Democratic Party Endorses Jake Mead And Marc Grambo For Council After Brutal Party Meeting

This evening, the Washington County Democrats 2024 Endorsement Committee announced the party’s slate of candidates in what should have been a joyous and cheerful meeting. It may have started that way, but it turned into a political street fight about two hours into the meeting. The meeting became heated and much less than pleasant. Had the chair not maintained control, it could have gotten downright ugly. Thank God for good old Robert’s Rules Of Order.

The County Democrats tasked the Committee with carefully evaluating candidates for City Councils, Mayors, and other seats across Washington County. Each candidate was evaluated in person and on Zoom, and careful steps were taken to determine who was the best fit to land the party’s crucial endorsement. The decisions were made earlier today and became official at tonight’s meeting after a party leadership vote, but it wasn’t easy.

Forest Grove and Tigard recommendations were first, with each candidate introduced and voted on. The Democrats in the Zoom meeting voted on the recommendations to make them official. It was a smooth process, with eight seats taking about an hour to complete. Up until that point, things had been uneventful.

Then, it was Hillsboro’s turn. Most of the power players from around Washington County, including State Senator Jeannie Sollman and Representative Nathan Sosa, were in the Zoom audience.

First up from Hillsboro:

From the Party Statements Read Tonight

Races Taking No Position
POSITION: Hillsboro City Council, Ward 1, Position B (unopposed)
CANDIDATE NAME: Saba Anvery
Saba came to the US to obtain a Master’s in Engineering from the UAE and Pakistan.
She appreciated the freedoms for individuals and especially women, and when she had
the opportunity to be employed in the US she accepted the offer. She has been in
Oregon since 2000 working at Techtronix and now Intel. She believes in giving back
and has volunteered in her community, frequently working with children in STEM
activities through Intel, as a Legos coach, and with the THPRD Foundation, among
others. She is a recent EMERGE graduate

The Endorsement Committee voted unanimously to take no position in this race.

The committee appreciates Saba’s enthusiasm to give back to her community through
elected office. While she is making an effort to learn about the City of Hillsboro, she
was not able to respond with any detail or deep position on the key issues facing our
cities, including: current and future budgetary challenges;, any climate action plan or
how best to incorporate climate action considerations in decision making; response to
extreme weather events; city support for small business;and specifically for Hillsboro
some of the challenges of developing South Hillsboro other than transportation

Okay—so even though this Council seat is unopposed, the endorsements committee reported that they recommended not recommending anyone. The party voted to endorse Saba despite that recommendation.

Some debate opened up on this issue.  It was pointed out that Saba was learning about the City of Hillsboro and the process of the Council and offices, and she had recently joined the Democratic Party.  One party member pointed out that it was incumbent on the Dems to back a candidate if they have one running.  Saba was given some time to speak and made a good pitch.  The party took input and considered if this was a person they could get behind.  In the end, they did.

Saba is going to be a Hillsboro City Councilwoman and will bring her experience in the tech sector to the Council.  She stresses transparency and listening to every voice.  Perhaps she will agree to town halls and actual debates on issues.  Mayors Callaway and Willey rejected such exchanges and have effectively, along with their councils, made City Hall a one-way communication facility with almost no opportunities for people to join in the process beyond an online survey.  We are hopeful and looking forward to meeting with Saba.

Her endorsement has been granted by the party.

Then, it was time for the meeting to take a wrong turn.  Almost sensing tension in the room rising, Endorsement Committee Member Syed Qasim asked the 120-plus Democrats in the room to be mindful and respectful of the time and effort the five-member panel put into selecting the candidates who best align with the party platforms.  His words landed on most in attendance but not all.

Here was the next race, as the Chair presented it.

HILLSBORO CONTESTED CITY RACES
Hillsboro City Council, Ward 2, Position B – 3 Democratic Candidates in the race.
Only 2 applied

CANDIDATE NAME: Elizabeth Case
Elizabeth is an Oregon-born resident and has made Hillsboro her home for almost a
decade. A PCP since 2018, she has engaged with her community as a small business
owner of Yellow Dog Consulting, Chair of the Public Safety Levy Renewal, and more
recently a member of the Environmental Stewardship Committee. From her
involvement and time on the library board and other work on campaigns, she realized
many residents and voters don’t know how to engage with their elected officials. This
has inspired her to run for Hillsboro City Council and seeks to be a voice to ensure
those individuals have access to interact with local government. If elected, her priority is
to advocate for housing and safety for all residents, environmental sustainability by
ensuring the successful adoption of climate action plan, and workforce economic
development through supporting programs.
The endorsement committee voted to not recommend Elizabeth Case for endorsement.
We appreciated her genuine care for constituents. She seeks to advocate for the
many diverse voices in the community.
We noted her work and learning to further support a climate Action Plan.
We are concerned that even though she is versed in all aspects of the work in
the council, she did not offer solutions but status quo responses.

