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Mayor Ted Wheeler hasn't posted any fundraising since January 2—except one donation.
The source of that donation is noteworthy. On April 4, Wheeler received $500 from Jessica Greenlee, a property manager, who a day before left a City Council hearing in tears after a series of pointed questions from Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty.
The mayor scolded Hardesty on April 3 for the way she questioned Greenlee about the tenant screening policy under discussion that day. That interaction that subsequently resulted in accusations that the mayor was employing a racist double standard in singling out Hardesty for criticism.
The next day, Greenlee gave $500 to Wheeler's reelection campaign.
But on a wider scale, the fact that this is the only donation Wheeler has gathered in at least four months raises questions about his reelection plans.
A source close to the mayor says there's been "minimal campaigning" and there are no staff on the campaign at this point while he's focused on his work at City Hall.
He and his campaign consultant parted ways earlier this year.
Related: Portland Mayor Splits With Political Consultant
Wheeler has said he intends to run, but won't officially announce until after Labor Day, the Portland Tribune reported.
Wheeler has raised more at this point in the cycle than had his predecessor, former Mayor Charlie Hales, at this point four years ago. That's thanks to the fact that Wheeler raised $157,000 last year and received one donation Jan. 2: $5,000 from Pepsico Inc. He has $67,476.55 on hand.
As for Greenlee, she says that her donation does not reflect an endorsement from the real-estate industry or her employer.
"I had been thinking about donating to the mayor's campaign for quite awhile and had been on the fence about it," Greenlee tells WW. "The mayor doesn't often agree with me when it comes to policy; however, he typically understands the complexity of financial and economic repercussions of the housing policy items I comment on.
"At the hearing, he confirmed for me that he believes in making sure all voices are heard whether they voice support or dissent on matters of policy and I really respect that he encourages civility and respect from all parties during these conversations. So regardless if he agrees with me on matters of policy I respect him as a leader and wanted to support him with the hope that it would encourage him to run for re-election. My donation isn't going to win him a campaign but it is a show of support for the dignity of the process he brings to city council."