Sharon Meieran: To preserve my independence, I will not seek organizational endorsements.
As part of my commitment to making Multnomah County government accountable to the people it is supposed to serve, I have decided not to seek endorsements from organizations in my campaign for County Chair.
Having both run for office and had the privilege of serving, I have come to believe that organizational endorsements have taken on an unhealthy role in our electoral process.
Endorsements can serve a valuable purpose in helping voters distinguish between candidates, when decisions are made through fair, transparent, and accountable processes. Too often, though, that's not what happens. Instead, decisions end up being made by small groups of political insiders behind closed doors. And when even just a small number of organizations are not operating aboveboard, the credibility of the entire system is undermined.
Meanwhile, financial incentives tied to endorsements can encourage candidates to spend their time courting organizational interests rather than communicating directly with voters - and to stay especially responsive to those particular interests once in office.
This is not a judgment about the values, purpose, or integrity of any individual organization, its members, or its supporters. Rather, it's a recognition that our political system creates incentives that can weaken direct accountability to the public.
For this reason, I have chosen not to participate. Instead, I will make my case directly to the people who live here - people who simply want a functional county government that does its job: delivering mental health, addiction treatment, homeless response, and public safety services.
Declining organizational endorsements is hardly a political advantage - especially when the financial support that can flow from them is uncapped, while individual campaign contributions are strictly limited. But if we change nothing, nothing will change
Democracy works best when candidates answer questions publicly, ideas are debated openly, and voters - not a handful of powerful political insiders - decide elections.
I welcome the opportunity to speak with members of any organization, either in an open forum or individually. And I will continue to be transparent about what I would do as Chair. My Comprehensive Turnaround Plan is available online and tells anyone who’s interested exactly how I will serve the people of Multnomah County.
If you believe it's time to put the people of our county back at the center of representative government, I hope you will consider supporting me with your personal endorsement here.