CANDIDATE NAME: Jake Mead
Jake is proud to be a 4th generation and long-life resident of Hillsboro, Oregon. It is
from these deep roots, that he envisions a vibrant, thriving, and growing Hillsboro. He is
currently contributing to his community as a small business owner, Mead Agency and
Associates. Personal experience in the hospital setting and a desire to help motivated
Jake to run for Council Member. His further analysis of local healthcare statistics guided
him in setting his top 3 priorities, those being affordable and equitable housing,
addressing hospital infrastructure needs, and bolstering infrastructure to match the
growth of Hillsboro.
The endorsement committee recommends Jake Mead for our Democratic Party of
Washington County Endorsement
We noted his insights into the protection of natural resources. It is important to
him to consider environmental impacts in all policies and decisions. Further
explaining how industries such as Intel dispose of warm water waste that may
impact our environment.

We appreciated his awareness of the budget challenges that are already
stretched to the max and the lack of exponential revenue. Despite this challenge,
he is mindful of those residents who may not be able to afford economic
increases. He plans to advocate for fair taxation and spending policies by
ensuring it is equitable and transparent.
We were impressed by his passion and willingness to seek constituents’
concerns by establishing town halls and ensuring accessibility for everyone. As a
member of the LGBTQ+ community, he is acutely aware of unique lived
experiences and how diverse perspectives may have impacts on others. This
guiding principle will be how he hopes to consider policies within the council.

The debate began immediately after the endorsement recommendation was read.  One party leader immediately moved for a dual endorsement, and before it was even discussed, Senator Sollman seconded that motion.  This touched off a debate that lasted almost an hour, with motion after motion batted back and forth to suspend the discussion or keep debating. Jake Mead and Elizabeth Case argued, and the process continued.  Several procedural recommendations were made.  A group led by Sollman, Mayoral Candidate Pace, Saba Anvery, EJ Payne, Hector Hinojosa, Chris Armstrong, Hilary Uhlig, Titonian Wallace, and Kristine Adams-Wannberg, dug in and demanded the party move off of their traditional path and endorse both.

“There should be no dual endorsement,” said member Kyle Martin. We have the power to endorse someone, and we must not abdicate that right. “His words caused silence across the meeting, as if they were the voice of a party that knew it must take a stand.

This group did just that all night long until this race came up.

This disruptive group fought like hell to get Case that endorsement.  They were not in the majority, and various commentators finally stated that Beach Pace, Jeannie Sollman, and others had paid Case to manage their past campaigns via her consulting firm, Yellow Dog Consulting.  There was also a strong Washington County Chamber aspect to this push, and of course, let’s not forget the allegiance of the Sisterhood, which we covered last weekend.  Pace, Case, Sollman, and Anvery, not to mention others in the room, are graduates of the Emerge training program and fighting for each other to win.

From my view, the push for debate and reconsideration of the Committee came across as a political power move orchestrated by a few in the Hillsboro power elite who don’t want Jake Mead in that Council room. He will speak up on a variety of issues that have been overlooked and pushed aside, as any passionate local person should.

Of note in the meeting were sitting Councilwomen Olvia Alcaire and Kipperlyn Sinclair.  After this election, they will make up 1/3rd of the Council and are the only two returning to City Hall, assuming Pace becomes Mayor.  They both stand firmly with Mead, seeing he has what it takes to lead the issues passionately and inclusively.

At 9:44 at Night, we finally got a 78 to 44 Vote in favor of closing the debate on a dual endorsement motion.  That opened the door to more discussion about the candidates.  Councilwoman Sinclair said all the lobbying to throw out the Endorsement Committee’s selection reccomendations devalued their efforts and importance.  Oregon State Representative Nathan Sosa spoke highly of Mead.  Several of the same group spoke on behalf of Case and asked the group to vote down the endorsement.

Lastly, on this one, a question was posed to both of the candidates:  

“Have you ever altered or changed what is on the slate card once it was handed out?”

