The Race for Multnomah County Chair
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
People keep asking me whether I’d run for Multnomah County Chair, and I truly appreciate all the support and encouragement. Before answering, I want to clear up some confusion about the race itself, and then share how I’m actually thinking beyond the brief conversational exchange.
The Basics of the Race for Chair:
The election for Multnomah County Chair will take place on November 3, 2026. There is no primary.
The filing period opens on June 3 and closes on August 25, so we will not have an official list of candidates until late August.
For the first time the race will be decided by ranked-choice voting, meaning voters can rank candidates in order of preference. Second and third choices can meaningfully shape the outcome.
Two sitting Commissioners have publicly stated their intention to run. They have not formally filed, as the filing period hasn’t opened, but declaring their intention allows them to begin raising money for their campaigns.
We Have Time to Decide:
I’ve noticed a sense of urgency in some circles about choosing “sides” in the race for Chair. Some of that is understandable, but much of it is being driven by the dynamics of politics, not the realities of the race itself. I want to offer a bit of perspective:
The election is still seven months away and the filing period doesn’t open for another two months.
So far neither of the current candidates have shared what they actually plan to do to fix Multnomah County if elected Chair.
The County’s budget process is just beginning, which will provide important insight into candidates’ priorities and decision-making.
Additional candidates may still enter the race through August.
We are being asked to form conclusions before we have the information needed to make a sound decision.
The role of Multnomah County Chair is perhaps one of the most powerful in Oregon, at a time when our County is not meeting its most basic responsibilities. This moment deserves more than urgency. It deserves judgment.
If you are feeling pressure to support a candidate right now, I would encourage you to take a breath and give yourself the space to evaluate the field as it develops - who is running, what they stand for, and whether they are prepared to do what this moment requires.
Elections should be about the public good, not political pressure. There is little to lose by waiting, and a great deal to gain by learning more.
Why This Race Matters:
I’ve previously written about the crucial role Multnomah County plays in local government, and the uniquely powerful role of the County Chair, so I’ll keep this brief. (You can find more detail at FixMultnomah.com.)
Multnomah County is responsible for delivering health, human, and homeless services to the most vulnerable people in our community. The Chair directs virtually every aspect of how the County operates.
Commissioners can advance individual policies or programs, but no one except the Chair - not even a majority of the Board - has the power to change the County’s underlying structures, operations, and systems.
With responsibility for a $4+ billion budget - including more than $500 millionspent on homelessness last year - and authority over the most pressing issues facing our region, the Chair plays an outsized role in determining whether the County succeeds or fails.
This race matters because, at a time of unprecedented funding constraints and record low performance, the County is failing in its core functions. This is not an opinion, it is our reality. To change our trajectory, the next Chair must arrive with a clear plan and the ability to implement it on Day 1.
Since leaving the Multnomah County Commission, I have focused on developing a comprehensive plan that will fix the County, with homeless services illustrating my application of four key principles:
Organize for impact;
Measure what matters;
Budget for success; and
Account for every dollar spent.
I’ve shared the process and results in previous newsletters, and the full framework is available at FixMultnomah.com. It is a detailed plan that will allow our region to thrive, and will accomplish better results for less.
The question is who could and would put the plan into practice. Which leads me to…
Will I Run?
The truth is, I don’t know yet.
Serving in elected office has never been my ambition, and I am not fond of campaigning (to put it mildly).
That said, I am deeply committed to the work of helping the people the county is meant to serve. I will run if I believe I could do something important that would not otherwise happen.
For me, that decision comes down to two questions:
Will another candidate - current or future - commit to implementing a real plan to fix the County, whether mine or their own clearly articulated alternative?
Do I believe that candidate can and will do the hard work required to carry out the plan, including setting aside political pressures and special interests to do what is right for the people of the County?
If I truly believe someone else will do the job, I will be happy to support them. If not, I will run. Not to be County Chair, but to fix Multnomah County.
As I’ve said, we all still have much to learn about the candidates. I know them both, but still do not know what they intend to do if elected Chair.
I expect to make my own decision once I learn more, including through the budget process (which finishes up just as the filing period to run for Chair opens). When I do, you will be among the first to know.
Until then, I will continue engaging with community to listen, learn, and candidly discuss what needs to happen to put the County on the right track.
What You Can Do Now To Make A Difference:
Before we get caught up in the politics of who will become the next Chair, it’s worth remembering that behind every political debate are real people whose lives depend on whether our systems work.
If you would like to help move this work forward, I encourage you to:
Read my Comprehensive Turnaround Plan, share it with your networks, and let me know your thoughts.
Choose one element of the plan and advocate for it during the current budget process (for example: tell commissioners to build a true By-Name List so we can finally know how many people are living outside and whether our programs are actually helping them).
Support this work with acontribution.
I do this this work because I simply can’t not do it. But it can’t be done alone.
Your support makes it possible to engage more deeply, and communicate more broadly, about the substance of what it will take to change the trajectory of our County.
Together, we can move beyond politics as usual, build a County that works for the people it is meant to serve, and allows our entire region to thrive.
In good health,
Sharon Meieran
