Notorious stripper running for mayor of woke Portland plans to combat exodus from city by building arts center

Homeless people and drug addicts have run most respectable businesses out of downtown Portland, Oregon, but a notorious stripper running for mayor claims she has the solution: bring in more artists.

Stripper Viva Las Vegas admits she has no governing experience but claims she will solve the city’s problems with overdoses and crime by delegating most of her mayoral tasks to others.

The woke city is in crisis, with Oregon issuing a 90-day emergency over the fentanyl crisis in downtown Portland in January.

Mayor Ted Wheeler noted there were 6,300 homeless people on the city’s streets in 2023 and there were 527 overdoses recorded in Portland last year, according to Spectrum News.

But Viva, who’s real name is Liv Osthus, revealed her grand plan, telling Williamette Week: “If downtown comes back, that can lift all boats. If we could start seeing downtown blooming again, if you put an art studio downtown, very soon you’d have a coffee shop. Very soon you’d have a lunch place.”

Real estate company Colliers gave “a grim near-term outlook” for Portland in a recent report, noting over 26% of the city’s office space was vacant and between 2020 and 2021, Multnomah County lost $1.08 billion in through people moving out, according to the same publication.

Osthus, an outspoken sex workers’ advocate, explained she feels the mayor should be a “figurehead”, and plans to dole out any responsibilities she doesn’t have the experience to take on.

“I have none,” she said of her managerial experience. “The team I’m pulling together will be the people who guide me on that.”

“Artists will bring energy back downtown. And as energy comes, there will be more hope,” Osthus added.

Osthus moved to Portland in 1997 to pursue a career in music and eventually started stripping, and says her skills make her a good listener.

“I have spent 27 years listening to people. The mayor [needs to be] somebody who listens and connects with people, and reminds Portland of its best parts,” Osthus explained.

Osthus is up against three other candidates who are all sitting city commissioners, but she said her focus on “creativity and community” make her a better choice for mayor — and legislation can be left to the city council. 

“I think it can fall to the City Council to do the legislation,” Orthus said, adding that she would not want to be a member of the City Council herself.

“I don’t want that job. I don’t want to legislate. To me, the office of mayor represents more of a stage, more of a pulpit. I don’t just want to talk about pragmatic stuff. Let’s have a little more hope. Let’s have a little more inspiration. And remember what is magical about Portland,” she said.

Local sources have suggested Osthus’ candidacy might take votes away from rival mayoral candidate Carmen Rubio, which would play into the hands of the third candidate, Mingus Maps, who is also Osthus’ political mentor. Osthus denied that’s why she’s running.

“I don’t think so. He’s a political science professor, and I think it’s exciting for him to see people from other walks of life enter public service,” Osthus said.

Addressing those who don’t want a stripper as mayor of their town, Osthus pointed to her long list of accomplishments off the pole — then invited people to come watch her strip at the Portland club where she is an on-stage regular.

“If the stripper thing is so damning, they could watch my TED Talk, or read the book, or watch the movie. Strippers are amazingly strong, graceful human beings inside and out. I would invite them into Mary’s to let me change their minds,” Osthus said.