Get To Know Portland Mayoral Candidate Keith Wilson
Who is Portland’s next mayor? To state the obvious, we don’t know yet. (That gets decided in November.) But over the course of the next few weeks, the City Cast Portland podcast is getting to know the candidates. Every Tuesday and Thursday through the end of the month, you can expect a new interview with a candidate. First up is businessman Keith Wilson, whose platform includes bringing the 2040 Olympics to Cascadia — with events in Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver, B.C.
Who is Portland’s next mayor?
To state the obvious, we don’t know yet. (That gets decided in November.)
But over the course of the next few weeks, the City Cast Portland podcast is getting to know the candidates. Every Tuesday and Thursday through the end of the month, you can expect a new interview with a candidate.
First up is businessman Keith Wilson, whose platform includes bringing the 2040 Olympics to Cascadia — with events in Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver, B.C.
Imagine a different world where you're not running for mayor, you're an athlete. What would your Olympic sport be?
“It's always about being a basketball wannabe. I was the 13th member on my varsity basketball team, but it was only 12 members on the team. So that'll tell you where I sat on the bench. …. I love basketball. It's always been my passion. I still play, not well. But come on, wouldn't that be great to be on the dream team going to the Olympics?”
When you leave Portland for your work, what's the one thing that you're the most excited to experience when you come back home?
“My guilty pleasure is a T Burger. So there's a bar and grill over there in North Portland on Lombard, and it's called the Twilight Room. And they got the T Burger. And I'm telling you, it is big, it is juicy, and it has an egg, cheese, big old patty, special sauce.
“Man, there is nothing better than to get into one of those. Now, I want to be absolutely truthful. It's about maybe once every two years. I'm getting into one of those, but it's a special occasion.”
Give it a listen for more on Wilson and what he wants to focus on as mayor.
More about Local Civics
$106M in Unspent Funds at the Portland Housing Bureau
The Portland Housing Bureau has $106 million in unspent funds, the city administrator disclosed late last week. Some of it may be spoken for, but it leaves open the question of how City Council will spend the funds. When the pot of unspent funds was believed to be only $21 million, City Council was divided over whether to spend it on rent assistance or a Prosper Portland housing project. Maybe all of the above are possible now. [Portland Mercury]
City Cast Portland staffFeb 10, 2026
The Gas Tax and Oregon's Legislative Session
State lawmakers convene in Salem next week after a chaotic few weeks for Democratic state leaders as they scramble to address the issue of transportation funding. They have a key problem: Voters appear to oppose the gas tax passed last fall.
City Cast Portland staffJan 28, 2026
US Sen. Wyden Explains His Votes To Arm Israel
Oregon’s U.S. senators usually vote the same way (like for continuing the government shutdown until healthcare costs are addressed). But a key exception in recent months was Sen. Ron Wyden’s support for continued arms sales to Israel while Sen. Jeff Merkley voted to oppose them. Wyden’s support came up again last weekend — at a Portland Book Festival event featuring Omar Al Ekkad, author of “One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This” (a title you may recognize as “the one book every Portlander should read right now”).
City Cast Portland staffNov 12, 2025