In 2008, Fritz became the first non-incumbent to successfully run under Portland's public financing system.
She took the most votes in the May primary election (43%) in a field of six candidates, and faced second-place finisher Charles Lewis (13%) in a November runoff election.
Fritz and Lewis were among the candidates who each qualified for $150,000 in public financing by collecting over 1,000 five-dollar contributions, and pledging to accept no other campaign contributions.
Each received an additional $200,000 for the runoff election.
Fritz defeated Lewis with 70% of the vote in the runoff.
Fritz was also the first candidate to qualify for public funds under the program, in her first race, when she challenged incumbent Dan Saltzman in the 2006 election.
In the 2008 race, her decisive victory in the primary enabled her to reach out to new classes of constituents; she was noted for expanding her appeal from neighborhood activists to the business community, and placing a strong emphasis on fiscal responsibility.

She has been an advocate of the system since that first race, and wrote in support of it after winning the 2008 election.
Voters overturned it via referendum in 2010.
Fritz credits the Public Campaign Finance system for allowing her the independence that led to saving Portland ratepayers $500 million by changing policy choices in the Portland Water Bureau in 2009.

In June 2013, a shuffling of bureaus among the commissioners by new Mayor Charlie Hales saw Fritz assigned the Parks Bureau and the Bureau of Development Services, in place of her previous assignments.

Fritz won re-election in 2016.
In 2008, Fritz became the first non-incumbent to successfully run under Portland's public financing system. She took the most votes in the May primary election (43%) in a field of six candidates, and faced second-place finisher Charles Lewis (13%) in a November runoff election. Fritz and Lewis were among the candidates who each qualified for $150,000 in public financing by collecting over 1,000 five-dollar contributions, and pledging to accept no other campaign contributions. Each received an additional $200,000 for the runoff election. Fritz defeated Lewis with 70% of the vote in the runoff. Fritz was also the first candidate to qualify for public funds under the program, in her first race, when she challenged incumbent Dan Saltzman in the 2006 election. In the 2008 race, her decisive victory in the primary enabled her to reach out to new classes of constituents; she was noted for expanding her appeal from neighborhood activists to the business community, and placing a strong emphasis on fiscal responsibility.
She has been an advocate of the system since that first race, and wrote in support of it after winning the 2008 election. Voters overturned it via referendum in 2010. Fritz credits the Public Campaign Finance system for allowing her the independence that led to saving Portland ratepayers $500 million by changing policy choices in the Portland Water Bureau in 2009.
In June 2013, a shuffling of bureaus among the commissioners by new Mayor Charlie Hales saw Fritz assigned the Parks Bureau and the Bureau of Development Services, in place of her previous assignments.
Fritz won re-election in 2016.
Amanda Fritz