A stripper is running for Mayor of Portland, Oregon – one of America’s “wokest” cities. Liv Osthus, whose professional name is Viva Las Vegas, laid out her political proposals in an interview with a local reporter and said she wants to restructure the city’s government machine, and add more focus to the arts.
Osthus described reinvigorating downtown Portland and encouraging small businesses by introducing more cultural and art-based facilities. She said that if a new art studio were installed, this would have a knock-on effect as businesses could thrive catering to visitors. “Very soon you’d have a coffee shop… very soon you’d have a lunch place,” she said.
According to local officials, Portland’s downtown is in crisis, and real estate firm Colliers said in 2023 that more than a quarter of available office space sat empty. Furthermore, people and businesses were leaving the city in droves.
Jamison Shields and David Kotansky said in a Colliers report that the outlook for Portland was “grim” as a high tax burden and high crime caused companies to “look outside of the city.” Some remaining firms have downsized, and between 2020 and 2021, the surrounding county lost $1.08 billion in aggregate adjusted gross income.
Nevertheless, Viva Las Vegas thinks she can turn things around, introduce art to downtown Portland, and restore hope. She admits she has no political experience but says she will gather a solid team around her. The 49-year-old stripper faces competition from sitting city commissioners, and local analysts say she could take votes from Commissioner Carmen Rubio, who is competing against Mingus Maps – a mentor to Ms. Osthus. However, she vehemently denies this is her reason for entering the contest.
When asked how she would respond to those who do not want a stripper as their Mayor, Osthus said people should listen to her TED talk or read what she writes. “Strippers are amazingly strong, graceful human beings,” she added.
When asked how she would respond to those who do not want a stripper as their Mayor, Osthus said people should listen to her TED talk, or read what she writes. “Strippers are amazingly strong, graceful human beings,” she added.
