Portland election to overhaul government with new City Council structure

Karah Rucker

PORTLAND IS GEARING UP FOR A DRAMATIC TRANSFORMATION THIS NOVEMBER AS VOTERS PREPARE TO OVERHAUL THE CITY’S GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE.

AFTER ENDURING FOUR TUMULTUOUS YEARS MARKED BY MORE THAN 100 DAYS OF PROTESTS, A FENTANYL AND HOMELESSNESS CRISIS, AND THE DECRIMINALIZATION OF ALL DRUGS –

ROSE CITY IS LOOKING FOR A RESET.

IN 2020, AN OVERWHELMING 74% OF MULTNOMAH COUNTY RESIDENTS SUPPORTED “MEASURE 110” – 

WHICH DECRIMINALIZED ALL DRUGS. 

HOWEVER, THE AFTERMATH OF THIS POLICY—COUPLED WITH EXISTING FINANCIAL CHALLENGES—

HAS INTENSIFIED ISSUES LIKE RISING DRUG USE AND HOMELESSNESS.

CITY COUNCIL MEMBER AND MAYORAL CANDIDATE CARMEN RUBIO DESCRIBED THE SITUATION AS “A PERFECT STORM.”

SHE’S ONE LOCAL POLITICIAN RUNNING FOR OFFICE – OUT OF MANY.

PORTLAND IS FACING A POLITICAL FREE-FOR-ALL. 

IT WILL TRANSITION FROM FOUR AT-LARGE CITY COUNCIL SEATS TO TWELVE DISTRICT SEATS. 

19 CANDIDATES ARE VYING FOR THE MAYORAL POSITION WHILE 98 ARE COMPETING FOR SEATS ON THE CITY COUNCIL. 

MOST CANDIDATES LEAN TO THE LEFT.

AND RANGE FROM BLACK LIVES MATTER ACTIVISTS TO NONPROFIT LEADERS, BUSINESS OWNERS, AND POLICE OFFICERS.

WITH AN EXODUS OF THE OLD GOVERNMENT ALSO COMES AN EXODUS IN THE CITY.

NEARLY 12,000 RESIDENTS LEAVING MULTNOMAH COUNTY BETWEEN 2020 AND 2023. DOWNTOWN PORTLAND, ONCE VIBRANT, IS NOW STRUGGLING ECONOMICALLY. 

RETIRING LONG-TIME DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMAN EARL BLUMENAUER LAMENTED THAT SOME AREAS LOOK “LIKE DRESDEN IN WORLD WAR II.”

SAYING “I’ve spent 54 years trying to make Portland the most livable city in the country or in the world. No one’s going to describe it like that now.”

RESIDENTS BIGGEST CONCERNS?

CRIME, DRUGS, HOMELESSNESS, AND ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION.

THE LOCAL ELECTIONS HAPPENING IN PORTLAND WILL DETERMINE WHICH ISSUES THE CITY PRIORITIZES IN ITS EFFORTS TO REVITALIZE.

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