Sharon Meieran is an American physician, lawyer, and politician. She has served as a county commissioner for Multnomah County, Oregon since January 3, 2017,[1] representing district 1.
Sharon Meieran | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Multnomah County Commissioner | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2017[1] | |
| Preceded by | Jules Bailey |
| Constituency | 1st district |
| Personal details | |
| Spouse | Fred[2] |
| Children | 2[2] |
| Education | UC Berkeley (BA) UCSF (MD)[2] |
Early life and education edit
Meieran grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and graduated from UC Berkeley with degrees in English and Economics.[2] After earning her JD at UC Law she practiced law in the areas of general civil litigation and intellectual property and did volunteer work in family law.[2] She later attended UCSF School of Medicine, where she met her future husband Fred.[2] Meieran gave birth to her two children while completing her emergency medicine residency in Cincinnati.[2]
Career edit
Multnomah County Commissioner edit
In her first term as commissioner Meieran sponsored a resolution to declare prescription opioids an "ongoing public nuisance" in Multnomah County.[3] The resolution passed unanimously on July 27, 2017, granting county attorneys the authority to bring litigation against drug manufacturers.[3] On August 4 the county filed lawsuits against dozens of drug companies including Purdue Pharma.[4]
Meieran was an early advocate of shutdown orders at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, calling for restaurants and bars to be closed on March 16, 2020.[5] On April 2 Meieran criticized Governor Brown's shutdown order for exempting construction and manufacturing, and called for the appointment of a "coronavirus czar" to oversee the statewide response.[6] In a board meeting on June 11, 2020, Meieran said she planned to propose policy on mandatory face masks.[7]
On July 18, 2020, Meieran was teargassed by federal agents while participating in a racial justice protest in downtown Portland.[8] In October 2020 she proposed absorbing the Portland Police into the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office, citing overlap in their responsibilities as well as the county's existing roles in prosecution, incarceration, and supervised release.[9]
On March 7, 2021, Meieran published an op-ed in The Oregonian calling for new approaches to shelter homeless Portlanders and referring to the current situation as a humanitarian crisis, positions which continue to define her tenure as of 2023.[10] In an April 28 interview Meieran criticized the Joint Office of Homeless Service's plan to spend the $2.5 billion Metro homeless services bond passed the previous year, calling it vague and lacking urgency.[11] She proposed an alternate 6-month plan to identify parcels of land where temporary shelters could be built to rapidly house people currently living on the streets.[11]
In July 2023 Meieran opposed a plan by the county health department to distribute tin foil and straws to fentanyl users, stating "Not all harm reduction is created equal. Narcan distribution and syringe exchange have been proven to save lives. Distribution of safe smoking kits is done in a number of places, but it’s not clear what harm is prevented, if any."[12] The plan was suspended by chair Vega Pederson 3 days after it was first reported.[13]
In September 2023 Meieran criticized a decision to replace the county's former sobering center, which closed in 2020, with a stabilization center intended for longer-term treatment.[14] Unlike the previous center, which accepted drop offs from first responders and was often described as a "drunk tank", the replacement would provide 30–60 days of transitional housing and stabilization treatment for patients leaving other sobering programs.[14] Meieran emphasized the need for a new crisis treatment center, saying she frequently sees patients with addiction issues in the emergency room due to the lack of better options.[14]
2022 Run for Multnomah County Chair edit
On September 13, 2021, Meieran announced her candidacy for Multnomah County Chair in the 2022 election.[15] Her campaign focused on pandemic recovery, homelessness, mental health, and addiction issues.[16] Meieran promised to create alternative shelter sites in every Portland neighborhood with sleeping and sanitation facilities, as well as "safe parking sites" throughout the county where homeless residents could sleep in their vehicles.[16] She also emphasized her volunteer work providing medical care to homeless Portlanders.[16]
With no candidate receiving an outright majority in the May primary, Meieran advanced to a runoff election against fellow commissioner Jessica Vega Pederson.[17] The runoff received significant media coverage due to its potential impact on large sanctioned camping sites proposed by Mayor Wheeler, who had previously threatened to pull city funding from the Joint Office of Homeless Services overseen by the County Chair.[18] On October 29 Wheeler invited both Meieran and Vega Pederson to give testimony before city council regarding his proposals.[18] After endorsing Vega Pederson in the primary, local paper Willamette Week switched their endorsement to Meieran in the runoff election.[19]
On November 8, 2022, Meieran was defeated by Vega Pederson in the general election.[20] Meieran remains a county commissioner with her current term ending in 2024.[20]
Personal life edit
Meieran lives in Southwest Portland with her husband and their two children, who attend Portland Public Schools.[2] Meieran previously served as co-president of her children's elementary school PTA board.[2]
Electoral history edit
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Jessica Vega Pederson | 164,914 | 54.03% | |
| Nonpartisan | Sharon Meieran | 138,034 | 45.23% | |
| Other | Write-ins | 2,263 | 0.74% | |
| Total votes | 305,211 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Jessica Vega Pederson | 77,529 | 41.95% | |
| Nonpartisan | Sharon Meieran | 33,651 | 18.21% | |
| Nonpartisan | Sharia Mayfield | 27,713 | 14.99% | |
| Nonpartisan | Lori Stegmann | 23,210 | 12.56% | |
| Nonpartisan | Bruce Broussard | 12,895 | 6.98% | |
| Nonpartisan | Joe Demers | 9,544 | 5.16% | |
| Other | Write-ins | 290 | 0.16% | |
| Total votes | 184,832 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Sharon Meieran | 59,184 | 90.01% | |
| Nonpartisan | Jason Tokuda | 6,290 | 9.57% | |
| Other | Write-ins | 280 | 0.43% | |
| Total votes | 65,754 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Sharon Meieran | 58,904 | 67.22% | |
| Nonpartisan | Eric Zimmerman | 28,214 | 32.20% | |
