Yesterday, Sam Adams formally announced he will run for Mayor in 2008. Today, I'm heading down to City Hall after delivering Ali to Wilson, to file papers declaring my intent to run for the Commissioner # 1 seat Sam is vacating. I said all year that he has my full support for whatever seat he chose to seek, and it seemed important to me to wait for his official announcement before making mine.

I'm about to file for City Council because I think I'm the most qualified, experienced person to represent the people and passions I care about. Prioritizing the City budget to pay for basic needs before big-ticket extras. Providing services in all 95 neighborhoods. And including hardworking people in meaningful participation that respects their time and makes a difference in final decisions.

This isn't exactly thrilling, as official announcements go, is it? No hoopla, no list of ways I'm planning to dramatically improve life in Portland in my first three hours in office, no locations for future walks-on-water. There are a couple of reasons for that. One, I'm a put-a-sock-in-it-and-just-get-the-job-done kind of woman. Nurses don't put out a press release when calling a code, we just do it. And mothers and neighborhood volunteers are used to knuckling down when something needs to happen, often never getting much credit for the results. I think Portlanders might even like someone filling that open seat who has no interest in becoming a career politician, and therefore doesn't churn out the press releases like creamy, golden Tillamook butter.

The second reason for not posting campaign propaganda here is that this site is going to remain my personal blog. I'm not quite sure how it's going to work, but I think it should be separate because the campaign one will be paid for with public funds and have other people help staff it, this one will remain paid for and written by me. I'll be using the Public Campaign Finance Fund system, of course, and as with last time, I'm not accepting "Seed Money" donations of up to $100. My plan is to save up the $5 qualifying donations until I can pay for a new campaign website, as I did two years ago. So if you want campaign information in the interim, please e-mail me and ask to be put on the supporters' newsletter list.

This is good for you, the blog reader, in that if you're in the habit of coming here looking for information on current events in Portland, you won't be buried in campaign news. The whole deal of me becoming a candidate may be bad for you, the blog reader, in that I won't have nearly as much time to write and post the usual range of articles and analysis here. I plan to continue to provide the daily dose of Steve's photographs, and hopefully a few other items of general interest too. Oh, and Guest Posts will be even more welcome than usual, over the next eight months. Chat amongst yourselves, as it were.

If you're new to my blog, welcome! Please use the search feature in the left sidebar to look up issues I've commented on this year. I didn't start writing this blog with a view to running this year, in fact I was very much enjoying giving my opinion without the stress of campaigning. But as it turns out, the archives will give you a better idea of who I am and what I care about than a one-line quote selected by a reporter, or even a two-hour forum I hope you'll attend in the Spring.

And in my last message posted before I become a candidate, I invite you to help me win the open seat, if the issues I've shared and cared about over the last nine months have resonated with you. Please send me an e-mail if you're willing to participate in my campaign. $5 donors are welcome, of course. I won't be accepting mailed-in donations, so I need volunteers in every neighborhood willing to pick up donations from citizens contacting the campaign. I need houseparty hosts, yard sign distributors, people to help call friends and accompany me to knock on their neighbors' doors. Whether you can give a little time to the campaign, or a lot, please send me an email, right now. It's time.