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Teressa Raiford
Teressa Raiford (January 11, 2020) (cropped).jpg
Raiford's official 2020 campaign portrait
Born
Teressa Raiford

1970 (age 53–54)
Occupation Activist, community organizer, former political candidate
Organization Don't Shoot Portland
Movement

Teressa Raiford (born 1970) is an American activist and politician in Portland, Oregon. She founded the local Black-led non-profit Don't Shoot Portland.

Activism

When Raiford was a child, her grandparents' restaurant was the site of a racist action in which Portland police officers threw dead possums onto the business' doorstep. The incident prompted substantial protests against racial injustice.

On the morning of September 26, 2010, Raiford's nephew Andre Dupree Payton was shot and killed in downtown Portland. The case remains unsolved. In response, Raiford started Don't Shoot Portland, a group of activists who work for police accountability within the Portland Police Bureau and Multnomah County Sheriff's Office.

Teressa Raiford (June 19, 2020)
Raiford in 2020

In 2015, Raiford was arrested, charged and jailed for obstructing traffic and disorderly conduct by five officers, at a march she had organized to honor Michael Brown. In 2016 the case was dismissed by a jury. In 2017, Raiford filed a countersuit claiming damages of $500,000, claiming she was "signaled [sic] out for her outspokenness against police violence" and claiming officers made disparaging comments as they arrested her. The case was dismissed by a judge in 2019.

In June 2020, Don't Shoot Portland filed a class-action lawsuit against the City of Portland for seeking a temporary restraining order to force the Portland Police Bureau from using tear gas in the city. Don't Shoot Portland also published an in-depth report on Riot Control Agents, describing the irreparable harm caused by RCAs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In July 2020, Don't Shoot PDX and Wall of Moms filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, claiming that President Trump's deployment of federal forces to Portland was unlawful.

In 2022, Raiford was critical of public misinformation provided by the Portland police in the aftermath of the Normandale Park shooting and called for an independent investigation.

Political campaigns

2012 Portland City Council election

Raiford attempted to unseat Commissioner Amanda Fritz in the 2012 Portland City Council election. She finished in 4th out of 5th place with 3,840 votes (3.21%).

2014 Multnomah County Commission election

In the 2014 County Commission elections, Raiford attempted to unseat then Commissioner Loretta Smith. Raiford finished 3rd out of 4th place with 1,986 votes (6.56%).

2014 Multnomah County Commission Election, District 2
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan politician Loretta Smith 23,644 78.11%
Nonpartisan politician Bruce Broussard 3,595 11.88
Nonpartisan politician Teressa Raiford 1,986 6.56
Nonpartisan politician Kelvin Hall 881 2.91%
none of the above write-ins 163 0.54%
Total votes 1,092,746 100.0%

2016 Multnomah County Sheriff election

Raiford announced a write-in campaign against Mike Reese, former Portland Police chief, who was running unopposed. Reese won with 96.55% of the vote.

Multnomah County Sheriff Election, 2016
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan politician Mike Reese (Incumbent) 88,146 96.55%
Nonpartisan politician Teressa Raiford (Write-in) 3,000 3.28%
write-ins 150 0.16%
Total votes 60,422 100%

2020 Portland Mayoral election

TeressaRaiford
Raiford's logo for her 2020 mayoral campaign

Raiford announced her plan to run for mayor in late 2017, being one of the first candidates to announce her plan. In late 2019 and early 2020, she began recruiting volunteers and actively campaigning. On May 19, 2020, Raiford lost the primary election to Ted Wheeler and Sarah Iannarone, coming in 3rd place with 18,310 votes (8.40%).

After her defeat in the primary, supporters of Raiford have promoted a write-in campaign, although Raiford has said she won’t be actively campaigning.

Portland mayoral primary election, 2020
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan politician Ted Wheeler (incumbent) 107,241 49.29%
Nonpartisan politician Sarah Iannarone 51,849 23.82%
Nonpartisan politician Teressa Raiford 18,310 8.40%
Nonpartisan politician Ozzie González 12,632 5.80%
Nonpartisan politician Bruce Broussard 11,336 5.20%
Nonpartisan politician Randy Rapaport 3,816 1.75%
Nonpartisan politician Piper Crowell 3,272 1.50%
Nonpartisan politician Mark White 2,308 1.06%
Nonpartisan politician Cash Carter 1,488 0.68%
Nonpartisan politician Sharon Joy 901 0.42%
Nonpartisan politician Willie Banks 789 0.36%
Nonpartisan politician Daniel Hoffman 702 0.32%
Nonpartisan politician Michael O'Callaghan 629 0.29%
Nonpartisan politician Michael Burleson 406 0.19%
Nonpartisan politician Lew Humble 299 0.14%
Nonpartisan politician Michael Jenkins 262 0.12%
Nonpartisan politician Beryl McNair 259 0.12%
Nonpartisan politician Jarred Bepristis 105 0.05%
Nonpartisan politician Floyd LaBar 95 0.04%
Write-in 861 0.40%
Total votes 217,560 100.00%
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