Incumbent mayor Vera Katz was re-elected to a third term.

Portland uses a nonpartisan system for local elections, in which all voters are eligible to participate.

All candidates meeting the qualifications competed in a blanket primary election on May 16, 2000.

Because Katz received a majority of the vote in the primary, no runoff election in November was necessary.

Katz defeated Jake Oken-Berg, a 19-year-old student and political unknown who received a surprising 27% of the vote and almost forced a runoff, as well as 15 other candidates, who, combined, received approximately 18% of the vote.