Street Wonk #12: 2024 Candidate Round-Up
Dear Readers,
Since I wrote about the 2024 election last week, there’s been a flurry of candidates filing with the Small Donors Election Program or who have otherwise announced their intent to run for Portland City Council. There are also a number of rumors floating around about other potential Council and Mayoral candidates. Suffice to say, it’s going to be an interesting election season!
In light of the last two elections, which have seen our Council take a moderate to conservative turn, I want to start a community conversation about the kind of leadership we need. I don’t believe our current Council reflects who we are as a community; rather, our fears, frustrations, and other shortcomings of our political process. I’m also concerned that dark money PACs, like People for Portland, will continue to smear progressive candidates and mislead the public to the city’s detriment.
The next 15 months leading up to this historic election will be critical to our city’s future. There will likely be a record-breaking number of candidates, a deluge of media coverage, and heaps of outside money pouring in. Portland progressives— organizations and individuals alike—must put personal politics, relationships, and self-interest aside and get behind a slate of strong, viable, progressive candidates. I am 100% here for that and committed to helping Street Wonk readers stay informed and engaged!
As I mentioned last week, I’ll release a voter’s guide with my endorsements next fall. In the meantime, I’ll be periodically updating you on who’s running and redlighting candidates who do not warrant the support of progressive voters. I’ll also be sharing my thoughts on the who, what, when, where, and why of running for public office. Maybe there are some potential candidates among Street Wonk readers!
Hoping for the best,
Chloe
P.S. Multiple people have asked me if I intend to run. I want my readers to be the first to know that while I haven’t ruled it out in the future (never say never), I plan to sit this round out. I’ve got other life priorities right now—family obligations, finishing up a book, going back to school, and continuing to write Street Wonk—and I’d rather devote my free time to ensuring we elect as many progressive candidates to our newly expanded Council as possible in 2024!
SIDEWALK TALK
According to Willamette Week, Steve Novick, Loretta Smith, Michelle DePass, Eric Zimmerman, Elizabeth Mazzara Meyers, Shannon Carney, and Sam Adams are all rumored to be considering a run, but none would deny or confirm their intent. Four of these individuals—Novick, Smith, DePass, and Adams—have held local elected office. Zimmerman, Meyers, and Carney have all worked as staffers to elected officials. Today, I’ll reserve my comments for my most and least favorite of the bunch.
A lack of experienced policymakers, especially those familiar with the inner workings of City Hall, coupled with the reduced length of term (a one-time two-year term for all Council seats) could lead to a chaotic couple of years. So, there’s an argument for some seasoned policymakers. However, better and worse choices can be made in that arena.
BEST:
Steve Novick: That’s right, my former opponent would be my top pick for another run at City Council. Then Commissioner Novick ran a clean campaign, we maintained a friendly rapport, and he even endorsed me in my re-election campaign. I mention this because it’s a rare breed of politician who can put their ego aside for the greater good. He thought I was the best candidate and had the humility and courage to say so.
I ran against Commissioner Novick because it was my best shot at winning, not because he was my least favorite Commissioner. In hindsight, I regret not having the chance to work together, but I don’t regret the opportunity I had to protect Portland renters, something that may have never happened if I hadn’t won my seat.
Novick is a super smart policy wonk and has decades of experience. I’d love to see where he would devote his time and energy without the burden of administrative responsibility (assuming he’s angling for Council and not Mayor).
WORST:
Sam Adams. On the opposite end of the humility spectrum—a man who apparently has no shame and can’t take no for an answer. Adams gets far too much credit for Portland’s heyday when he just capitalized on it. He’s lauded as a progressive but has a history of being pro-big business, pro-developer, and pro-cop. He has repeatedly demonstrated an utter lack of analysis regarding racial equity and justice issues. And don’t forget he worked at City Hall and presided over Council in the early years of our housing crisis and did nothing of note to address it.
There are too many credible allegations to ignore—from poor personal judgment, questionable ethics, lack of restraint, and mistreatment of staff. He came in third in his last run at City Council and was subsequently hired and fired by the Mayor’s Office. Take off your rose-colored glasses, Portland. Sam Adams is not your guy, and he never was. Here’s hoping voters remember more than his name.
OFFICIAL CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES
Here’s your round-up of official Portland City Council candidates! These names have come directly from the Small Donor Elections website or local media outlets. As mentioned above, I’m reserving endorsements until the deadline for filing passes to give equal consideration to all candidates. Until then, I’ll redlight candidates I’ve ruled out as I can assess their policy positions, relevant experience, and track record.
CITY COUNCIL
City Council District #1 Candidates:
City Council District #2 Candidates:
Brooklyn Sherman (no website or social media page at the time of publication)
City Council District #3 Candidates:
🛑Sandeep Bali 🛑
Jesse Cornett (no website or social media page at the time of publication)
Robin Ye (no website or social media page at the time of publication)
City Council District #4 Candidates:
Stephen Hall (no website or social media page at the time of publication)
Tony Morse (no website or social media page at the time of publication)
CITYWIDE OFFICES
Mayoral Candidates:
Auditor Candidates:
No candidates have filed
WONK OUT!
Required Reading for Potential Candidates:
City of Portland Candidate Guide November 2024 (City of Portland) Most of the deadlines are far off, but there is one critical deadline on the horizon—you must establish residency (one-year minimum prior to Election Day) in the district you plan to run in by November 5th, 2023.
Small Donor Elections Candidate Guide 2024 (City of Portland)
Official Candidates:
2024 Election: Portland City Council Candidates Already Scrambling For Public Campaign Dollars (Portland Mercury)