Oregon Public Broadcasting

Some Oregon businesses are hoping for an election night bump. As April Baer reports, all those party activists have to sleep somewhere.

Election night isn’t as bankable as, say, New Year’s Eve for hoteliers. But some spots close to big election night events are leaving the light on for campaign staffers and activists.

Portland’s Heathman Hotel is running an election night special. It features a night in the Presidential Suite, a spread for six, custom elephant or donkey décor, and of course, enough aspirin and Tums to get anyone through the night.

Most of the state’s Democrats will work election night at the Oregon Convention Center. So far, bookings at nearby hotels look average, or slightly higher than usual. Republicans will cluster at the Benson.

The real beneficiaries may be people serving food to politicos.

John Pappas at Hot Lips Pizza in Portland says election night is huge.

John Pappas: “The debates, we saw a jump in our sales, some stores by thirty or more percent, so we are expecting it to be a very, very busy night for us.”

Pappas expects to move around a hundred pizzas per store on election night. His advice? Pre-order.