Candidate recommendations and ranked choice voting info.
This is your Portland Voter Guide.

This voter guide is a service to voters brought to you by trusted organizations.

See the top donors to the Portland Voter Guide PAC.

Mayor of Portland

Rank #1

Carmen Rubio

An experienced and community-centered leader, Carmen has a proven history of collaborating to deliver results for Portland. She has taken decisive action to tackle Portland’s biggest challenges, from addressing housing and homelessness to improving community safety to supporting small businesses. Carmen will be a mayor that fights for all of Portland. That’s why Carmen’s our number one pick for Mayor.

Learn more about Carmen
Rank #1

Carmen Rubio

As a city commissioner, she has worked to expand the Portland Street Response, fought for more resources to take on our housing crisis, and delivered millions in funding to address gun violence. She also established the city’s first Office of Small Business, cutting red tape for local businesses so they can thrive. 

As the leader of a community based organization, she successfully grew a small nonprofit serving the Latinx community into a 200+ person organization working on the front lines to serve families across the region, including providing early childhood education, youth empowerment and violence prevention programs, and school and community-based services. Carmen is the principled, forward-looking leader that Portland needs to tackle our toughest challenges. She will be ready, on day one, to make local government work for all of Portland. 

We support Carmen because she’s the only candidate we can trust to:

  • Ensure our city government runs effectively and efficiently, and that all Portlanders have a voice in City Hall.
  • Invest in services, like the Portland Street Response, to help people who are homeless find permanent housing.
  • Expand options for drug treatment and mental health services.
  • Be accountable, accessible, and transparent.

See the top donors to the Portland Voter Guide PAC.

These organizations proudly support Carmen:

Keith Wilson

Keith Wilson has a background as a business and non-profit leader. He says his top priority, if elected, would be to end unsheltered homelessness within one year.

Durrell Kinsey Bey

Durrell Kinsey Bey moved to Portland in 2021. He is a youth coordinator for the David Douglas School District and is committed to uplifting families and advocating for young people.

Mingus Mapps

Mingus Mapps currently serves on the Portland City Council. He has voted to increase the police budget and has said one of his priorities as Mayor would be to sustain the Portland Street Response and expand mental health and addiction services.

Liv (Viva) Østhus

Liv Østhus is running for Mayor to help restore the small business and artistic roots of Portland.

Not Recommending

Rene Gonzalez

From cozying up to the far right to wasting taxpayer dollars, Rene Gonzalez represents everything that’s broken about Portland politics. That’s why we recommend NOT ranking him on your ballot.

Why Not to Rank Rene
Not Recommending

Rene Gonzalez

Ranking a candidate you don’t like or who doesn’t represent your values could ultimately end up putting them in office – even if you rank them last. That’s why we don’t recommend ranking Rene Gonzalez anywhere on your ballot.

Rene Gonzalez represents everything that is dysfunctional in City Hall.

We recommend you don’t rank Gonzalez because:

  • He has tried to cut funding for Portland Street Response, a critical program that helps people experiencing homelessness and mental health crises get the help they need.
  • As the city faced long 911 wait times, Rene Gonzalez falsely accused a Black woman of assaulting him on a MAX train. Portland police found “there wasn’t evidence of a crime.” 
  • Instead of investing in our communities, Gonzalez is wasting our tax dollars on himself. Most recently, The Oregonian reported that he spent thousands of dollars on an out-of-state consultant to help edit his Wikipedia page. 
  • Gonzalez has a history of engaging with the far-right. After winning his City Council seat in 2022, Gonzalez tweeted out a thank you to campaign supporters, including Quincy Franklin, an apparent member of Patriot Prayer, a MAGA hate group that has repeatedly incited violence in Portland. Just this summer, he also showed support online for Andy Ngo, a far-right provocateur.  

Learn more about why Gonzalez is wrong for Portland →

Find Your City Council District 

Portland City Council

This District 1 voter guide is a service to voters brought to you by trusted organizations:

See the top donors to the Portland Voter Guide PAC.

