(This article is by BikePortland subscriber and Portland City Council candidate Timur Ender. Timur was a guest on our podcast back in February and his last contribution was a dispatch from Izmir, Turkey. If you want to meet and talk with Timur, he’ll be at Bike Happy Hour this week (Weds, 6/5 from 3:00 to 6:00 pm at Gorges Beer Co on SE Ankeny at 27th.)
With the primary elections behind us attention will now shift to November’s historic city council elections. Most people are likely aware of the basics but I wanted to share a quick reminder on what is special about our city council election this time around.
In November 2022, Portland voters approved a change in our form of government, drastically altering how our city council is structured.
- 4 council districts instead of at-large (citywide) elections
- Multimember districts with 3 council members representing each district for a total of 12 city councilors
- Appointed professional city manager with city council focused on setting policy
- Ranked choice voting with voters ranking up to six candidates in their district
The city council election will take place Nov. 5, 2024 and council candidates will be on the same ballot as other state and federal races. Candidates for mayor and auditor will also be on the ballot and are running citywide.
While the entire city council will be elected in the Nov 5th election, the council members elected from districts 3 and 4 (SE and West) will only serve a 2-year term and will be up for election again in 2026 for a four-year term. Districts 1 and 2 (East and North) council members will serve an initial 4 year term and be up for election in 2028. This was done so that not all of the council would turnover at the same time and so that districts that historically have lower voter turnout are aligned with the presidential election years.
With a new form of government and no incumbents, this will be a historic election for Portland, reshaping our political landscape for years to come.
I want to take a minute to thank all those who worked on charter reform. These systemic changes are what have allowed so many grassroots, first-time candidates to have viable campaigns. I am appreciative to everyone who has worked tirelessly on building an inclusive democracy and developing charter reform, gaining voter approval, and continuing to protect these gains so that underrepresented parts of the city finally have seats at the table.
Get Involved!
This may seem counterintuitive, but given that there are three people representing your district and nine people on council representing other districts, the council members outside of your district will have a greater impact on city policy than the three people representing your district. One of the only ways you can have an impact on candidates in other districts is by voting with your dollar through the small donor election program.
With the small donor election program, donations from Portland residents are matched 9:1 which means a $5 contribution becomes $45 and a $20 donation becomes $200. (*Note: the 9:1 match was the original program intent but the amount of match is ultimately dependent on the extent to which city council funds this program; final decisions about this will be made by council soon).
Your donations to candidates are matched, even if you donate to multiple candidates and even if that candidate is not in your district. What this means is that even though you cannot vote for candidates outside of your district, you can vote with your dollar by donating to candidates in other districts and having those donations matched by the city. The minimum contribution amount to have your donation matched and be counted as a Portland donor is $5.
There is also the Oregon Political Tax Credit which allows Oregon residents who file taxes and have incomes less than $75,000 to donate up to $50 to a political candidate and recieve the full amount as a credit subtracted from your Oregon state taxes when you file.
There are over 70 candidates running for city council in this election and pretty much every candidate is trying to get to 250 Portland donors. The candidates who have reached this tier are trying to get to the second tier of 750 Portland donors (or, in some cases, the third tier of 1,250 Portland donors). What happens when a candidate reaches these tiers? These are the tiers when matching funds are dispersed from the city, often to the tune of approximately $40,000.
One of the most interesting realizations I have had since becoming a candidate is, in a city of over 600,000 people, it’s very challenging for campaigns to get to 250 Portland donors. Out of 6 mayoral candidates and 70 city council candidates, approximately 12 council candidates have reached the first tier of matching funds, meaning they have received donations from at least 250 Portlanders.
You can see which candidates have received public matching funds at the city’s small donor elections website and view how how many contributions each candidate raised at this site.
Now you know you can have an impact with strategic $5-$20 contributions to candidates that align with your views, but how do you know who these candidates are, what district they are in, and whether they align with your values? City council races are nonpartisan so it takes legwork to see who believes what. Thankfully, Maja Harris at Rose City Reform has done an incredible job keeping Portlanders updated about the candidates, endorsements, and other helpful info.
If you want to see who has signed various pledges, such as the one organized by Friends of Portland Street Response, it can be found at Rose City Reform. If you want to see which candidates have been endorsed by various organizations, it can be found there as well.
Hundreds of thousands of Portlanders will vote in this upcoming election, but only a fraction of them will donate to candidates. Take a minute to visualize what your ideal city council would look like and take the step of donating $5 to each of the 13 candidates you would like to see on that council.
Other ways to get involved include serving on an endorsement panel for an organization that will be endorsing candidates in the upcoming election, volunteering on a campaign, or attending/hosting a candidate forum.
In conclusion, don’t wait until November to have your voice heard in this historic election. Do some research, talk to your friends, be engaged, and vote with your dollar today to support candidates who align with your values in every council district.
Timur is a resident of the Hazelwood neighborhood of East Portland and a city council candidate in District 1.