They went last, after almost hour and a half of political speechifying. First, John Kitzhaber regurgitated his stump talking points, then the two candidates for Metro president made their respective pitches, and finally Ted Wheeler spoke about the treasurer's race.
Clik here to view.
- Karol Collymore
But when Karol Collymore and Loretta Smith strode behind the twin lecterns on stage last night at the Emmanuel Temple Church in Portland, the hallways emptied, empty seats filled up and the crowd, emerging from whatever drowse it might have settled into, erupted in healthy applause.
At a forum where candidates in the November general election were asked to address issues close to the African-American community, both Smith and Collymore—vying in a close race to be the first black county commissioner in decades—were clearly the stars of the show.
Politely, sometimes pointedly, they laid out their bona fides. And they sparred on issues such as disparities in health care and incarceration rates, economic opportunities and on whether and how the state should support big-ticket items that cut through North Portland, like the Columbia River Crossing.
Clik here to view.
- Loretta Smith
"I don't need to connect the dots," she said, "because I have been the dots in this community for the past 20 years."
Collymore acknowledged she's only been in Portland for the past eight years. But she stressed her work with nonprofits here and her time as an analyst in County Chairman Jeff Cogen's office (Cogen has endorsed Collymore). She also called on the county to begin including "racial impact statements" when it prepares reports on new policies, alongside the economic and environmental reports officials already considers.
"We need to get to a model where we have culturally specific services where people live," she said.
Keep reading for an awkward moment in the debate, plus other highlights.
