, including reps from Protec17, knocking on doors and connecting with neighbors about my vision for Portland. I’m so grateful for the dedication of everyone who’s out here putting in the work to move our city forward.
Conversations like the ones we have been having with neighbors while out canvassing remind me of the power of community and the shared hope we all have for a better Portland.
Let’s keep the momentum going!
Follow THIS LINK HERE to join us in any way you can. Calling, hosting events, or handing out literature.
Since joining Council, I have been recieving Racist Hate mail, recently I sat down with KOIN to talk about it
As a Black man in public office in Portland, I’ve unfortunately received my share of racist hate mail, just as I’ve experienced similar abuse throughout my life. Sadly, this kind of hatred tends to increase during election season.
I want to be clear: this behavior isn’t unique to me, and it’s not new. Racial threats and harassment are a painful reality for many people of color in public life. What saddens me most is that despite all the progress we’ve made as a city, these toxic messages persist. I had hoped my children would grow up in a world free from this kind of hate, but here we are, still having these conversations.
What’s clear to me is that the people sending these messages are deeply consumed by fear. I pity them for that. But pity won’t stop me from condemning this hatred outright. Fear does not justify spreading bigotry, and we, as a community, must stand firm in rejecting it.
I call on all Portlanders to join in this fight. We are better than this. We cannot allow fear and hatred to shape our city or our politics. Together, we can continue building a city where our children can thrive, without having to endure the same battles for basic dignity.
Watch my conversation about this issue with Ken Boddie here -
It must Finally be politically advantageous to support a reform in our relationship with the Joint Office of Homeless Services. After 100 days, Commissioner Gonzalez changes his mind.
From my perspective as Commissioner, this decision has been a long time coming. For nearly four years, I have raised concerns about the structure of the Joint Office of Homeless Services—concerns that have repeatedly been ignored. I’ve consistently advocated for clearer roles, a stronger pathway from shelter to housing, and data-driven policies to better address homelessness in Portland. My vote has always been about improving results, not politics. While some of my colleagues may have only recently joined me in pushing for change, this is not a new stance for me. It’s about ensuring that Portland gets the outcomes our residents expect and deserve.
Follow THIS LINK HERE for the Oregonian Article
We are dedicating a full day of ground game to Lents
We are out in Lents today, most of our boots on the ground east of 205, dropping hundreds of door hangers, talking to voters, and getting the word out on this beautiful Sunday!
Follow THIS LINK HERE to join us in any way you can. Calling, hosting events, or handing out literature.
Don’t Miss out on the live mayoral candidate forum! TOnight at 6pm!
Tune in on KATU or watch online here: https://www.katu.com/watch. Join me for an engaging discussion on the future of our city. Be part of the conversation—your voice matters!
My response Chair Vega Pederson’s comments
I, and many other dedicated people here at the city, have been focused on making real progress on homelessness for years now. I have been consistent on this since day one, and today’s vote was not about abandoning the county—it was about a reset in our relationship that centers accountability after years without the changes I have been asking for.
I’ve asked for a clear definition of roles between the city and county to avoid duplication of efforts, housing vouchers for people exiting SRVs and TAS sites, and up-to-date data on who is living on our streets and using our services so that we can reduce reliance on the PIT count, and target our response more efficiently. These are basics we need to get people housed and off the streets. And yet, every single time, I have been met with resistance and hesitancy. Clear goals need good data, good data needs a clear plan, and a clear plan needs effective partnership, and we don’t have that right now.
This isn’t about “stunts,” I supported this because it feels like the only way to move this issue forward. Let’s be clear: we need a county that’s serious about partnering with the city to move the needle. More tents than ever is not a solution.
I’m still committed to working with the county because that is what we have to do—there’s no world where we fix this crisis without cooperation. But Portlanders are tired of words. They are tired of vague and unmeasurable goals. Ultimately, they are tired of us not learning from our missteps.
We need real solutions, not just the same process year after year.
It’s time for a reset.
SEIU Local 49 Endorses Me For Mayor!
I’m thrilled and beyond grateful to announce that SEIU Local 49, the voice for over 15,000 working people across our city, has officially endorsed my campaign for Mayor of Portland!
SEIU’s commitment to fighting for better wages, better working conditions, and a better community for healthcare and building service workers is something I deeply respect, and together, we’ll continue building a city that prioritizes fairness, opportunity, and dignity for all workers.
