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Multnomah County Commissioner Susheela Jayapal today announced she will seek reelection to a second term next year.
“I ran for this office because the county is our safety net provider,” Jaypal said in a statement. “It was clear then, and even more so now, that our work is critical to the success and well-being of our region and our state.”
Jayapal is choosing to stay in place, rather than compete with three of her colleagues, Commissioners Sharon Meieran, Lori Stegmann and Jessica Vega Pederson, to succeed Chair Deborah Kafoury, who is term-limited from running again. Shannon Singleton, Gov. Kate Brown’s adviser on equity and racial justice, is also in the race for county chair.
In her first term, Jayapal, a former corporate lawyer, has focused on core county issues, including racial justice, immigrant and refugee rights, and better conditions for survivors of sexual and domestic violence. She pushed for direct assessments to determine what immigrants and refugees most need and for specific improvements for homeless county residents, such as mobile showers.
“Our charge as county leaders has never been more urgent,” Jayapal added. “The pandemic so clearly showed us the consequences of systemic injustice and inequality—and it showed us, in very concrete ways, that our individual well-being depends on our collective well-being. I am committed to applying these lessons to create the future we want for all of our residents.”