| Other | Write-ins | 516 | 0.59% | |
| Total votes | 87,634 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Sharon Meieran | 24,728 | 42.35% | |
| Nonpartisan | Eric Zimmerman | 13,089 | 22.42% | |
| Nonpartisan | Mel Rader | 6,492 | 11.12% | |
| Nonpartisan | Marisha Childs | 5,889 | 10.09% | |
| Nonpartisan | Brian Wilson | 5,119 | 8.77% | |
| Nonpartisan | Ken Stokes | 1,492 | 2.56% | |
| Nonpartisan | Wes Soderback | 1,205 | 2.06% | |
| Other | Write-ins | 372 | 0.64% | |
| Total votes | 58,386 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jennifer Williamson | 5,418 | 53.3% | |
| Democratic | Sharon Meieran | 4,509 | 44.3% | |
| Democratic | Benjamin Jay Barber | 240 | 2.4% | |
| Total votes | 37,840 | 100.00% | ||
References edit
- ^ a b Manning, Rob (January 3, 2017). "Multnomah County Swears In All-Female Commission". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Archived from the original on January 5, 2017. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "About Commissioner Meieran". Multnomah County. Archived from the original on December 6, 2022. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
- ^ a b Cruz Guevarra, Ericka (July 27, 2017). "Multnomah County Plans To Sue Maker Of OxyContin". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Portland, Oregon. Archived from the original on March 24, 2022. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
- ^ "Multnomah County files suit against dozens over opioid crisis". multco.us. Multnomah County. August 4, 2017. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
- ^ Monahan, Rachel (March 16, 2020). "Multnomah County Commissioner Sharon Meieran, an Emergency Room Doctor, Calls For Shutting Down Restaurants, Bars". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on May 21, 2022. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
- ^ Ligori, Crystal (April 2, 2020). "Multnomah County's ER Doc Commissioner Pushes For Stronger COVID-19 Response". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Archived from the original on April 5, 2020. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
- ^ Ross, Erin (June 11, 2020). "Multnomah County Falling Short On Reopening Benchmarks Related to Race". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Archived from the original on October 17, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
- ^ Mesh, Aaron; Wittwer, Alex (June 20, 2020). "President Trump Has Reenergized Portland's Protests". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on May 16, 2023. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
- ^ Jaquiss, Nigel (October 20, 2020). "County Commissioner Publicly Suggests Multnomah County Sheriff's Office Absorb Portland Police Bureau". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
- ^ Meieran, Sharon (March 7, 2021). "Opinion: Homelessness crisis needs urgent public health response that focuses on reducing harm". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on June 10, 2023. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
- ^ a b Peel, Sophie (April 25, 2021). "Multnomah County Commissioner Sharon Meieran Wants More Aggressive Plan to Shelter Homeless People". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
- ^ Lucas, Manfield (July 10, 2023). "Two County Commissioners Demand Health Department Delay Plans to Distribute Foil to Fentanyl Smokers". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on July 28, 2023. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
- ^ Manfield, Lucas (July 10, 2023). "Multnomah County Reverses Plans to Distribute Foil to Fentanyl Smokers". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on July 28, 2023. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
- ^ a b c Parfitt, Jamie; Dooris, Pat (September 27, 2023). "Some Multnomah County commissioners displeased with proposed replacement for Portland's long-shuttered sobering center". KGW. Archived from the original on October 2, 2023. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
- ^ Jaquiss, Nigel (September 13, 2021). "Multnomah County Commissioner Sharon Meieran Will Seek Chair's Role Next Year". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
- ^ a b c Stites, Sam (April 22, 2022). "Four candidates hope to become Multnomah County's next chief executive". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Archived from the original on April 2, 2023. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
- ^ Stites, Sam (May 17, 2022). "No clear winner in Multnomah County chair race". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Archived from the original on June 3, 2023. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
- ^ a b Dooris, Pat; Parfitt, Jamie (November 4, 2022). "Portland's push to address homelessness could hang on the election for Multnomah County chair". KGW. Archived from the original on March 24, 2023. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
- ^ WW Staff (October 19, 2022). "WW's General Election 2022 Endorsements: Multnomah County". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on January 7, 2023. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
- ^ a b Hayden, Nicole (November 9, 2022). "Jessica Vega Pederson wins race for Multnomah County chair". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on May 22, 2023. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
- ^ "Multnomah County Official Precinct Results - Chair, Board of County Commissioners" (PDF). Multnomah County. December 5, 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 26, 2023. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
- ^ "Official Precinct Results - Multnomah County Chair" (PDF). Multnomah County. June 9, 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 26, 2023. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
- ^ "Multnomah County Elections - Update 12 - Final Summary" (PDF). Multnomah County. June 5, 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 13, 2023. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
- ^ "May 17, 2016 Primary Election" (PDF). Multnomah County. June 23, 2016. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 14, 2023. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
- ^ "May 17, 2016 Primary Election" (PDF). Multnomah County. June 23, 2016. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 14, 2023. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
- ^ "2012 Primary Election Official Results". Oregon Secretary of State. May 15, 2012. Archived from the original on October 7, 2022. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
External links edit
- Website at Multnomah County