I have been a strong and consistent supporter of our unions during my time on council. I have converted contract positions into full-time union jobs, and saved over 100 positions by closing PBOT’s $32 million budget gap.
The future is going to be built on strong union partnerships.
Thank you to SEIU Local 49 for believing in my vision for Portland. Let’s get to work to create a city that works for everyone!
Dont worry, Well take care of it: Another case of sloppy policy work from Team Gonzalez? (Graffiti Ordinance)
The upcoming graffiti ordinance (Item 888 on the 10/16 agenda) has sparked a critical conversation about how Portland addresses vandalism.
While Commissioner Gonzalez initially pushed for jail time as the main response to graffiti—starting with 30 days, later reduced to 7—the proposal leaves jail as the only option. This shift occurred after the city attorney rightly pointed out to them that compelling individuals to donate labor without consent is illegal. Rather than doing the necessary work to keep community service as part of the ordinance, Commissioner Gonzalez dropped it entirely, leaving incarceration as the sole penalty for taggers, even for first-time offenders.
I made it clear from the beginning: without a path to diversion, I could not support this policy. Yet, after that discussion, no substantive changes were made.
Let’s be clear: graffiti is a serious issue. It’s more than an eyesore—it damages property, costs taxpayers and business owners time and money, and erodes our sense of community pride. But giving someone no other options between taking a plea deal and being locked up for a week or more without offering any alternative isn’t going to repaint our walls or erase the damage that’s been done. So, what will? Giving offenders the opportunity to engage in meaningful community service. This way, they can own up to the harm they’ve caused and work to make things right by restoring the very city they caused damage to.
That’s why I’m proposing a different approach. My amendments, which will be discussed this Wednesday, have found a way to legally reintroduce community service to the item. This isn't a softer option; it's a smarter one that holds people accountable while giving them a chance to avoid taking up space in our jails that should be used for violent offenders.
The first of my amendments gives the ability to choose between jail time or a minimum of 50 hours of community service for graffiti offenses. This doesn’t remove the tool we are giving to the DA to incentivize folks to make deals, but it does give us a real and functional process for when people choose to carry this through to its conclusion.
This approach reflects Portland’s values—accountability, yes, but with purpose. Punishment shouldn’t just mean four walls; it could also mean a bucket of paint, a roller, and some hard work to make our city better.
The second amendment addresses some sloppy policy writing in the original proposal. My version broadens the scope from just spray paint to cover all forms of defacement, from ink and dye to etchings and carvings. This ensures that no method of property destruction goes unchecked. I’m also cleaning up some vague language to make enforcement clearer and more straightforward.
My amendments move us toward a proactive stance on vandalism. We aren’t just punishing people—we’re giving them a chance to rebuild our city, brick by brick, wall by wall. That’s how we restore not only property but also civic pride in Portland.
Another key point: This item does not alter how people are held pending trial (there are clear rules around pretrial release that mean essentially all taggers are released pending trial), and it won't alter the good work that the members of PPB are doing to track and arrest these vandals.
Here are the drafts of my amendments as of today:
Mapps 1 – The below language will replace 14.85.040 - Subsection B:
“B. A violation of Section 14B.85.035 shall constitute a Class A misdemeanor as prescribed in State law and a Court must impose a sentence requiring the person either: to serve not less than seven days of imprisonment, or to perform community service for not less than 50 hours for each violation of this Section.”
ORIGINAL GONZALEZ TEXT FOR REFERENCE: “B. A violation of Section 14B.85.035 shall constitute a Class A misdemeanor as prescribed in State law and a Court must impose seven days of imprisonment for each violation of this Section.”
Mapps 2 – The below language will replace 14.85.035 in its entirety.
14B.85.035 Unlawful Defacement of Property in the Right-of-Way
"A person commits the offense of unlawfully defacing property in the right-of-way when the person, having neither legal authority nor reasonable grounds to believe they have such authority, intentionally applies paint, ink, dye, or another similar substance, or creates etchings, carvings, or other marks, on public or private property in or from the right-of-way."
ORIGINAL GONZALEZ TEXT FOR REFERENCE: “14B.85.035 Use of Spray Paint in the Right-of-Way. A person commits the offense of unlawfully applying spray paint in the right-of-way if the person, having no right to do so nor reasonable ground to believe that the person has such right, intentionally applies graffiti to property in the right-of-way.”