Our Picks
Our Pick

Candace Avalos

Our Pick

Steph Routh

Our Pick

Timur Ender

Our Pick

Jamie Dunphy

Candace Avalos, Steph Routh, Timur Ender, and Jamie Dunphy are the candidates we trust to invest in our communities. As ​​long-time Portland residents with extensive experience, they would bring a new perspective to government and are the right candidates to make City Council effective, efficient, accountable and representative of East Portlanders. From supporting East Portland small businesses, to expanding options for drug treatment, to helping people who are homeless find permanent housing, we believe they are the right leaders to help get our city back on track.

Remember: You’re electing three city council members to represent you!

Learn more about the candidates
Our Pick

Candace Avalos

Candace is an experienced community advocate and organizer, and is the collaborative and principled leader we need to build a city government that actually works for us. Through her experience in local government, running an environmental justice organization based in the Cully neighborhood, and as a champion for government accountability, she is the leader East Portland needs.

We support Candace because:

  • Candace will ensure City Council answers to the people of East Portland and is representative of all our communities.
  • Candace will prioritize policies that support small businesses and more economic opportunities. 
  • Candace will ensure that people can stay in their homes, expand access to shelters for those who need them, and find more pathways to permanent housing.
Our Pick

Steph Routh

Born and raised in East Portland’s Parkrose neighborhood, Steph became involved in politics when she organized against an anti-LGBTQ ballot measure in high school. She is running for Portland City Council to turn good ideas into action. 

We support Steph because:

  • Steph will invest in community safety, including the Portland Street Response, a program that assists people who are homeless or having mental health crises.
  • Steph is a bridge builder who will work to ensure corporations and the wealthy are paying their fair share for services.
  • Steph will make City Hall more accountable and transparent for all Portlanders.
Our Pick

Timur Ender

Timur’s parents were Turkish immigrants who showed him the importance of community involvement. He has experience getting things done for our community, including delivering major transportation infrastructure investments for East Portland. 

We support Timur because:

  • Timur will fight for policies that prioritize permanent housing while addressing the root causes of homelessness.
  • Timur will work to secure more resources for East Portland’s roads and sidewalks.
  • Timur will be a champion for Portlanders, making government work more efficiently for the people it represents.
Our Pick

Jamie Dunphy

Jamie has worked in the David Douglas School District with a focus on gang violence prevention to help our young people and keep our communities safe. He and his wife also co-owned a small business together. As someone with deep roots in our community, Jamie Dunphy knows how to get real results for East Portland in City Hall.

We support Jamie because:

  • Jamie will prioritize expanding options for drug treatment.
  • Jamie has worked as a liaison for Portland small businesses and will push for policies that help local businesses compete and thrive.
  • Jamie will invest your tax dollars wisely, while always demanding accountability and transparency from city government and agencies.
See who else is running

Who else is running?

Other Candidates to Rank

This District 2 voter guide is a service to voters brought to you by trusted organizations:

See the top donors to the Portland Voter Guide PAC.

Our Picks
Our Pick

Michelle DePass

Our Pick

Sameer Kanal

Our Pick

Tiffani Penson

Our Pick

Nat West

Michelle DePass, Sameer Kanal, Tiffani Penson, and Nat West are principled leaders with experience to make local government work for us. They are rooted in our community and are ready to take on our toughest challenges. On City Council, they will work together to help build a city that’s accountable to and representative of the people of North and Northeast Portland.

Remember: You’re electing three city council members to represent you!

Learn more about the candidates
Our Pick

Michelle DePass

Born and raised in Portland, Michelle has dedicated her career to giving back to her community and creating opportunities for all Portlanders. She was the first person of color to serve as Portland Public School Board chair, and has spent a decade working to improve city government. 

