Pink Box Shocker: Write-in Candidate Wins Voodoo's Mayoral Doughnut-Eating Contest

Jefferson Smith battle a Portland Creme

For the third consecutive election cycle, Old Town on Friday night witnessed one of the most extraordinary traditions in the race for Portland mayor: the Voodoo Doughnut eating contest.

All three major mayoral candidates—Eileen Brady, Charlie Hales and Jefferson Smith—appeared and paid homage to the 24-hour doughnut phenomenon run by entrepreneurs Tres Shannon and Kenneth "Cat Daddy" Pogson.

"They're in the crotch of Portland, it's Friday night, and we get to see if they can deal with what's going on down there," Shannon said. "If for some reason the Voodoo Doughnut eating contest becomes the Iowa caucus of Portland's primary season, so be it." 

But not all three of the frontrunners took part, and none won this year's contest. 

Hales, a former city commissioner, arrived early and left an hour before the contest began. Brady, a Portland businesswoman, follows a gluten-free diet. ("I respect her dietary needs," Shannon said, "but we just don't make gluten free doughnuts.") Brady had a staffer take her place. 

Only Smith chowed down and came in third, consuming three of the four Portland Cremes in his pink Voodoo box in front of a crowd of about 100 Old Town partiers.

The winner: write-in candidate Seth Grant. Occupy Portland candidate Cameron Whitten finished second.

The event, held at Voodoo's original shop in Old Town, has in the past included the last two successful mayoral hopefuls: Tom Potter and Sam Adams. Neither of them ate the most doughnuts. Adams ate one. Potter took a bite from each of 11 doughnuts spelling out the last name of opponent, Jim Francesconi.

WWeek 2015

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