A new political group formed this month to support putting fluoride in Portland’s drinking water, and there’s a familiar face running the campaign.

“Healthy Kids, Healthy Portland” filed paperwork with the state on Jan. 10 to support Measure 26-151, which will ask voters whether fluoride should be added to Portland’s water supply.

The campaign manager? That would be Evyn Mitchell, who until November served as campaign manager for Charlie Hales in his successful mayoral bid.

The pro-fluoride campaign also got its first contribution, $1,000, from the campaign of state Rep. Jules Bailey, D-Portland, the same day it formed.

On the other side of the debate is Clean Water Portland, which stopped the Portland City Council cold in its tracks last year and blocked a unanimous vote approving fluoride. Clean Water Portland gathered enough signatures to force the issue to the ballot, and the council decided to send it to voters May 21 for judgment.

Clean Water Portland is sitting on about $6,000 in the bank, although it has outstanding loans to repay.

Which is to say, opponents almost certainly will see any financial advantage disappear very quickly.

Considering who is running the pro-campaign (Hales’ former campaign manager), who helped advise proponents last year (Hales’ political consultant Mark Wiener) and who has already given money (Bailey, a respected Democrat), it seems a sure bet that advocates won’t have to beg too hard for money (to pay for so-sad TV commercials, like the ones that aired last year).

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