We support Michelle because:

  • Michelle is a housing advocate who will work to find safe and affordable permanent housing options for all who need it.
  • Michelle is committed to supporting small, local businesses and has worked in local government to advocate for their needs.
  • Michelle will champion City policies to support climate justice while centering frontline communities.
Our Pick

Sameer Kanal

Sameer Kanal was born and raised in the Overlook Neighborhood and has dedicated his career to public service. Most recently, he worked as the project manager for the Police Accountability Commission for the City of Portland to improve community safety for all of us. Sameer is committed to building a city government that is shaped by and responsive to the needs of Portlanders. 

We support Sameer because:

  • Sameer is a public safety professional committed to hiring more Portland Street Response workers to assist people who are having mental health crises and expanding options for drug treatment.
  • Sameer is a principled leader who can help make local government efficient and accountable to all Portlanders 
  • Sameer is a progressive who will ensure corporations and the wealthy are paying their fair share for services.
Our Pick

Tiffani Penson

Tiffani serves on the Portland Community College Board where she helped open the new 42nd Avenue Opportunity Center. Raised in Northeast Portland and the child of a small business owner, she is running for City Council to make our city safe and create more opportunities for all Portlanders. 

We support Tiffani because:

  • Tiffani has deep community roots and will make sure that city policies and programs advance broader racial justice goals.
  • Tiffani will keep our city safe, cut through red tape to get the city cleaned up, and fix our 9-1-1 system.
  • Tiffani has experience building a workforce pipeline so that everyone can make a livable wage, earn good benefits, and work under safe conditions.
Our Pick

Nat West

The founder of Reverend Nat’s Cider, Nat West knows that Portland is at its best when our local businesses, neighborhoods, and families thrive. His philosophy as a business owner is the same approach he’ll bring to City Council: “Never ask an employee to do something that I wasn’t willing to do myself.”

We support Nat because:

  • Nat is a longtime small business owner who will hold the Office of Small Business accountable to provide services that drive local economic growth and help small businesses.
  • Nat will invest in affordable housing, particularly for Black and brown Portlanders who have been historically disenfranchised. 
  • Nat knows firsthand how frustrating it is when the city government doesn’t function. Nat will work to make City Hall run more efficiently and serve the needs of the people.
See who else is running

Who else is running?

Other Candidates to Rank
Not Recommending

This District 3 voter guide is a service to voters brought to you by trusted organizations:

See the top donors to the Portland Voter Guide PAC.

Our Picks
Our Pick

Tiffany Koyama Lane

Our Pick

Angelita Morillo

Our Pick

Steve Novick

Inner Southeast Portland deserves collaborative leaders who will make our city government run efficiently and effectively. Angelita Morillo, Tiffany Koyama Lane, and Steve Novick will invest in services that help people experiencing homelessness find permanent housing, including the Portland Street Response, and ensure our neighborhoods have a real voice in City Hall.

Remember: You’re electing three city council members to represent you!

Learn more about the candidates
Our Pick

Tiffany Koyama Lane

A fourth-generation Japanese American and a proud public school teacher, Tiffany will work to make our community safer, invest in our neighborhoods, and create a city where everyone can thrive. She has a record of serving our community to make Portland accessible for everyone, including serving on the Teacher Advisory Council at the Portland Art Museum and Japanese American Museum of Oregon. 

We support Tiffany because:

  • Tiffany will support small and local businesses, recognizing they are a backbone of our economy and Southeast Portland’s culture.
  • Tiffany will address the mental health and addiction crises head on, expanding access to treatment for those who need it.
  • Tiffany will work to get unsheltered people into stable homes, keep people from losing their homes, and create new housing to help ease the shortage of affordable units.
Our Pick

Angelita Morillo

Angelita has worked as an advocate with Partners for a Hunger Free Oregon, helping those most in need in our community. She is a principled activist running to make City Council work for the people, prioritizing transparency and data-driven solutions.

