Left: Multnomah County Chair-elect Shannon Singleton. Right: Multnomah County Chair candidate Julia Brim-Edwards.
Eli Imadali
Multnomah County voters have elected Shannon Singleton as the county’s next chair.
According to the county’s latest preliminary results, Singleton secured the position with about 57% of the vote. Fellow commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards trailed with 42%.
In a statement Thursday evening, Brim-Edwards conceded and wished Singleton success as she takes on her new role. She added that, while disappointed, she’s proud of the campaign she ran and wished Singleton success.
“I ran for county chair to disrupt the status quo and bring real change to our community. While I won’t be leading as county chair, I intend to keep fighting for this community and driving the changes that need to happen,” Brim-Edwards said.
Singleton represents District 2, which includes most of North and Northeast Portland, and joined the board in 2024. She will replace current Chair Jessica Vega Pederson, who has held the role since 2022.
This was the county’s first ranked-choice voting election. Former Commissioner Sharon Meieran received the fewest number of votes and was listed as defeated after the first round of results.
As of Thursday evening, the county’s projected voter turnout was 65%. The next round of results will be posted Friday at 6 p.m.
