Who is Sam Adams?:
Sam Adams (born 1963) is the newly elected mayor of Portland, Oregon and the first openly gay mayor in a top-40 U.S. city.
Humble Beginnings:
Adams is the third of four children. Growing up, Sam Adams and his family depended on public assistance and housing. According to Adams these experiences "fuel his passion for making government work better for people."
Poltical Career:
Sam Adams dropped out of the University of Oregon to joined now U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio's (D-Ore.) campaign as an intern. He remained on Rep. DeFazio's staff until 1984. He then went to work for the Oregon House Democratic Campaign Committee and at that time the Democratic Majority Leader Carl Hosticka. In 1991, Adams successfully managed Vera Katz's first campaign for mayor of Portland. For 11 years, at the age of 29, Adams worked as Katz's chief of staff. Up until his mayoral election, Sam Adams was Portland’s first-ever openly gay City Commissioner.
Adams went back to school to finish his college degree and graduated from the University of Oregon in 2002.
Meet Sam Adams:
Meet Sam Adams, Portland's new openly gay mayor, on his campaign web site Sam Adams for Portland Mayor.