We support Angelita because:

  • Angelita knows firsthand how it feels to be houseless, and as a housing advocate she has a plan to confront the homelessness crisis with compassion and much-needed solutions to help people find stable and permanent housing.
  • Angelita will fully fund Portland Street Response, expanding their operations citywide, 24 hours a day, so people who need help can get it.
  • Angelita will work to streamline City, County, and Metro governments, by creating one Sanitation Bureau tasked with cleaning up the city, streamlining trash cleanup and graffiti removal.
Our Pick

Steve Novick

An environmental lawyer and former Portland City Commissioner, Steve successfully sued big polluters for violations of the Clean Air and Water Act. He has the experience in local government we need to get Portland back on track. 

We support Steve because:

  • Steve is a champion for alternatives to driving so that people have safe options to walk, bike, and take transit.
  • During his time on City Council, Steve fought to make sure the wealthy pay their fair share in taxes.
  • Steve is committed to ensuring City policies and programs support climate justice.
See who else is running

Who else is running?

Other Candidates to Rank

This District 4 voter guide is a service to voters brought to you by trusted organizations:

See the top donors to the Portland Voter Guide PAC.

Our Picks
Our Pick

Mitch Green

Our Pick

Lisa Freeman

Our Pick

Chad Lykins

Voters from Sellwood to Forest Park and across every neighborhood on the west side of Portland should support Mitch Green, Chad Lykins, and Lisa Freeman for City Council. They’re the leaders who will support our small, local businesses and expand access to drug treatment and mental health services for those who need it.

Remember: You’re electing three city council members to represent you!

Learn more about the candidates
Our Pick

Mitch Green

A veteran, professor, and union member, Mitch Green is committed to public service. From solving our housing crisis to making our communities safer, he has the vision to solve our most complex problems and build the best version of Portland. 

We support Mitch because:

  • Mitch will use his expertise as an economist to craft policy that effectively supports small, local businesses.
  • As someone who comes from a union family and is a union member himself, Mitch has the support of frontline workers and will prioritize better wages and benefits for Portlanders.
  • Mitch will work to make Portland more livable by fighting to expand Portland Street Response to a 24-hour service that helps people experiencing mental health emergencies.
Our Pick

Lisa Freeman

Lisa Freeman has worked in over a dozen countries to aid transitions to new forms of government, making her uniquely qualified in this moment to help facilitate a new Portland City Council. She has worked to address the city’s highest priorities and is a leader we can trust.

We support Lisa because:

  • Lisa has the professional experience necessary to ensure that local government is effective, efficient, accountable and representative of all Portlanders.
  • Lisa is committed to investing in services to help people who are homeless find permanent housing.
  • Lisa will invest in walkable and bikeable neighborhoods with reliable transit options.
Our Pick

Chad Lykins

Chad Lykins’s lived experience helps him understands the daily struggles of people across Portland. That’s why he’s dedicated to supporting those who need help the most. Chad founded a Southwest Portland organization which provides after-school clubs and summer camps to students. He knows the best way to get things done is through collaboration and evidence-based solutions.

We support Chad because:

  • Chad will work to open more options for addiction treatment, detox and sobering centers, and overdose prevention sites.
  • Chad is a principled leader who will implement evidence-based solutions to getting vulnerable Portlanders off the streets, such as improved zoning, converting vacant office buildings to residential buildings, and increasing availability of temporary shelter beds.
  • He will work to improve quality of life and reduce the carbon impact of transportation by making it safer to walk, bike, and take public transit.
See who else is running

Who else is running?

Other Candidates to Rank

Find Your Multnomah County District

Multnomah County Commission

Our Pick

Meghan Moyer

Meghan Moyer is running for Multnomah County Commissioner to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to succeed. As a public policy specialist and a small business owner, Meghan has the experience to tackle Multnomah County’s toughest issues. As a long-time Portlander, she will promote policies and solutions that make local government more efficient, effective, and accountable for all.

Our Pick

Meghan Moyer

Meghan is an experienced and pragmatic leader who has spent her career working to better the lives of students, front line workers, and so many more. As County Commissioner, she will work to improve mental health and addiction services, invest to increase access to affordable child care, and focus on policies that effectively move people off the streets and into housing.