Skanner Endorses Mingus Mapps for Mayor
Honored to be included as a Mayoral Endorsement from The Skanner.
”But the new mayoral job description is all but tailored to Mingus Mapps’ education, expertise, and demeanor. Portland’s next mayor will lead the city’s executive branch and work in a much more administrative capacity. While Mapps has always been a thoughtful, detail-oriented commissioner, this shift would allow his operational know-how and policy savvy to shine. The Reed alum holds a Ph.D. in government from Cornell University, and has vowed to make Portland the “best-run city in the United States” by syncing up its 24 bureaus – we have confidence in that vision.”
Check out the rest of the article here. LINK
Look out St. Johns! We are hitting your streets today!
Who could ask for a better day to be outside? Team Mapps is supporting our volunteers as they hit the streets in St. John’s this morning to drop literature, shake hands, and get the word out that Mingus Mapps is the only choice to be your next Mayor! If you want to come join the movement, reach out and join us this weekend, next weekend, or any time between now and November 5th! We can do this together!
Follow THIS LINK HERE to join us in any way you can. Calling, hosting events, or handing out literature.
NAACP and Other local Community Leaders write letter of Support to the Oregonian
I’m deeply grateful to the NAACP and to the community leaders who have raised their voices, calling out the Oregonian’s decision to exclude me from their endorsement interview process. They’ve penned a powerful letter to the Oregonian’s editorial board, urging them to reconsider. I invite you to read the full letter and stand with us in demanding a fair process for all candidates in this critical election.
“Dear Ms. Bottomly,
I greet you in peace, but also with grave concerns. On my personal behalf, on behalf of the Portland’s NAACP 1120-B Branch, on behalf of the Chair of the NAACP Political Action Committee Chair, Rev. Dr. J.W. Matt Hennessee, and on behalf of a countless number of people in the Black and Brown communities of Portland we reach out to you regarding, in our estimation, unfair treatment of Commissioner Mingus Mapps.
It is very possible that had the Oregonian not published a very gratifying and soul-satisfying editorial, on October 24, 2022, where you stated, on behalf of your media organization, that you, “…unreservedly apologize to our readers and our community for the racism in this newspaper and the legacy it leaves.” You pledged to work much harder to get it “right” going forward and outlined steps that had been taken and that you would continue to take steps to ensure this pledge is honored in the years ahead.
We are in the midst of the most protracted amount of political and social strife that many of us have ever seen. It is a time where our national politics is especially toxic and our local politics is in the midst of the greatest transformation in our lifetime.
As you know in the City’s 150+ year history there have only been six people of color who have served on the Portland City Council and there has never been a person of color blessed to serve as Mayor.
We have three major candidates for Mayor this year: Commissioners Rubio, Gonzales, and Mapps. We respect the fact that you work hard to ensure the citizens of the region have as much information as possible regarding their electoral choices.
However, we are, frankly, deeply dismayed, and very disappointed that the result of your interview process did not include Dr. Mingus Mapps who has proven to be a very committed public servant and a person whose leadership has been a positive and impactful factor in the success of the Portland City Commission.
We have learned that your decision to not interview Commissioner Mapps was because his responses to questions had a “lack of depth” in his answers. We are not sure what the questions were, but we are clear that Commissioner Mapps is very intelligent and he is a serious thinker, and finding out about your unwillingness to interview him, based on your apology, we would assume that you would double down on fairness and benefit-of-the-doubt, as you have conversations like these.
We know Commissioner Mapps to be an articulate visionary leader who is passionate about the City of Portland and is as committed to the future as those you decided to interview. Our bottom line, based on your stances addressed in the October 2022 editorial, is that your decision to not interview him is very unfair.
With the new Ranked Choice Voting where we are permitted to vote for more than one candidate for Mayor and for City Councilors, we would think you would want to do the same—consider more than one or two candidates to share with your readers. Each of the three Portland City Commissioners have different skill sets and each brings different perspectives to the Office of Mayor. The people need to know and to make their choice.
We wish we could say that we can step back from the decision you’ve made and be satisfied, but we cannot. We have been thoughtful and introspective about this which is why this letter was not sent to you immediately after reading the article that let us know that he was not given the respect of an interview. We waited. And now we are speaking.
We have spoken with many people in the BIPOC community and other non-profit organizations and, to a person and to an organization, the message is the same, “this sounds very unfair.”
