BIKE. WALK. VOTE.
Working to Elect Candidates Who Support Bicyclists & Pedestrians Across Oregon

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Liberty

Adams

Potter

Bike/Walk PAC Sweeps Candidate Races
November 4, 2004

We did it!

A mere two and a half months after forming, and on a shoestring budget, Bike/Walk PAC helped put a couple of critical close races in the "win" column for cyclists and walkers. All three of our endorsed candidates won their races.

We contributed heavily to the grassroots effort that was credited in various newspapers with helping Sam Adams pull a big upset over the winner of the primary election. In a Portland City Council race decided by just 7,500 votes, we contributed to this come-from-behind surprise.

We worked hard to help Robert Liberty beat an incumbent Metro Councilor. An obscure race to many voters, we helped this strong leader to victory, which will be critical as the Metro allocates federal transportation funds and deals with the passage of Measure 37. Robert won by just 5,500 votes.

And we contributed to the winning campaign of Portland mayor-elect Tom Potter, who wants to work closely with the cycling and walking community to improve Portland.

While there may be one, we don’t know of any other organization that made the three sole endorsements we did, and won all three.

Sadly, we were on the losing side of Measure 37, the future of which continues to be uncertain, and casts a dark cloud over Oregon.

But we do know that Bike/Walk PAC can be the difference in electing candidates that support biking and walking in Oregon.

What We Did

We began our campaign by e-mailing our friends and associates about our existence and endorsements. We posted our "viral e-mail" to various e-mail lists, mentioned our endorsements on local blogs, and encouraged people to come to our web site.

We attended No on 37/Robert Liberty phone banks throughout October and November, where Bike/Walk PAC members called over 2,000 voters.

We also contributed money directly to Robert Liberty, Sam Adams, Tom Potter, and No on 37 campaigns.

We joined Tom Potter and Robert Liberty in various "Honk and Wave" events around town. We held two of our own visibility events as well, distributing flyers and encouraging walkers and cyclists to vote (photos).

Most importantly, we distributed nearly 4,000 flyers that list our endorsements and urge voters to "Bike. Walk. Vote." These flyers were hung on bicycles, handed to pedestrians, and given out to our friends. Many people cited this flyer to Sam Adams for making them choose Sam in a tight race.

Various campaigns also used our endorsement in publications, including a transportation-themed flyer from Sam Adams’ campaign.

Support Our Work
Our success on such a short timeline shows that we can be even more successful in the future, with more time and resources. Your donation today will help us build the organization for the future. Support us.

More about our endorsees:

Roberty Liberty for Metro Council
Liberty has spent his career working to make Oregon a more livable place, and has pushed hard to increase transportation choices as the Executive Director of 1000 Friends of Oregon. You might spot Liberty on his old blue bike cruising through town. He's taking on a tough incumbent, Rod Monroe, who has sought the backing of the anti-planning group Oregonians In Action.

Learn more about Robert Liberty.

Sam Adams for Portland City Council
Adams has over a decade of experience and knowledge about how to get things done at City Hall. Adams has worked closely with the Bureau of Planning to support town center plans that foster bicycle and pedestrian transportation. If elected, Adams would hope to direct the Portland Department of Transportation, where he says he would prioritize bike and pedestrian projects.

Learn more about Sam Adams.

Tom Potter for Portland Mayor
Potter promises to use the mayor's office bully pulpit with other jurisdictions to find increased funding for our transportation needs. A rider of a recumbent bike, Potter will bring a history of working with communities and an open mind to the office.

Learn more about Tom Potter.

How We Make Our Endorsements
We asked all candidates in each race to submit answers to a detailed questionnaire covering a wide set of issues that impact bicycling and walking -- from funding for trails, to bike safety issues, to economic development, and so on. We reviewed those answers, along with the candidates' records, to make our endorsements.