Enough is Enough Portland, the group opposing all 13 referendum questions on the ballot this fall, reported another huge corporate campaign donation in the form of $100,000 from the National Association of Realtors.
The donation, reported on Oct. 26, is the largest single donation of Portland’s campaign season, and another big lump of cash in a growing war chest for the opposition group. Enough is Enough, a coalition led by former City Councilor Nick Mavodones and composed of landlords, real estate firms, restaurant owners and hospitality workers, raised more than $439,000 in the first round of campaign finance reports filed in late September.
Other donations to Enough is Enough included corporations and real estate developers. The received $50,000 apiece from the San Francisco-based delivery and rideshare companies DoorDash and Uber, as well as $25,000 piece from the Portland Community Chamber of Commerce and the Seaforth Housing, a California-based company with property in Portland.
Several $25,000 donations came in from groups with P.O. Boxes listed in Westbrook, but with Portland landmark names. These included groups called 167 Fore Street, which is the location of the Ocean Gateway Garage; 0 Hancock Street, which is the Wex headquarters; and 100 Fore Street, the former Wex building where the Roux Institute currently resides. Portland development firm Redfern Properties donated roughly $30,000 from several variations of its name. They received several other donations from local real estate groups and business owners.
A request for comment from the National Association of Realtors was not immediately returned.
Wes Pelletier, an organizer for the Maine Democratic Socialists of America and chair of its Portland Campaign Committee, said the fundraising figure is “emblematic of” the interested parties that comprise the coalition group Enough is Enough Portland. According to Pelletier, the group “deeply want to preserve” the status quo, and don’t represent the working-class people of Portland.
“Enough is Enough is a completely negative campaign being run by D.C. outsiders that are trying to bring GOP tactics into Portland’s electoral politics,” he said.
The DSA proposed four of the five citizen initiative questions on the ballot, including one that would raise the minimum wage to $18.
The National Association of Realtors is the country’s largest trade association for real estate agents.
Other campaign finance reports were being filed Friday, Oct. 28.
This story will be updated.
