Portland Mayoral candidate Carmen Rubio considers dropping out of race after being caught crashing into parked Tesla, fleeing scene

An embattled left-wing candidate in the Portland mayoral race was involved in a hit-and-run on September 13, damaging a parked vehicle before fleeing the scene. The crime was captured on video surveillance footage, which showed Carmen Rubio colliding with a parked 2022 Tesla when she pulled into the space next to it.

This comes after a recent report from the Oregonian revealed that Rubio, a current city commissioner, has had her driver's license suspended at least six times after accruing more than 150 parking tickets and traffic violations over the past two decades.

This latest hit-and-run incident has left Rubio feeling "humiliated," and now she is considering dropping out of the mayoral race.

"I can't tell you how humiliated I am and I'm really sorry," Rubio said in a phone call to the Oregonian. "I feel very embarrassed that during one of the worst weeks of my career, I was careless enough to be flustered and not paying as close attention as I should have been. Believe me, I feel worthless right now."

After colliding with the vehicle, Rubio got out to assess the damage before leaving the scene without leaving a note, according to video footage obtained by the Oregonian. The collision resulted in visible damage to both vehicles. Rubio, driving a 2017 Nissan, scraped the Tesla's bumper and wheel rim, which also left marks on the candidate's car.

"I would just rather drop out of my race, honestly," Rubio said, embarrassed by the situation. "Believe me, I will not be driving for the foreseeable future."

The Tesla's owner, a Clackamas County resident who identified herself as a liberal Democrat, was not well pleased with the incident. She slammed the elected official saying, "Who does something like that?" 

The victim told the paper that she immediately saw damage to her vehicle upon returning from an appointment. The owner checked her Tesla's "sentry mode" footage and saw Rubio hit her vehicle and then simply walk away. She left a note on the Nissan's windshield threatening legal action if the driver didn't follow up.

Within 45 minutes, Rubio called the owner and sent a follow-up text which read: "I thought I hit something when parking but couldn't tell. I can send you my car insurance info and am happy to talk."

The owner was able to identify the city commissioner as the suspect via caller ID. That's when she Googled the candidate and saw the "shocking" reports about Rubio's driving record. "How is something like that even possible? Let alone from an elected official?" she told the paper.

Carmen Rubio, who was the leading Democrat candidate to replace Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, has maintained that she did not see damage to the Tesla when she went to assess it, despite the footage.