It’s four months before Election Day and time to start getting to know the people who might be Portland mayor.
For today’s installment, mayoral candidate Mingus Mapps has a deep connection to the way things work in Portland, not just because he’s the city commissioner in charge of transportation but also because he grew up here:
What's something your kids have done growing up in Portland that you never had the chance to do?
“Partly because I did grow up here, one of the subtle pleasures of parenting is to take your kids to things that you did and cherished when you were growing up. And we are at the end of the Rose Festival, and one of the great, amazing things that we've gotten to do over the last several weeks was participate in parades and help launch the events with the fireworks and whatnot.
“By virtue of my current day job, they have access to some amazing rooms that I never had access to, and in general, I think one of the insights my kids are getting is they see the life of a local public servant close-up, and they are profoundly unimpressed by my work.
“But I'm glad that they get a chance to see it. I hope that it resonates with them through time.”
It's good to know that even rock stars’ kids think that they're lame.
“I know many elected officials who have young children, and I can assure the public that none of their kids are particularly impressed with their parents who were mayors and senators and members of Congress and members of council. And that, I think, is one of the things that helps keep our electeds grounded and connected to the city and the people that we serve.”
What do you miss the most when you're on work trips or vacations? Is there anything that you're just like, “When I get back to Portland, this is what I'm doing”?
“I work every day so I don't actually get to leave town very often. Certainly when I'm away, I miss the city. I miss our culture. I miss our local businesses. I miss our friends.
“One of the reasons why I am raising my family in Portland is I believe that Portland is truly one of the most compelling cities in North America. We live in a beautiful geographic area.
“The folks who live in this town tend to be kind, creative, and deeply caring. I'm excited about our city. I think we have a vision for the future, which is compelling and could be a model for the world. It's one of the reasons why, frankly, I don't leave and I don't take vacations because I think we have some deeply compelling work to get done in this space.”
For more on his reasons for wanting to be mayor, check out the City Cast Portland podcast interview with Mapps.