This refers to whether either of the candidates has ever altered the official Democratic Party slate card, which lists the endorsed candidates on handouts given out during campaign pushes like door-knocking.

Jake Mead:  He said -No, Never.  

Elizabeth Case:  She said – Yes… (additional explanation was not discernable on our end do to technical issues-; we are awaiting transcripts to add her explanation and add as soon as we get it.)

“We don’t get to do that as neighborhood leaders.  You don’t get to do that.  You are taking the parties voice in your own hands.  How does anybody get our endorsement after doing that?”  Kyle Martin- vocal member- Washington County Democrats

The vote to endorse Jake Mead was held shortly after that.  After all that heat and hand-wringing,  Jake Mead won the endorsement of the Washington County Democrats with a 74-37 Yes vote.

Congrats Jake

The following Race was announced-

Hillsboro City Council, Ward 3, Position B
CANDIDATE NAME: Rob Harris
Rob has served Washington County and the City of Hillsboro in numerous
capacities. He is a former deputy district attorney of Washington County,
municipal and county judge, board member of the Hillsboro Library and
Washington County Chamber of Commerce, and has volunteered in
countless other roles within the city and county.
The Endorsement Committee voted not to recommend Rob Harris for
endorsement.
○ We appreciated his many years of public and civic service to the city
and extended region.
○ We noted his depth and familiarity with the City of Hillsboro’s
government structure, issues, and potential solutions.
○ However, we were concerned with his lack of community-oriented
roots and presumptuous disposition toward the position.

CANDIDATE NAME: Marc Grambo
Marc has served as a board member and volunteer with multiple
non-profits that help some of our most vulnerable and historically marginalized communities, including Hillsboro Food Co-Op, Project
Homeless Connect, Westside Queer Resource Center, HART Theatre, and
Home Plate Youth Services He was also a member of the 2023 Hillsboro
Civic Leadership Academy cohort. These experiences have
contributed to Marc’s decision to run for public office.
The Endorsement Committee voted to recommend Marc Grambo for
endorsement.
Overall, Marc has impressed us as an individual who cares about
community and serving his constituency.
○ We were impressed by his deep-sense of service to community and
his plan to take the values of his non-profit involvements to elected
office.
○ We were also drawn to his plans to address the needs of
low-incoming and affordable housing through adjusting city zoning,
and developing plans to support small businesses with their leasing
costs.
○ Lastly, we appreciated his desire to work to develop stronger
connections between the Hillsboro wards, both from a physical
sense with improved transportation infrastructure, and from a
community sense through events that bring different parts of the city
together.

A similar debate was fired up about the Harris-Grambo race.  And this one was much more cordial.  Harris gave an excellent account for himself, and his legal work as an attorney for decades in Hillsboro gave him some tools.  One supporter felt that having a lawyer on the council would give the Council a formidable voice to call out any legal issues that can arise when dealing with the City Attorney and Staff.  Councilors are often convinced to support an Ordinance or Resolution by the City Attorney, so Harris could call out any legal matters in question.  Both Grambo and Harris delivered a pleasant 1-minute elevator pitch.  Both would be excellent. Grambo’s community service has a bit more intense the last few years than Rob’s.

The Dual endorsement debate arose, and many pros and cons were heard, just as in the Mead-Case race. This time, they were expedited, and the majority again sent the message to the minority. Only one candidate earns that endorsement.  The vote was then held on the endorsement.

Grambo won handily with a very similar percentage of the vote.

Congrats to Marc Grambo on winning his party’s endorsement!

This is one endorsement, and these races are going to be close. Anything can happen. The future of Hillsboro hangs in the balance. Pace understandably wants her friends and running panel—Anvery, Harris, and Case—to win.   City Hall and the Council would be at her command in all likelihood, with amiable, like-minded leaders around her who she is championing now.

If Mead and Grambo win, they could join Alcaire and Sinclair and give us a very thoughtful and contemplative group unlike any we have had in many years. That might slow down all the rampant spending and growth and, at the very least, let Hillsboro catch its breath. Hundreds of millions in landowner Urban Growth Boundary expansion decisions are on the line, as are our environment and air quality.

There is much more on the issues and candidates to come. It is late, and the Herald wanted to share the results of tonight’s meeting, the endorsements, the theatrics, and the battles that took place. It was pretty wild indeed!

Best of luck to all who are in this race!

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