Skip to main contentMultnomah County Commissioner Deborah Kafoury tells WW she's planning to run for Jeff Cogen's vacated county chair job, confirming months of speculation.
But Kafoury says she isn't ready to launch her campaign, which would require her to resign her current seat on the board.
"At some point, I intend to run for chair, quit my job and campaign," Kafoury tells WW. "But the time for that is not right now."
Kafoury was considered the frontrunner for Cogen's job well before he resigned Friday. But she's required by county charter to step down from her current job once she files.
She tells WW she needs to stay on the board to preserve stability in the wake of Cogen's affair with a county employee.
"We've had a lot of turmoil in the past few months," Kafoury says. "Right now, I'm focused on getting the county back on track."
Other officials are already eying Kafoury's seat. Rep. Jules Bailey (D-Portland) told WW yesterday he'll run for Kafoury's job when she campaigns for chair.
WWeek 2015