Multnomah County Employees Local 88 has endorsed Judy Shiprack
for county commissioner in District 3. The district’s boundaries
are I-84 on the North and Clackamas County on the South. It extends
as far west as NE 33rd Avenue, and east as far as 148th.
Local 88 is an affiliate of the American Federation of State, County
and Municipal Employees. It represents the largest bloc of union
workers at the county, with about 2,700 members.
The union also reaffirmed its endorsement of Carla Piluso in District
4, which covers east Multnomah County, including Gresham, Troutdale
and Wood Village.
The union endorsed Piluso in the May primary, but not Shiprack.
Instead, members opted for Rob Milesnick.
Shiprack and Piluso, who is Gresham’s chief of police, were
the top vote getters in the May primary, but neither was able to
get the necessary 50 percent-plus-one to avoid a runoff.
Shiprack, a former state legislator (her maiden name was Judy Bauman),
will face runner-up Mike Delman in District 3. Delman is public
affairs director of Portland Habilitation Center, and a former chief
of staff to ex-County Commissioner Gary Hansen. He received several
labor endorsements in the primary, including one from United Food
and Commercial Workers Local 555.
Shiprack, who is married to Bob Shiprack, executive director of
the Oregon State Building and Construction Trades Council, had strong
labor backing in the primary. She most recently worked as director
of the Public Safety Coordinating Council of Multnomah County. She
is a former Multnomah County deputy district attorney, and she served
for 10 years as director of the non-profit affordable housing group,
LINK Community Development Corporation.
Piluso will face Diane McKeel, executive director of the West Columbia
Chamber of Commerce, in November. Piluso is running with strong
support from organized labor.