Business and Labor Groups Launch Political Committee to Back Moderates Running for County Chair and City Council

Business and labor groups launched a political action committee this week backing moderate candidates running for the Portland City Council and Multnomah County chair.

The committee, called Unity PAC, says on its website that its members include the Portland Police Association, the Portland Fire Fighters’ Association, the Northwest Oregon Labor Union (which encompasses more than 100 individual unions), the Columbia Pacific Building Trades, and United for Portland, which is the political arm of the Portland Metro Chamber.

The PAC’s website recommends that voters rank only two candidates in the City Council District 3 race: Councilor Steve Novick and newcomer Kellie Torres. It recommends voters rank only two candidates in District 4: incumbent Councilors Olivia Clark and Eric Zimmerman. It recommends ranking only one candidate for Multnomah County chair: Julia Brim Edwards.

The Portland Metro Chamber, the local chamber of commerce, has made it no secret that its aim this election cycle is to unseat one of the six members of council that are part of the progressive caucus, or “Peacock” for short. Meanwhile, leftist groups have also made it clear they’re seeking to oust one of the council’s centrist liberals.

United for Portland is also at least partly behind the billboards placed around town attacking incumbent City Councilor Mitch Green, who’s running for reelection in District 4 and is a member of the Portland chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America.

The PAC has reported no contributions so far on ORESTAR, the state’s campaign finance database. But Doug Moore, United for Portland’s executive director, says there are four contributors so far: United for Portland Action Fund, the firefighters union’s PAC, the police union’s PAC, and Robert Stoll, one of the founders of the local law firm Stoll Berne. Moore did not immediately respond to a question about how much in contributions the PAC has received so far.

The PAC has recorded $210,000 in expenditures or accounts payable to a Washington, D.C., advertising firm.