With less than two months to go until Election Day, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler has lost his campaign manager.
Amy Rathfelder, who had served as Wheeler’s campaign manager since January, left the campaign about a week ago, according to Nate Chock, the campaign’s field director. Chock did not give a reason for Rathfelder’s departure, though he mentioned the campaign has “undergone a bit of financial restructuring due to budgetary constraints.”
Rathfelder did not respond to a text asking why she left. But her departure is another challenge for Wheeler’s efforts to win a second term as he faces substantial criticism for his handling of prolonged racial justice protests in the city.
Rathfelder is not the first of Wheeler’s campaign managers to step down mid-gig. Jennifer Arguinzoni left the job for a position at Nike in late December. Rathfelder took her place.
Wheeler’s reelection bid has stumbled since kicking off in October. The campaign has failed to raise a significant amount of money. Nearly two-thirds of Portland voters view him unfavorably, according to a recent poll. And his campaign took heat this spring for posting a mailer to voters with endorsements that the mayor hadn’t secured.
Wheeler’s new candidate statement for the voter’s pamphlet for the general election, which was made public Monday, is notable for a different reason: no endorsements from politicians.
His statement lists endorsements from five groups - NW Oregon Labor Council, AFL-CIO, UFCW 555, SEIU, and the Oregon League of Conservation Voters - but no political figures. For the primary, Wheeler had listed Portland City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty and Metro President Lynn Peterson as endorsements on his candidate statement.
In an interview last week, Hardesty said she’s still deciding whether to endorse the mayor. She has been critical of his handling of the racial justice protests and has asked that he hand over control of the police bureau. Wheeler’s opponent, Sarah Iannarone, has pledged to put Hardesty in charge of the police should she win in November.
“I have made no commitments for any endorsements in the general election,” Hardesty said. “Wheeler and I are still talking. Haven’t said no, haven’t said yes, but we’re still talking.”
Chock, Wheeler’s campaign field director, said the decision to not list more endorsements was a matter of saving space.
“We prioritized content regarding the Mayor’s vision for the city over the next four years rather than listing further endorsements, especially given the word count constraints,” he wrote.
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