PORTLAND, Ore. -- Commissioner Sam Adams easily won the Portland mayoral race, making Portland the largest city in the U.S. to ever elect an openly gay mayor.

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Adams avoided a November runoff by winning 58 percent of the vote with more than 80 percent of the ballots counted Tuesday night. Businessman Sho Dozono had 34 percent and almost a dozen minor candidates split the rest.

"I'm running not to be a gay mayor, but a great mayor," Adams said after delivering his victory speech. "But I'm very cognizant, very aware that I'm the first openly gay mayor of a major American city. That's a real honor."

If Adams received less than 50 percent of the vote, he would've had to face off against Dozono in a general election in November.

Adams has been the commissioner of public utilities and has run Portland's Office of Transportation and Bureau of Environmental Services.

He said Tuesday that he plans to make the city cleaner, greener, more equal and better educated.

"As mayor I will work hard with all of you, and believe me you're going to be working hard as well, to unite behind not only a common vision but to unite behind common actions that will move this city forward," Adams said.

Adams also thanked Representative Peter Defazio and former mayor Vera Katz with whom he began his political career.

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