Portland Mayor Wheeler won't seek reelection, after two terms of rising homicides, population loss

Portland's Democratic Mayor Ted Wheeler says he is not planning to run for a third term in office in 2024, as crime has skyrocketed and the population has shrunk under his tenure.

Wheeler said Wednesday that his administration led "innovative efforts" throughout Portland, and rather than campaigning for mayor, he is going to focus his efforts on addressing the "city's critical challenges while, at the same time, fundamentally re-shaping city government."

Since Wheeler was elected mayor in 2016, the city has faced numerous challenges.

The latest Portland police data available shows that from January 2023 through July 2023, 54 homicides occurred in Portland. During that same period in 2016, the last year before Wheeler entered office, 7 homicides occurred, showing a more than 670% increase from 2016 to 2023.

Additionally, Portland lost 2.8% of its population from July 2020 and July 2022, Oregon Live reported in May.

So far, City Commissioner Mingus Mapps and community activist Durrell Kinsey Bey have announced their 2024 Portland mayoral campaigns.

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