Don't Rank Rene gains traction ahead of election
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Several Don't Rank Rene stickers have been defaced. Photo: Meira Gebel/Axios
A grassroots movement is underlining a new kind of political strategy in the city's first-ever ranked-choice election — by imploring voters to withhold their vote for a candidate even if they have the option to rank them.
Why it matters: The Don't Rank Rene campaign that opposes Commissioner Rene Gonzalez's bid for mayor is gaining momentum, thanks to social media and on-the-ground messaging, as well as donations from some of the state's biggest labor unions.
Catch up quick: Instead of selecting just a single candidate for mayor, Portland voters can now rank up to six in order of preference.
- If no candidate reaches a 50% threshold in the first round of tallying, the candidate with the lowest votes is eliminated. Then, the voters who selected the eliminated candidate as their top choice have their votes transferred to their second pick, and so on until a winner is declared.
What they're saying: Stephen Gomez, co-founder and treasurer of Don't Rank Rene, told Axios he believes Gonzalez is "uniquely unfit" for mayor and the campaign's aim is to show voters that even ranking a candidate last "can help them win."
Between the lines: Don't Rank Rene doesn't endorse any specific candidate, but directs people to others who've qualified for the city's public matching funds.
Zoom in: Don't Rank Rene's website and social media ads highlight an account where Gonzalez alleges someone assaulted him on a TriMet MAX train and his use of $6,400 in public funds to edit his Wikipedia page. The city auditor recently concluded the latter violated campaign finance rules.
- With several five-figure donations from groups like Progressive Voice for Oregon, Youth PAC and labor union SEIU Local 49, Gomez said they plan to accelerate their messaging via digital advertising and mailers in the final weeks before Election Day.
The other side: Spencer Raymond, a spokesperson for Gonzalez's campaign, told Axios in an email statement that Don't Rank Rene is an effort to "intimidate and manipulate Portland voters."
- "They're out of touch with the majority of Portlanders who are ready to restore our city and eager for a mayor with the leadership and determination to move us forward," Raymond wrote.
The intrigue: Stickers and posters with the Don't Rank Rene logo can be seen throughout town, a DIY effort Gomez said the group is not responsible for but "underscores the broad concern about Gonzalez."
- Some posters Axios has seen have been defaced by permanent marker covering the "don't" or "n't". Raymond said the Gonzalez campaign isn't focused on responding "but can't blame our supporters for adding some artistic touches to them."
- Gonzalez is also running digital ads that read "Rank Rene 1st."