Multnomah County Republican Party Chairman Becomes an Uber Driver

By AARON MESH

Last week, Uber vice president David Plouffe declared at a TechFestNW panel that the ride-sharing company had already recruited 500 drivers in Portland.

Among them: Eric Fruits, an economist and chairman of the Multnomah County Republican Party.

On May 1, Fruits—an adjunct urban studies professor at Portland State University known for his anti-tax, pro-free market views—began driving for Uber and chronicling his fares on his website.

"It was easy," he tells WW, "it was fun, and it represents the best of the free market."

Fruits says he's picked up two passengers so far in his Ford Focus.

"So far, I've made just a little bit more than minimum wage driving for Uber," he says. "But maybe that's just because I'm a bad Uber driver."

WWeek 2015

Willamette Week’s reporting has concrete impacts that change laws, force action from civic leaders, and drive compromised politicians from public office. Support WW's journalism today.