Rumored Mayoral Candidate Also Weighs Council Race

Portland Mercury:

Randy...Last week I wrote about the strong chance City Commissioner Randy Leonard will bow out of a re-election bid in 2012. Since then, in the inevitable discussion over who might run if Leonard doesn't, one very intriguing name has emerged: Steve Novick, former U.S. Senate candidate and frequently rumored 2012 mayoral candidate. Observers with knowledge of the talks tell me Novick has gone so far as to actually check in with Leonard about Leonard's plans. However, I'm also told, that doesn't mean Novick is giving up on a run against Sam Adams (undeclared, but widely expected to run). According to a scenario laid out by one source, Novick is first waiting to see how the mayoral primary shakes out. If New Seasons founder Eileen Brady gets in, then he would, too. But if Multnomah County Chair Jeff Cogen declares (he still isn't ruling it out), then Novick would stay out. ... and SteveAnd then he'd wait to see what Leonard decides later this year, apparently preferring to run for an open seat. I haven't heard whether he'd consider a run for Amanda Fritz's seat. Fritz also is on the fence. I called Novick for comment, not that I expected him necessarily to tip his hand during this shadowy, ever-shifting, poker-bluffing stage of the campaign season. He phoned back and explained that his state job lasts through June. Then—true to his rep as a funny guy—repurposed a quote from The Big Lebowski. "It's a very complicated situation," he says. "There's a lot of ins and a lot of outs." [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

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