Singleton Leads Early Vote Count for Multnomah County Chair

Multnomah County released its first batch of early voting results on Thursday night, showing Shannon Singleton with a 54.9% share of the vote. The current county commissioner leads Julia Brim-Edwards, who has accumulated 45.1% of the early ballots. A total of 97,165 votes were cast in this initial count, with 79,809 going to Brim-Edwards.

Sharon Meieran, a former county commissioner and emergency room physician, was eliminated in these preliminary returns. The race for county chair involves three candidates who are all current or former members of the Board of County Commissioners. Singleton serves as the county’s chief executive and personnel officer, a position that sets the board’s agenda and oversees the budget.

This election marks the first time Multnomah County uses ranked-choice voting. The method may make it difficult to declare a final winner immediately, as the Multnomah County Elections Division will continue releasing results in batches. The next count update is scheduled for midnight.

Singleton attended a watch party at Amalfi’s Italian Restaurant on Northeast Fremont Street on Tuesday night. She campaigned with limited financial resources, raising just over $55,000 by Election Day. In contrast, Brim-Edwards raised more than $250,000. Singleton received endorsements from the Service Employees International Union and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 88.

Brim-Edwards, a former Portland School Board member, holds endorsements from all six county mayors. Her campaign faced challenges in recent weeks when Basic Rights Oregon and AFSCME Local 88 rescinded their support. Three board members stated that Brim-Edwards made comments in executive sessions suggesting trans athletes might impact scholarship opportunities for other students.

Singleton addressed the crowd after the first results dropped. She noted that the race is not yet decided and that every vote must be counted. She said, “Here’s what we do know. We’re ahead.” Singleton said she plans to create a dedicated labor table in her office to rebuild relationships with unions if she wins.

In the separate District 2 race for a county commissioner seat, Bri Williams holds a narrow early lead. Williams has 52% of the votes, totaling 25,127. Serena Cruz, the county’s recent chief operating officer, trails with 48% of the vote and 23,195 ballots. Williams, a social worker who serves preschool-aged children at Albina Head Start, would be serving in elected office for the first time.