With this letter, we hope you have heard us. We are serious and we are very disappointed and we will not go away. Therefore, we also want to know what your response to our concerns will be and we hope you will reply soon.
While it should not matter, but to make sure, in the spirit of full disclosure, we have not been asked or urged by Commissioner Mapps to send this message to you, this is us and this is written on behalf of those in our community who are tired of great comments, but often “the walk is not consistent with the talk.”
Respectfully submitted,
James Posey
President Committee
J.W. Matt Hennessee
Chair, Political Action
Let’s talk about accountability in the Short-Term Rental Market.
I appreciate The Oregonian for bringing attention to this important issue. Like with parking enforcement (a program I helped get back on its feet), when the City doesn’t enforce its own rules, it leads to frustration for those who do follow them and significant lost revenue—revenue we need to provide vital services for Portlanders.
There are potentially a thousand (or more) unpermitted or under-permitted Airbnb rentals operating in Portland, many of which are not paying their fair share of taxes. This not only presents safety risks for guests but also deprives the City of funds that could support everything from emergency services to keeping employees in their jobs. I saw this firsthand when I helped navigate PBOT through a $32 million budget shortfall, where increased parking enforcement on meters and vehicle registration brought much-needed relief.
In their article, they mention operators overseeing hundreds of legal and illegal units across the city. When I see those numbers I dont just see missed revenue for the city, but if our common sense regulations are too much for these managers, I see the potential for hundreds of units of market-rate housing to reenter the market and be rented to hard-working Portlanders who have been priced out of so many parts of our city.
I’ve been told that enforcement efforts have begun, but we need a truly proactive approach. Holding Airbnb accountable for being a data partner (at the very least) is absolutely part of my vision for progress in this space. As mayor, I will continue to push for stronger and more consistent enforcement across the board. Portland deserves rules that protect residents and enforcement that ensures accountability.
Willamette Week - “Mingus Mapps Elevates Race In His Campaign for Mayor”
As a Black man and experienced city leader, I know firsthand how important accountability is. While my opponents have accumulated violations and shown a disregard for the law, I’ve always followed the rules because I understand what’s at stake for everyday Portlanders.
I’m grateful to Willamette Week for providing a platform to address the key issues in this race, and look forward to the public being able to listen to our full discussion.
I'm running to be the first mayor under our new form of government because Portland needs leaders who live by the same standards as the people they serve.
We can't afford missteps now—voting for me as your number one pick is a vote for a steady, evidence-based approach to the challenges ahead.
Afrovillage Visit
It takes a village! I recently had the pleasure of meeting with LaQuida Landford, the visionary behind AfroVillage and the glue binding the collective work of community leaders and organizations providing direct support to our most vulnerable from Old Town to Outer East Portland. Thanks for all you do to advance digital equity, climate resilience, housing and dignity, health and well-being and more. I look forward to working together and doing what I can to support you all.
Willamette River Infrastructure Walk
Couldn’t have asked for a better day to join Thousand Friends of Oregon for a walking audit of our riverside transportation infrastructure!
We talked about key challenges like mass transit pinch-points around the Steel Bridge, noise pollution from the major roads, our concerns about the pullback of the esplanade ramp from the new Burnside Bridge, and the need for federal resources to improve local transportation networks and rail crossings. Big thanks to everyone helping shape a more resilient Portland!
OPB - Meet Mingus Mapps, candidate for Portland mayor
OPB Has put up their candidate profile of me! Go take a look!
FREE EVENT - Join me at the City Club Debate
Excited to share that the next mayoral debate, hosted by City Club of Portland is right around the corner, and it’s shaping up to be a big one! While some might be preparing cue cards, I am preparing to look Portlanders in the eye and talk about exactly what my vision is for Portland in the next four years.
This is a critical moment for our city, and you deserve a chance to hear from your candidates directly.
Join us for the debate either in person or online. Tickets are free, so if you would like to come ask a question, and take part in this historic civic process, I will see you there!
Let’s see who’s ready to lead Portland forward!
If you cant join in person - you can also find a link to watch the debate live by following the same link bellow!
Willamette Week Endorsement interview
Just wrapped up a great interview with the Willamette Week’s editorial board as they consider their endorsement for mayor. Portland needs level-headed, experienced leadership to guide us through this time of transition.
The conversation was productive, and I’m excited to continue sharing my vision for the next chapter in our city’s history!