County Chair candidate · Multnomah County · November 3, 2026

Shannon Singleton

County commissioner; social worker, former JOIN executive director and housing-policy director.

Photo: Candidate-submitted photo · 2026 Multnomah voters’ pamphlet ↗

Reach the campaign

As published in their pamphlet statement and campaign site.

In their words

Said: I’ve spent my career taking on the toughest fights: supporting sexual assault survivors, foster youth, and people experiencing homelessness.

Pamphlet p. 32

Candidate statement · November 2026 edition; extracted September 21, 2026

Multnomah County voters’ pamphlet · PDF page 32 ↗

Verbatim opening of the candidate's own statement; publication by the county does not verify the claims.

The verbatim opening of their voters’ pamphlet statement, the same rule for every candidate. We chose nothing.

What they say they would do

Our summary of their platform, in our words

Emphasizes practical experience with homelessness and bringing service users and providers into decisions.

Build more effective homelessness-service systems.
Support affordable housing and well-paid union jobs.
Work with providers, businesses, neighbors and people who disagree.

Our reading

Our interpretation, not their words

Frontline experience
Collaboration

She would redesign services with providers, business owners and neighbors at the table, backed by a record she describes as realigning funds to core services; her statement names no deadlines or costs.

Multnomah County voters’ pamphlet · PDF page 32 ↗Singleton · campaign home ↗Singleton · Meet Shannon ↗Singleton · record of reforms ↗

Where they stand

Homelessness and housing

Rebuild homeless services

What: Said: Find lasting solutions to the homelessness crisis by building better systems with the people closest to the problem; she says she realigned county funds toward shelter, outreach and housing and cut duplicated services in the Homeless Services Department.
How: Said: Realign county funds to core services that end homelessness (shelter, outreach and housing) and reduce service duplication with tighter oversight of the Homeless Services Department, as she says she pushed for.
Measured by: Not in their sources

Crisis care, jail and deflection

Reform Deflection Center

What: Said: Reform the Deflection Center (the police alternative to arrest for drug use) so it connects addiction, housing and behavioral-health services, saves money and drives outcomes; she also cites strengthening safety-net protections in response to ICE actions.
How: Not in their sources
Measured by: Not in their sources

Taxes and the budget gap

Effective use of dollars

What: Said: Lower costs and make more effective use of taxpayers’ dollars; she cites coauthoring the county’s first lobbyist disclosure rules and finding money in the budget to close a homeless-services shortfall while pushing for sustainable funding.
How: Not in their sources
Measured by: Not in their sources

Roads, bridges and air

Rose Quarter compromise

What: Said: She cites facilitating the compromise on the Rose Quarter Improvement Project, putting it in line for federal infrastructure investment, and leading the community-benefits process for the Interstate Bridge Replacement.
How: Not in their sources
Measured by: Not in their sources

The choices this office faces

Every candidate in this race is asked the same 13 questions. Shannon Singleton is on record on 11, with 2 still open. A question without an answer is a research gap, not a position.

No answer we could find

Drop the two-paramedic ambulance rule for good?
Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed.
Move day-to-day county management from the elected chair to an appointed administrator?
Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed.

On record

Close shelter beds to keep people in housing as homeless-services money falls?
Said: Voted for the FY 2027 budget and said she is proud that housing stability and placement out of shelter are now part of the county's commitment, while noting District 2's voices did not prevail on every vote.
Rewrite the city-county homelessness agreement so one government runs shelters?
Said: Told OPB she wants an end to both governments running shelters and other programs, saying the plan was written without a budget or clear roles and has too much duplication.
Back extending Metro's homeless-services tax past 2030 at a lower rate, with tighter spending rules?
Said: In January 2025 backed Metro's proposal to let the tax buy and build housing, saying it would spare the city and state from finding gap financing; she has not said whether to extend the tax past 2030.
On the topic; the exact choice is unsaid.
Tighter contract monitoring and outside audits of the Homeless Services Department after Sunstone Way?
Said: Voted no on confirming director Nathaniel VerGow on April 9, 2026, preferring to wait for the chair election, after proposing commissioner-led reviews of the department in 2025; she has not said whether outside audits should follow Sunstone Way.
On the topic; the exact choice is unsaid.
Keep and tighten the drug deflection center, or halt it?
Said: Issued a November 2025 reform proposal tying the center to the by-name list, county sober shelters and outreach referrals, then co-sponsored the February 2026 resolution adopting stricter completion rules.
Keep the 2027 Recovery Pathways Center on schedule and fund more detox and treatment beds around it?
Said: Voted for the center's construction plan on March 12, 2026, saying she wants every opportunity for warm handoffs rather than referrals so care continues; she has not said whether to fund more detox beds beyond it.
On the topic; the exact choice is unsaid.
Close the county's structural budget gap by cutting administration before services?
Said: In March 2025 proposed moving $22 million in homeless-services tax dollars out of administrative and other programs outside the Homeless Services Department, plus a review of that department's administrative structure to prioritize service dollars.
Keep delaying the Preschool for All tax increase, now set for 2028?
Said: Moved the ordinance delaying the increase to January 2028 and voted for it on August 27, 2026; she and Commissioner Moyer had proposed the one-year delay in place of the chair's two-year plan.
Up to $101.6 million in county money for the Moda Center renovation?
Said: Voted for the August 6, 2026 resolution setting terms for up to $101.6 million, with a clawback, a 20-year Blazers commitment and a payment in lieu of taxes; Commissioner Moyer cast the only no vote.
Keep both jails at their current funded capacity as the General Fund shrinks?
Said: Voted for the FY 2027 budget that keeps both jails at full funded capacity; her budget statement speaks to housing stability and immigrant services, not to the jails.
On the topic; the exact choice is unsaid.
Keep the county's sanctuary code and refuse ICE detainers under federal pressure?
Said: Co-sponsored the April 9, 2026 ordinance writing sanctuary rules into county code, saying the county will stand up to bullies for immigrant and refugee neighbors and that restricted areas mean all county facilities.

Compare every candidate

A question the evidence leaves open

Which service outcomes would you publish, and what would trigger a contractor or program change?

Sources (4)

Multnomah County voters’ pamphlet · PDF page 32Candidate statement · November 2026 edition; reviewed September 18, 2026Written by the candidate or campaign. Publication by the county does not verify the claims.
Singleton · campaign homeCandidate statement · Website reviewed September 21, 2026Campaign position. Claimed results and numerical premises have not automatically been independently verified.
Singleton · Meet ShannonCandidate statement · Website reviewed September 21, 2026Campaign position. Claimed results and numerical premises have not automatically been independently verified.
Singleton · record of reformsCandidate statement · Website reviewed September 21, 2026Campaign position. Claimed results and numerical premises have not automatically been independently verified.