We support Meghan because she’s the only candidate we trust to:

  • Work collaboratively to make local government efficient and effective, and hold the county government accountable to the people.
  • Expand access to drug treatment and mental health services.
  • Invest in affordable housing and other proven solutions to help people experiencing homelessness find and maintain permanent housing.

Meghan’s Endorsements

See the top donors to the Portland Voter Guide PAC.

Not Recommending

Vadim Mozyrsky

Vadim Mozyrsky is an administrative law judge. His supporters have included out-of-state real estate developers and the Portland Police Association

Not Recommending

Vadim Mozyrsky

Mozyrsky would be more of the same leadership that has failed our county in the past. Just as concerning, people who have served on boards with Morzyrsky “describe his behavior at times as bullying.” We need a leader at the County who can work with anyone to get things done and that’s NOT Mozyrsky.

We oppose Mozyrsky because:

  • He is backed by out-of-state real estate developers and the Portland Police Association. He also loaned $30,000 to himself in the May election.
  • He opposed Portland Charter Reform and represents more of the same failed leadership that has gotten us to where we are. 

Meghan’s Endorsements

Our Pick

Shannon Singleton

Shannon Singleton is a trained clinical social worker who has spent her career working on the front lines advocating for those most in need in our community. Through her career in public service, Shannon knows the strengths and gaps in our county government. Her experience means she’ll be ready on day one to get to work. As County Commissioner, she will focus on addressing homelessness, expanding access to affordable housing, and ensuring our community is safe and thriving.

Our Pick

Shannon Singleton

Shannon has a strong record of getting results for the people she represents. In her previous role, she helped thousands of people move into housing, launched a behavioral health outreach team, and secured millions of dollars of investments for communities of color. She is running for County Commissioner to build a community that meets everyone’s basic needs, treats them with the dignity and respect they deserve, and chooses equity and justice over fear and division.

We support Shannon because she’s the only candidate we trust to:

  • Improve services for people experiencing homelessness and expand access to safe and affordable housing for those most in need. 
  • Expand options for mental health and addiction services in the County.
  • Ensure that community safety and the justice system are equitable and lead to safer communities for everyone.
  • Hold local government accountable and ensure it works for the people it represents.

Shannon’s Endorsements

See the top donors to the Portland Voter Guide PAC.

Not Recommending

Sam Adams

Sam Adams is a former Mayor of Portland, running for Multnomah County Commissioner. He most recently worked for Mayor Ted Wheeler, who said he fired Adams after women who work for the City alleged Adams bullied them, including belittling and interrupting them. According to the Oregonian, Adams’ workplace conduct “left several female employees in tears, humiliated and even fearful they might lose their jobs…”

Not Recommending

Sam Adams

Sam Adams represents the failed leadership of the past. Now is not the time to take our city backwards. 

We oppose Adams because…

  • Whether it was his time as Mayor of Portland or his time working for the Mayor of Portland, he has shown too many lapses in judgment to lead effectively.
  • Former co-workers describe his “leadership style as fueled by intimidation and a ‘steamroller’-like attitude…” We need collaborators and problem-solvers, not Adams’ bullying.
  • We cannot go back to the failed leadership of the past, including his failure to increase the production of housing we desperately need.
  • In 2023 while working for Mayor Wheeler, Adams created a Trump-like proposal to force people experiencing homelessness into camps that would be staffed by the National Guard. Advocates said this proposal would add to the trauma people living on the streets already experience. Adams’ proposal also called for using eminent domain to force private property owners to give up their land for these mass shelters.

Shannon’s Endorsements

About the PDX Voter Guide

This voter guide is based on the recommendations of trusted groups. The information in the guide has been sourced from candidates’ websites, endorsement questionnaires, news coverage, and other publicly available information.

About Ranked Choice Voting

This year, Portland voters will be using ranked choice voting to cast their ballot. Have questions? Check out our Ranked Choice Voting guide.

Learn more about Ranked Choice Voting