Frank Ivancie
Encyclopedia
Francis J. "Frank" Ivancie (born July 19, 1924) is a retired Portland, Oregon
businessman and politician who served as mayor of that city from 1981 through 1985. Prior to his term as mayor, Ivancie served for fourteen years on the Portland City Council
. Since his retirement from elected office, Ivancie has remained active in community affairs, occasionally lending his support to political causes.
During his political career, Ivancie was a conservative
Democrat
who throughout his political career cultivated support from both business interests as well as blue collar
workers; however, the city government offices he held are all officially non-partisan.
In 1976, Ivancie launched his first campaign for mayor, running against one-term incumbent Neil Goldschmidt
. A key issue in the campaign was the Mount Hood Freeway, a controversial freeway proposal which the City Council had killed
by a vote of 4-1 in 1974 (Ivancie casting the lone dissenting vote) and which Ivancie and his supporters hoped to revive. Billboards were erected proclaiming "If Ivancie were mayor, you'd be home now". Unfortunately for Ivancie, the primary beneficiaries of the proposed freeway project were suburban commuters who were ineligible to vote for the mayor of Portland. City residents were in widespread opposition to the freeway (which was never built), and Goldschmidt handily won re-election, defeating Ivancie in the primary election. (The Portland mayoral election is held in May of years divisible by four; if no candidate secures a majority in the primary then a run-off election is held in November between the top two vote-getters in the primary election).
, and fellow commissioner Connie McCready
was appointed to fill the remainder of Goldschmidt's term. Ivancie then ran for mayor again in 1980 against McCready—a candidate who had neither the populist appeal of Goldschmidt nor the powerful backing of Ivancie—and defeated her in the primary election. The primary election that year occurred on May 20, 1980, two days after the 1980 eruption of Mt. Saint Helens blanketed the city with ash.
Ivancie's tenure as mayor was scandal-free, however his conservative politics and pro-business positions were frequently controversial in Portland, a city with strong progressive leanings. Ivancie opposed the development of the popular Pioneer Courthouse Square
, on the grounds that the square would become a gathering place for transients. He oversaw the construction of the Portland Building, and advocated construction of well
s to back up the Bull Run Watershed—the city's primary source of drinking water. Much of the construction of the original MAX Blue Line
occurred during his tenure.
, and organized labor. They found an unlikely candidate in J. E. "Bud" Clark, a local tavern owner and former beatnik
. Clark announced his candidacy less than six months before the May 1984 election, but was widely dismissed as a "joke" candidate who had no chance to win the election. However, dissatisfaction among Portlanders was running high – the economy was in recession
and crime was on the rise.
In March 1984—two months prior to the election—Clark trailed Ivancie by 35 points in one poll. However, the Clark campaign put together a large number of volunteers who canvassed the city. After an early May poll by The Oregonian showed the race tied, the Ivancie campaign replied with negative advertisements questioning Clark's religious beliefs (Clark has claimed to be a "born again pagan"). The ads offended Portland voters, who elected Clark to be the next mayor on May 15, by a margin of 13 points.
's re-election, Ivancie was named to the Federal Maritime Commission
. After this, he retired from politics and moved to California
. He stayed out of the Portland public eye until 2007, when then-mayor Tom Potter
proposed an amendment to the Portland city charter to convert the city from a commission
form of government to a strong-mayor
system. Ivancie, along with Bud Clark, lent support to those opposing the charter amendment; the proposal would go down to defeat.
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
businessman and politician who served as mayor of that city from 1981 through 1985. Prior to his term as mayor, Ivancie served for fourteen years on the Portland City Council
Government of Portland, Oregon
The Government of Portland, Oregon, a city in the U.S. state of Oregon, is based on a city commission government system. Elected officials include a Mayor, a City Council, and a City Auditor. The mayor and commissioners are responsible legislative policy and oversee the various bureaus that...
. Since his retirement from elected office, Ivancie has remained active in community affairs, occasionally lending his support to political causes.
During his political career, Ivancie was a conservative
Conservative Democrat
In American politics, a conservative Democrat is a Democratic Party member with conservative political views, or with views relatively conservative with respect to those of the national party...
Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
who throughout his political career cultivated support from both business interests as well as blue collar
Blue collar
Blue collar can refer to:*Blue-collar worker, a traditional designation of the working class*Blue-collar crime, the types of crimes typically associated with the working class*A census designation...
workers; however, the city government offices he held are all officially non-partisan.
Early political career
Ivancie was first elected to the Portland City Council in 1966, filling a vacancy on the Council when Ormond Bean did not run for re-election to the post. He was re-elected to the Council several times, in 1970, 1974, and 1978, only serving the first two years of his final term. While on the city council, he served as Portland's police commissioner.In 1976, Ivancie launched his first campaign for mayor, running against one-term incumbent Neil Goldschmidt
Neil Goldschmidt
Neil Edward Goldschmidt is an American businessman and former Democratic politician from Oregon who held local, state, and federal offices over three decades. After serving as the governor of Oregon, Goldschmidt is widely considered the most influential figure in the state's politics, both as an...
