Shannon Singleton

Shannon Singleton is a member of the Multnomah County Board of County Commissioners in Oregon, representing District 2. She assumed office on December 3, 2024. Her current term ends on January 4, 2027.

Singleton ran in a special election to the Multnomah County Board of County Commissioners to represent District 2 in Oregon. She won in the special general election on November 5, 2024.

Singleton completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Shannon Singleton was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She earned a bachelor's degree from Temple University in 2000 and a graduate degree from Portland State University in 2013.^[1]

Elections

2024

General election

Special general election for Multnomah County Commission District 2

Shannon Singleton defeated Sam Adams in the special general election for Multnomah County Commission District 2 on November 5, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Shannon Singleton (Nonpartisan)	57.3	55,467
	Sam Adams (Nonpartisan)	42.1	40,802
	Other/Write-in votes	0.6	542

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 96,811
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Nonpartisan primary election

Special nonpartisan primary for Multnomah County Commission District 2

Shannon Singleton and Sam Adams defeated Jessie Burke, Nicholas Hara, and Carlos Jermaine Richard in the special primary for Multnomah County Commission District 2 on May 21, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Shannon Singleton (Nonpartisan)	46.5	25,394
✔		Sam Adams (Nonpartisan)	23.6	12,917
	Submit photo	Jessie Burke (Nonpartisan)	22.2	12,132
		Nicholas Hara (Nonpartisan)	4.1	2,217
	Submit photo	Carlos Jermaine Richard (Nonpartisan)	3.3	1,808
		Other/Write-in votes	0.4	196

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 54,664
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Singleton in this election.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

Shannon Singleton completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Singleton's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I have almost 30 years of experience as a social worker providing direct service to people experiencing homelessness, trauma, and untreated behavioral health disorders. For over fifteen years, I have held leadership positions in nonprofits, city, county, and state government. I am the only candidate in this race who has direct experience serving people experiencing homelessness and struggling with mental health and addiction issues. I have run a women’s shelter in Portland, as well as outreach and housing programs dedicated to serving people with severe and persistent mental illness. I have also worked on these issues at the City of Portland, Multnomah County, and the State of Oregon. Throughout my time in these roles, I have become acutely aware of the gaps in our systems and what it will take to fix them.

As a leader, I have prioritized ensuring that the voices of those who are most impacted by public policy and funding decisions are part of decision-making processes. I have also fought to ensure that the people who have committed their lives to providing vital social services earn a living wage.

I believe that housing and health care are human rights, and have devoted my career to advancing those principles.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

The cause of homelessness always means losing a home, and the solution is always a safe, stable, and affordable place to call home. Our community has been in crisis for decades, not years, and we finally have the resources to begin addressing that crisis, but we must be intentional in serving all communities. As a social worker, I know we can do better and I have the experience and knowledge to create the change we need.
Ensuring that Medicaid works for everyone is the best way to keep all of Multnomah County healthy and safe. Too many working families are deciding whether they pay the rent or they pay the medical bills. I believe access to healthcare is a fundamental human right.
Nothing undermines community trust in the justice system more than a wrongful conviction or a failed prosecution of someone who committed a crime. The County is at the center of a justice system that needs help, and we need to move quickly to rebuild the community’s trust through interventions that repair harm and create safety for everyone in the community.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about meeting the housing, healthcare, and economic needs of our most vulnerable community members, and to advancing policies that address the inequities that exist in our government-funded services. I am running because I want to initiate a long overdue transformation of the County’s services. Today we have an unprecedented opportunity to transform our approach to homelessness, behavioral health, and poverty but we need elected officials with more direct experience with the people the County is charged with helping, and with the policy frameworks the County uses to deliver critical safety-net services. As county commissioner, I will utilize all of my passion, experience, and expertise to bring about this transformation.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

I believe a commitment to the following values is essential for an elected official serving Multnomah County:

Equitable process and outcomes – Centering equity in the approach to policy solutions and ensuring outcomes that result in narrowing disparities. This comes from data (qualitative and quantitative) collection, amplifying the voices of the community, and being willing to interrupt oppressive policies.

Community-focused accountability – Understanding that systems and government have been sources of harm for many equity priority communities, we must share information, access, relationship experiences, and resources. As an elected official, I must always remember that the community elected me to address the issues that limit the opportunities of equity priority communities, and I need to deliver.

Courageous leadership – There will be high-pressure votes and contentious conversations needed for transformative change. Holding to one’s values and centering equity requires speaking up and standing by those values in making tough decisions.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Busser at a local diner. I was 13 and became a waitress at the same location as soon as I hit legal age to have a job. I stayed there through high school where I was able to use the experience to secure a waitress and banquet lead position at a local restaurant. This position allowed me to help pay for my education at the catholic high school and I kept it through graduation.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

Multnomah County is the largest local safety net services provider in the State of Oregon. It provides critical supports to children and youth from pre-K through high school, cares for people who are aging and have physical, mental, and developmental disabilities, delivers critical public and clinical healthcare services, and offers a wide range of emergency and long-term housing supports to people experiencing or on the brink of homelessness. County Commissioners have a tremendous responsibility to ensure that the County’s policies and financial investments ensure that these services are delivered to as many people, as effectively and equitably, as possible. That is why it is so critical that the person who serves as County Commissioner for District 2 has both a background in local government policy making and budgeting and in the delivery of human services.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Organizations: AFSCME Local 88; APANO Action Fund; Basic Rights PAC; Building Power for Communities of Color; Color PAC; CWA 7901; East County Rising AF; IBEW Local 48; Latino Network Action Fund; Lead Locally; Mother PAC; Next Up AF; Oregon AFSCME Council 75; Oregon Alliance for Gun Safety; Oregon Futures Lab; Portland Association of Teachers; Portland for All; Safety and Justice PAC; SEIU Oregon; Street Trust Action Fund; Sunrise PDX; Teamsters Joint Council 37; UFCW 555; Working Families Party.
Individuals: Candace Avalos; Danny Cage; Kayse Jama, State Sen; Lew Frederick, State Sen; Loretta Smith; Marcus Mundy; Maxine Dexter, State Rep; Salomé Chimuku; Stephen Green; Travis Nelson, State Rep; Willy Myers, Labor Leader (retired).

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

I believe in the critical importance of community accountability among elected officials. Being community accountable means open, honest, and transparent communication about all aspects of the governmental process, including policy development and finances. It means holding institutions accountable for current policies and spending priorities and working with those directly impacted by public policies and spending. If we want to solve issues and disparities impacting our communities, it will take a community-wide effort. Working openly and transparently with community leaders and community-based organizations will be imperative to turning the corner on some of the biggest challenges in our communities.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

External links

Search Google News for this topic

Candidate

Multnomah County Commission District 2

Personal

Footnotes

↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 7, 2024

[1] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 7, 2024

[1]

	v • e State of Oregon Salem (capital)
Elections	What's on my ballot? \| Elections in 2025 \| How to vote \| How to run for office \| Ballot measures
Government	Who represents me? \| U.S. President \| U.S. Congress \| Federal courts \| State executives \| State legislature \| State and local courts \| Counties \| Cities \| School districts \| Public policy

Shannon Singleton

Contents

Biography

Elections

2024

General election

Special general election for Multnomah County Commission District 2

Nonpartisan primary election

Special nonpartisan primary for Multnomah County Commission District 2

Endorsements

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

2025 Elections

2026 Elections

2024 Election analysis

Trending

Public Policy

Information for candidates

Get Engaged

Services

Additional analysis

SITE NAVIGATION