Mayor Ted Wheeler Reports His First Round of Campaign Contributions, One of Them Noteworthy

The incumbent draws support from a variety of downtown business interests who have been his traditional base of support.

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler speaks at a rally to denounce violence on Aug. 14, 2019. (Motoya Nakamura / Multnomah County)
By Nigel Jaquiss

Mayor Ted Wheeler's re-election campaign disclosed its first round of fundraising this week.

Wheeler disclosed about $50,000 in new contributions this week, most from business leaders, real estate developers and people who've supported him throughout previous races for Multnomah County chairman, state treasurer and his first run for mayor.

Most of the money came in checks of $1,000 to $5,000 and are from historical supporters such as Bob Walsh, the CEO of Walsh Construction ($2,500); Vanessa Sturgeon, the CEO of TMT Development, owner of the Fox Tower and Park Avenue West buildings; and The Standard ($2,500) a large insurance company.

The most interesting transaction: on Nov. 22, more than a week after Wheeler's campaign announced he would limit contributions to $5,000, his campaign got a $10,000 check from Peter Brix, a longtime supporter who formerly owned Brix Maritime, a barge company.

That's not unusual—Brix has three times in the past made $10,000 to Wheeler's campaigns.

But this year, Wheeler set a limit lower than $10,000. That same day, campaign finance records show, Wheeler's campaign sent $5,000 back to Brix, to stay within the self-imposed limit.

Then, on Dec. 6, Brix's wife, Noydena Brix, who has not previously made a donation in her name in a state or local political race, gave Wheeler $5,000. That fits within the limit Wheeler set—which says $5,000 per individual, not per family—and gets his campaign the money Brix apparently wanted it to have.

Wheeler's campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

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