. A key issue in the campaign was the Mount Hood Freeway, a controversial freeway proposal which the City Council had killed
Freeway and expressway revolts
Many freeway revolts took place in developed countries during the 1960s and 1970s, in response to plans for the construction of new freeways, a significant number of which were abandoned or significantly scaled back due to widespread public opposition; especially of those whose neighborhoods would...
by a vote of 4-1 in 1974 (Ivancie casting the lone dissenting vote) and which Ivancie and his supporters hoped to revive. Billboards were erected proclaiming "If Ivancie were mayor, you'd be home now". Unfortunately for Ivancie, the primary beneficiaries of the proposed freeway project were suburban commuters who were ineligible to vote for the mayor of Portland. City residents were in widespread opposition to the freeway (which was never built), and Goldschmidt handily won re-election, defeating Ivancie in the primary election. (The Portland mayoral election is held in May of years divisible by four; if no candidate secures a majority in the primary then a run-off election is held in November between the top two vote-getters in the primary election).
Tenure as mayor
In 1979, Goldschmidt resigned as the city's mayor to take a post with the Carter Administration as United States Secretary of TransportationUnited States Secretary of Transportation
The United States Secretary of Transportation is the head of the United States Department of Transportation, a member of the President's Cabinet, and fourteenth in the Presidential line of succession. The post was created with the formation of the Department of Transportation on October 15, 1966,...
, and fellow commissioner Connie McCready
Connie McCready
Constance "Connie" McCready born Constance Averill is a journalist and politician from Portland, Oregon, in the United States...
was appointed to fill the remainder of Goldschmidt's term. Ivancie then ran for mayor again in 1980 against McCready—a candidate who had neither the populist appeal of Goldschmidt nor the powerful backing of Ivancie—and defeated her in the primary election. The primary election that year occurred on May 20, 1980, two days after the 1980 eruption of Mt. Saint Helens blanketed the city with ash.
Ivancie's tenure as mayor was scandal-free, however his conservative politics and pro-business positions were frequently controversial in Portland, a city with strong progressive leanings. Ivancie opposed the development of the popular Pioneer Courthouse Square
Pioneer Courthouse Square
Pioneer Courthouse Square, affectionately known as Portland's living room, is a public space occupying a full 40,000 ft² city block in the center of downtown Portland, Oregon, United States...
, on the grounds that the square would become a gathering place for transients. He oversaw the construction of the Portland Building, and advocated construction of well
Water well
A water well is an excavation or structure created in the ground by digging, driving, boring or drilling to access groundwater in underground aquifers. The well water is drawn by an electric submersible pump, a trash pump, a vertical turbine pump, a handpump or a mechanical pump...
s to back up the Bull Run Watershed—the city's primary source of drinking water. Much of the construction of the original MAX Blue Line
MAX Blue Line
The MAX Blue Line is a 33 mile light rail line in the MAX Light Rail system in the Portland metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Oregon. Operated by TriMet, the line runs between Hillsboro and Gresham, via downtown Portland...
occurred during his tenure.
Defeat in 1984
In 1983, a coalition of progressive activists in the city, disenchanted with Ivancie's politics, sought out a challenger to run against Ivancie in the 1984 mayoral election. This was a proposition that local political observers considered unlikely to succeed, given Ivancie's strong political connections with local business interests, The OregonianThe Oregonian
The Oregonian is the major daily newspaper in Portland, Oregon, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 1850...
, and organized labor. They found an unlikely candidate in J. E. "Bud" Clark, a local tavern owner and former beatnik
Beatnik
Beatnik was a media stereotype of the 1950s and early 1960s that displayed the more superficial aspects of the Beat Generation literary movement of the 1950s and violent film images, along with a cartoonish depiction of the real-life people and the spiritual quest in Jack Kerouac's autobiographical...
. Clark announced his candidacy less than six months before the May 1984 election, but was widely dismissed as a "joke" candidate who had no chance to win the election. However, dissatisfaction among Portlanders was running high – the economy was in recession
Recession
In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction, a general slowdown in economic activity. During recessions, many macroeconomic indicators vary in a similar way...
and crime was on the rise.
In March 1984—two months prior to the election—Clark trailed Ivancie by 35 points in one poll. However, the Clark campaign put together a large number of volunteers who canvassed the city. After an early May poll by The Oregonian showed the race tied, the Ivancie campaign replied with negative advertisements questioning Clark's religious beliefs (Clark has claimed to be a "born again pagan"). The ads offended Portland voters, who elected Clark to be the next mayor on May 15, by a margin of 13 points.
Post-1984 political career
After the defeat, Ivancie briefly turned to national politics, heading up the Oregon branch of Democrats for Reagan; after Ronald ReaganRonald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
's re-election, Ivancie was named to the Federal Maritime Commission
Federal Maritime Commission
The United States Federal Maritime Commission is an independent federal agency, based in Washington D.C., responsible for the regulation of oceanborne transportation in the foreign commerce of the U.S.-Mission:The FMC:...
. After this, he retired from politics and moved to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. He stayed out of the Portland public eye until 2007, when then-mayor Tom Potter
Tom Potter
Tom Potter is the former Mayor of the city of Portland, Oregon in the United States. He was elected in 2004, and left office in January 2009. He was succeeded by City Commissioner Sam Adams. Prior to Potter's service as mayor, he was Portland's police chief....
proposed an amendment to the Portland city charter to convert the city from a commission
City commission government
City commission government is a form of municipal government which once was common in the United States, but many cities which were formerly governed by commission have since switched to the council-manager form of government...
form of government to a strong-mayor
Mayor-council government
The mayor–council government system, sometimes called the mayor–commission government system, is one of the two most common forms of local government for municipalities...
system. Ivancie, along with Bud Clark, lent support to those opposing the charter amendment; the proposal would go down to defeat.