Sam Adams (Oregon politician)
| Sam Adams | |
|---|---|
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| 51st Mayor of Portland, Oregon | |
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In office January 1, 2009 – December 31, 2012 |
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| Preceded by | Tom Potter |
| Succeeded by | Charlie Hales |
| Member of Portland City Council Position 1 |
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In office January 1, 2005 – January 1, 2009 |
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| Preceded by | Jim Francesconi |
| Succeeded by | Amanda Fritz |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Samuel Francis Adams September 3, 1963 Whitehall, Montana |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Domestic partner | Peter Zuckerman |
| Residence | Portland, Oregon |
| Alma mater | University of Oregon |
| Occupation | Politician |
Samuel Francis "Sam" Adams (born September 3, 1963) is an American politician who is the former mayor of Portland, Oregon. He grew up in Newport, Oregon, attended the University of Oregon and worked on a number of campaigns before taking office as a Portland commissioner. Among them was Vera Katz's run for mayor of Portland. After she won, he served as her chief of staff for eleven years and then went back to school, earning a degree in Political Science.
In 2004, Adams was elected to the Portland City Council, serving four years on the council earning a reputation as a "policy-driven advocate for sustainability, the arts, and gay rights." He was elected to a four-year term as mayor of Portland in the May 2008 primary, with 58% of the vote and a dozen other candidates on the ballot. He was the first openly gay mayor of a top-30 U.S. city. In July 2011, Adams announced that he would not seek a second term as mayor. He had an approval rating of 56% eight months before he left office.
Son of Larry Adams — a special education teacher and high school basketball coach — and his wife, Karalie (née Gibbons), Adams was born in 1963, when his family lived on a ranch eight miles outside Whitehall, Montana. When he was two years old, his family moved to Richland, Washington, for a year, and then on to Newport, and Eugene, Oregon, where his parents were divorced. Adams lived with his mother and survived for a time on food stamps and housing assistance. In discussing not disclosing his sexuality, Adams noted he came from a "family of tough Montanans" where "there's a premium on being tough and strong, and being queer and a faggot wasn't strong." His mother could not find work in Eugene and moved to Portland. Adams stayed in Eugene and supported himself throughout most of his high school years. He graduated from South Eugene High School and attended the University of Oregon, dropping out to enter politics.
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