Jim Francesconi
{{short description|American lawyer and politician|bot=PearBOT 5}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Jim Francesconi
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| office = Portland City Commissioner
| term_start = January 1, 1997
| term_end = December 31, 2004
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| predecessor = Mike Lindberg
| successor = Sam Adams
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1953}}
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| residence = Portland, Oregon
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Jim Francesconi (born 1953) is an American lawyer and politician who served on the Portland, Oregon City Council from 1997 until 2004. In 2004 he raised $1.3 million in his bid for mayor of Portland, more than doubling the previous fund-raising record for the position of $600,000, set by Earl Blumenauer in 1992.{{cite news |title=Francesconi Cash Hits Record |date=April 13, 2004 | work=The Oregonian|first1=Scott |last1=Learn |first2=Henry |last2=Stern }} Francesconi lost the election to Tom Potter, a former police chief who placed strict limits on contributions to his own campaign ($25 in the primary election, $100 in the general election),{{cite news |title=Finance Reports Tell More About May 18 Election |date=June 18, 2004 | work=The Oregonian |first=Scott |last=Learn }} and who ultimately spent less than a tenth of what Francesconi did on the campaign.
Career
Francesconi was elected city commissioner in 1996. In the primary election, he finished with 27.05% of the vote, advancing to the general election against Gail Shibley. He won in the general with 53% of the vote.{{cite web|url=https://multco.us/file/39777/download|title=November 5, 1996 General Election|publisher=County of Multnomah|accessdate=August 31, 2016|archive-date=September 24, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160924064112/https://multco.us/file/39777/download|url-status=live}} Francesconi was re-elected in 2000, unopposed.{{cite web|url=https://multco.us/file/39894/download|title=November 2000 General Election|publisher=County of Multnomah|accessdate=August 31, 2016|archive-date=September 24, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160924064013/https://multco.us/file/39894/download|url-status=live}} In 2004, he ran for mayor of Portland, raising an unprecedented $1 million for the primary election.{{cite news |title=Can Francesconi be the comeback kid? |url=http://portlandtribune.com/pt/9-news/216524-74877-can-francesconi-be-the-comeback-kid |work=Portland Tribune |date=April 10, 2014 |first=Steve |last=Law |access-date=April 29, 2017 |archive-date=July 14, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170714155855/http://portlandtribune.com/pt/9-news/216524-74877-can-francesconi-be-the-comeback-kid |url-status=dead }} He finished second in the primary election, and lost to Tom Potter in the general election, receiving 38% of votes to Potter's 61%.{{cite web|url=https://www.portlandoregon.gov/shared/cfm/image.cfm?id=63294|title=2004 November Election - Official Results|author=Blackmer, Gary|publisher=Portland City Auditor|date=November 23, 2004|accessdate=March 28, 2016|archive-date=April 8, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160408183426/https://www.portlandoregon.gov/shared/cfm/image.cfm?id=63294|url-status=live}}
In 2006, after leaving Portland City Council, Francesconi, who had previously served as Portland's commissioner of Portland Parks & Recreation, the city's parks department, joined the law firm Haglund, Kelley, Horngren & Jones.{{cite news |title=Francesconi Will Work at a Small Law Firm |date=December 30, 2004 | work=The Oregonian|first=Scott |last=Learn }} One of his clients in that position was Warner Pacific College, which he represented in its bid to purchase a nine-acre parcel of city property adjoining its campus.{{cite news |last= Moore |first= Scott |title= David vs. Goliath:The Battle for Mt. Tabor Heats Up |work= The Portland Mercury |url= http://www.portlandmercury.com/portland/Content?oid=84437&category=22101 |date= November 23, 2006 |accessdate= October 7, 2015 |archive-date= September 24, 2015 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150924080655/http://www.portlandmercury.com/portland/Content?oid=84437&category=22101 |url-status= live }} The parcel is adjoined to Mount Tabor Park, and serves as the maintenance facility for the city's parks system. The deal fell through when the local neighborhood association learned about the negotiations.
In 2014, Francesconi ran for Multnomah county chair.{{cite news |url=http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/steve_duin/index.ssf/2013/10/steve_duin_a_stroll_down_memor.html |title=Steve Duin: A stroll down memory lane with Jim Francesconi |author=Duin, Steve |publisher=The Oregonian |date=October 14, 2013 |accessdate=August 31, 2016 |archive-date=September 21, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160921030517/http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/steve_duin/index.ssf/2013/10/steve_duin_a_stroll_down_memor.html |url-status=live }} He lost to Deborah Kafoury in the primary election.{{cite web|url=https://multco.us/elections/may-2014-primary-election-results|title=May 2014 Primary Election Results|publisher=County of Multnomah|accessdate=August 31, 2016|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304051710/https://multco.us/elections/may-2014-primary-election-results|url-status=live}}