Portland’s current Mayor, Tom Potter announced that he would not seek re-election in 2008, opening the door for brand new leadership.

Of course, political pundits in Portland immediately started sizing up the prospects for Mayor of Portland in 2008. All agree that the two frontrunners are current City Commissioner Sam Adams and businessman Bob Ball. Two major newspapers in Portland gave plenty of space to each of those two and scant, inconsistent attention to a list of two or three others.

Here’s the cool thing: both Sam Adams and Bob Ball are proud, out, gay men. If either one of them wins (a shame they might run AGAINST each other, I suppose) then Portland may be one of the few major US cities with an out, gay mayor. Maybe they can be victorious in 2008 alongwith City Councilman Ed Oakley of Dallas, Texas - a gay man widely seen as a frontruner for Mayor of that city.

Wouldn’t it be great to have elected officials who are gay BEFORE they get elected. There will be no airport bathroom test for any of these guys.

Also worth mentioning is that the outgoing Mayor of Portland, Tom Potter, has been, and will continue to be, a great friend of the Oregon GLBT community. His lesbian daughter and her partner were active in the fight for marriage rights in this state and as Chief of Police and Mayor, Potter always fought for our rights. I suppose it is only fitting that we are now happily facing the prospect that he might be replaced by a gay man.

We’ll keep you posted!