Sho Dozono

Personal life and career

Sho Dozono is Japanese American. He was born in Japan, and his family moved to Portland when he was 10. He attended Cleveland High School and received a B.A. in education and history from the University of Washington. After a three-year period with the U.S. Army, Dozono went on to earn a master's degree in education from Portland State University and taught social studies for five years at Grant High School. In 1976, Dozono joined his father-in-law's business, Azumano Travel. He became president in 1981 and owner in 1987. Azumano has 215 agents in three states and holds several large corporate and government travel contracts. Dozono and his wife Loen have five children.

Community service

Dozono has a long history of participating in community and business activities in Portland and serving on organizational boards. Similar "Flight of Friendship" trips were organized to Thailand following the 2004 tsunami and to New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.{{cite news |url=http://www.katu.com/news/6926197.html |title=Mercy Corps still helping Katrina victims

Mayoral election race

Dozono has not previously held public office, and was recruited by Portland business and civic leaders to run for mayor. Incumbent mayor Tom Potter endorsed Dozono's candidacy, as did the Multnomah County Republican Party. Throughout the campaign, Dozono primarily emphasized his experience as a businessman, and ran on a platform of general fiscal responsibility. The Oregonian described him as progressive on social issues such as gay rights, public safety, race and class. Multiple news sources criticized Dozono for failing to speak on detailed policy issues in his campaign.

More than a dozen candidates ran in the Portland race, but news outlets called Dozono the only candidate to provide a serious challenge to front-runner Sam Adams. An automated telephone poll of approximately 600 Portland residents in early April suggested that Dozono was within a percentage point of Adams in supporters. In the official results of the vote, Dozono garnered the second most votes of any candidate, around 34%, while Adams won with over 50%. Winning over 50% ensures that no run off vote is required in November to confirm the result. According to Dozono's campaign manager, it is not expected that he will run for office again.

Campaign financing

Following a lawsuit, a judge reversed the Portland City Auditor's decision to award Dozono public financing, and found Dozono in violation of the city's campaign finance law. At issue was a poll testing Dozono's electability, which a lobbyist had conducted on Dozono's behalf in December 2007, the month before he officially announced his candidacy. Dozono was subsequently denied $161,171 in public funds as a result of the judge's ruling. Dozono continued in the race despite the lack of public financing, and stated that he would cap individual contributions to his campaign at $500, similar to a limit set by Adams.

Financial history

Although fiscal responsibility was a central theme of Dozono's campaign, a March 2008 story by The Oregonian noted issues that had been raised about Dozono's business dealings during his 20-year career. The report stated that Dozono had occasionally mixed friendship with business, by accepting loans from personal connections for his travel agency, and raised ethical questions about Dozono's involvement in several business dealings, one of which resulted in a lawsuit and an $800,000 settlement. These questions had previously been raised in an investigative report by Nigel Jaquiss in the Willamette Week six years earlier, which also alleged that Dozono had borrowed $1.25 million against the trust fund of his best friend's son Yuri Ohno, to companies he controlled, an amount that was subsequently repaid with interest.

In April, it became public that Dozono owed the City of Portland more than $18,000 in back rent on a downtown restaurant which he owns. Several sources cited the incident as a contradiction to his claim to fiscal responsibility. In a press conference on the first of May, Dozono displayed checks intended to pay the amount owed and stated that the withheld rent was an intentional act meant to be used as leverage in negotiations with the city over nearby construction and lack of parking. The amount was later paid in full.

References

References

1. "Candidate Filings for May 2008 Municipal Primary Election". City of Portland Auditor's Office.
2. [http://www.co.multnomah.or.us/dbcs/elections/2008-05/results.shtml May 20, 2008 Primary Election Results] co.multnomah.or.us
3. Griffin, Anna. (April 13, 2008). "Schools need help, mayor hopefuls say, differ on how". [[The Oregonian]].
4. Griffin, Anna. (March 28, 2008). "Portland mayor's race: Money woes linger from Dozono's past". [[The Oregonian]].
5. Gail Kinsey Hill. (September 9, 2002). "Effects of Attack on Northwest's Economy Were Muted.". [[The Oregonian]].
6. "US Travel Agents Impressed with Phuket and Krabi".
7. (March 6, 2008). "Tom Potter endorses Sho Dozono in mayoral race". [[KATU]] News.
8. (May 2018). ["MCRC Portland Mayor Endorsement"](http://www.blueoregon.com/files/repubsmay08.pdf }}{{dead link). Multnomah County Republican Party.
9. Griffin, Anna. (March 25, 2008). "Sho Dozono will remain in contest for Portland mayor". [[The Oregonian]].
10. Griffin, Anna. (April 24, 2008). "The policy wonk vs. the businessman". [[The Oregonian]].
11. Editorial Staff. (April 30, 2008). "Portland Mayor". Willamette Week.
12. Mapes, Jeff. (May 5, 2008). "Eugene mayoral candidates mince no words". The Oregonian.
13. (April 2, 2008). "Editorial". [[Willamette Week]].
14. Dunn, Steve. (April 10, 2008). "Exclusive KATU poll shows close mayoral race". KATU.
15. Griffin, Anna. (April 10, 2008). "Poll shows Adams and Dozono close in Portland mayor's race". The Oregonian.
16. (May 21, 2008). "Adams wins mayoral race". The Portland Business Journal.
17. "Final Order in the Matter of the Public Financing of Sho Dozono". Office of Administrative Hearings, State of Oregon.
18. Pein, Cory. (March 24, 2008). "Dozono's In: Mayoral Race Still On". [[Willamette Week]].
19. Dworkin, Andy. (May 1, 2008). "Portland mayoral candidate says restaurant ready to pay city tab". The Oregonian.
20. Neves, Randy. (April 29, 2008). "Mayoral candidate Dozono says owed back rent a 'business move'". [[KGW]].
21. Dworkin, Andy. (May 6, 2008). "Dozono's restaurant fully pays debts to city". The Oregonian.