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Multnomah County Commissioner Shannon Singleton says she will run for county chair this November, succeeding Jessica Vega Pederson, who has chosen not to seek a second term.
Singleton, 49, has been commissioner for District 2, comprised of North and Northeast Portland, since defeating former mayor Sam Adams in a special election in November 2024.
Singleton’s move sets up a possible race against fellow Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards. The two have been allies on the county commission, making a joint effort to reform the county’s drug-crime deflection program, which they see as ineffective.
“I will have an announcement in the near future,” Brim-Edwards said in a text message to WW this morning.
In her announcement, Singleton highlighted her work, alongside Brim-Edwards, to create more stringent rules for lobbyists seeking to influence commission policies.
“I want to serve where I can make the most change,” Singleton said. “And right now, that’s bringing my extensive executive experience to the Multnomah County Chair’s Office to ensure better service delivery in housing, addiction and behavioral health and public safety.”
Singleton’s endorsements include members of the Peacock Caucus on the Portland City Council, suggesting she plans to rely on left-wing support to counter business interests that would likely favor Brim-Edwards. Among her supporters are Peacock Councilors Candace Avalos, Tiffany Koyama Lane, Angelita Morillo and Mitch Green.
”I’m definitely running as a progressive,” Singleton said in an interview. “That’s always been my approach.”
Singleton is taking a risk that other commissioners wouldn’t face. Because the election for the District 2 seat is concurrent with the chair’s race, she must choose one or the other.
A social worker by training, Singleton has experience in state and local government. She advised Gov. Kate Brown on equity, racial justice and COVID-19 policy during the pandemic. Before that, she served as the executive director of JOIN, a local homeless services provider. She has also worked at the Portland Housing Bureau and Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare.
This year’s race for chair is Singleton’s second. She ran in 2022 to replace Deborah Kafoury, who couldn’t run again because of term limits, but dropped out of the race early to be interim head of the much-maligned Joint Office of Homeless Services. She held that position for six months before leaving to join public affairs firm Espousal Strategies.
Asked if she had any trepidation about taking a job that battered Vega Pederson, once considered a future contender for Portland mayor or Oregon governor, Singleton said she’s accustomed to taking challenging assignments.
“I feel like I’ve always taken the tough jobs,” Singleton said. “Who would want to be the health and policy adviser to the governor during COVID?”
If successful, Singleton will face the seemingly intractable problem of housing homeless county residents. The county has succeeded in placing many into permanent housing, but the steady flow of people out of permanent shelter has bedeviled the system.
