All candidates meeting the qualifications competed in a blanket primary election on Tuesday, May 19, 2020.

[55] Iannarone, who had finished third in the 2016 mayoral election, was campaigning on a progressive platform emphasizing urbanism and taking a stronger stand against police violence.

These events led supporters of third-place candidate Teressa Raiford to begin mounting a write-in campaign on her behalf, arguing that she more authentically represented the energy of the street protests.

[57] Wheeler won the election, becoming Portland's first mayor to win a second consecutive term since Vera Katz left office in 2005.

Ultimately, almost 48,000 write-in votes were cast in the election, far exceeding Wheeler's approximately 20,000-vote margin of victory.