A Portland mayoral candidate has come under fire after it emerged she has had her drivers’ license suspended six times over a litany of traffic offenses and missed court dates.
Carmen Rubio was forced to defend her atrocious driving record further after it emerged she recently hit a parked Tesla and walked away without leaving a note.
The incident forms part of a long line of traffic offences over the last 20 years, including 150 tickets and citations, Oregon Live reports.
The progressive candidate has also had her unpaid fines to debt collectors on at least 100 occasions.
Her record was exposed amid anger over an incident at a Portland parking lot last week in which Rubio dinged a 2022 Tesla before appearing to survey the damage and walking away.
Surveillance video from the Tesla obtained by Oregon Live shows Rubio’s 2017 Nissan Murano pulling up next to the other vehicle.
Its owners say Rubio scraped their car, causing damage to its bumper and wheel rim.
The clip shows the mayoral hopeful exiting her vehicle after parking and appearing to glance back at the Tesla before continuing on her way.
She told the outlet that she did not think she had caused any damage after examining the car.
‘I felt my car bump or lift slightly. Concerned, I checked for damage to the neighboring car, a Tesla. Seeing none, I went to my appointment,’ Rubio said.
But in a recorded conversation with the Tesla’s owners, Rubio blamed her actions on stress due to the election.
‘I can’t tell you how humiliated I am and I’m really sorry,’ she said. ‘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.
‘I would just rather drop out of my race, honestly. Believe me, I will not be driving for the foreseeable future.’
Initially she offered to cover the expenses out of her own pocket before deciding that ‘as a public figure’ it was better to go through official channels.
In a statement Wednesday, Rubio said she was concerned about ‘being exploited because of the public nature’ of her role.
She has since apologized publicly, saying she is ‘human’ and ‘makes mistakes too’.
Her conduct prompted a local green transport lobby group to rescind its endorsement of her.
The Street Trust Action Fund initially stuck by Rubio when her driving record became public.
But following the Tesla incident, the group wrote on Instagram it had chosen to withdraw support because Rubio’s actions, ‘fly in the face’ of their values.
In a video posted to her campaign page Rubio again acknowledged making mistakes.
‘There are two things I live by, taking accountability and working very hard for our community,’ Rubio said.
While other mayoral candidates also have multiple traffic citations, Rubio’s far exceeds anyone else’s, according to Oregon Live.
