Your Guide to a Portland City Council that Works for Us
This year’s Portland city elections are different. New district lines have been drawn, and three city council members will represent each of Portland four districts. It’s our job to make sure that the candidates we vote for have the support of our local labor unions, and have made a commitment to improving the lives of working people. That’s why we, local unions and allies, have built this voter guide. Our goal is to simplify a complicated and crowded election by highlighting the candidates running in each district who will improve the lives of working families in Portland.
Select your district from the dropdown for a slate of candidates running for city council who will fight for working families.
Not sure about your district? Consult the map above, your ballot, or use Portland’s City Council district lookup tool.
Our Recommended
District 1 City Council Candidates
Working for a Better Portland has evaluated the experience, track records and positions of candidates for City Council across a wide range of issues. These include economic fairness and workers’ rights, support for services that Portlanders rely on for a safe, healthy and just community, and policy positions that help provide opportunity and livability for all. Sources include a review of public materials, responses to questionnaires and interviews.
- American Federation of Musicians Local 99
- AFSCME 189
- AFSCME 75
- Columbia Pacific Building & Construction Trades Council
- IAFF #43 (Portland Firefighters Association)
- IBEW 48 (Electricians)
- Ironworkers 29
- LiUNA 737
- National Association of Letter Carriers 82
- NW Oregon Labor Council
- Oregon Working Families Party
- SEIU 49
- SEIU 503
- Teamsters Joint Council 37
- United Association 290 (Plumbers and Pipefitters)
- UFCW 555
- Western States Regional Council of Carpenters
Government Relations Director, American Cancer Society Cancer Society, music activist, and former staff to Portland City Commissioner Nick Fish. Dunphy has 14 years in public policy and 20 years working in East Portland on gang prevention, crime reduction, and livability issues. On Parkrose School Budget Committee, credit union supervisory committee, and host of a podcast/radio show, “Stumptown Soundcheck” on 99.1 FM.
- AFSCME 189
- AFSCME 75
- American Federation of Teachers
- Columbia Pacific Building & Construction Trades Council
- IAFF #43 (Portland Firefighters Association)
- IBEW 48 (Electricians)
- Ironworkers 29
- LiUNA 737
- National Association of Letter Carriers 82
- NW Oregon Labor Council
- Oregon Working Families Party
- Protec 17
- SEIU 49
- SEIU 503
- UFCW 555
Organizational Development Consultant, Steph Routh & Team, LLC, and part-time faculty at Portland State University. A Parkrose native, Routh studied music performance and theater in college, then taught acting and scriptwriting in New York. Following this were stints in northern China and Thailand, leading volunteers in the latter country to clean up more than 100 tons of debris following a massive tsunami in 2004. Former Executive Director of Oregon Walks and a graduate of Oregon Labor Candidate School and Emerge Oregon. She has served on the Jade District Policy and Equity Subcommittee, PBOT Budget Advisory Committee, and Portland’s Economic Opportunity Analysis work group.
- AFSCME 189
- AFSCME 75
- American Federation of Teachers
- Columbia Pacific Building & Construction Trades Council
- IBEW 48 (Electricians)
- Ironworkers 29
- LiUNA 737
- National Association of Letter Carriers 82
- NW Oregon Labor Council
- Oregon Working Families Party
- SEIU 49
- SEIU 503
- UFCW 555
- Western States Regional Council of Carpenters
Executive Director, environmental organization Verde, and former teacher/union member. Provided civic engagement/leadership education for eight years at Portland State University and served on Portland’s Citizen Review and Charter Review committees.
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Our Recommended
District 2 City Council Candidates
Working for a Better Portland has evaluated the experience, track records and positions of candidates for City Council across a wide range of issues. These include economic fairness and workers’ rights, support for services that Portlanders rely on for a safe, healthy and just community, and policy positions that help provide opportunity and livability for all. Sources include a review of public materials, responses to questionnaires and interviews.
- AFSCME 189
- AFSCME 75
- Boilermakers 104
- Columbia Pacific Building & Construction Trades Council
- Communications Workers of America Local 7901
- Industrial Association of Machinists Council
- IBEW 48 (Electricians)
- Ironworkers 29
- International Union of Painters & Allied Trades
- LiUNA 483
- LiUNA 737
- National Association of Letter Carriers 82
- NW Oregon Labor Council
- Operating Engineers Local 701
- Oregon Working Families Party
- Portland Association of Teachers
- Protec 17
- SEIU 49
- SEIU 503
- Teamsters Joint Council 37
- United Association 290 (Plumbers and Pipefitters)
- United Auto Workers Region 6
- UFCW 555
- Western States Regional Council of Carpenters
A 40-year organizational and communications strategist, author, and former President of the National Writers Union (UAW). Currently president of the Economic Future Group, a national consulting firm. He writes frequently for a blog he created, “Working Life,” and is the author of five books on economics and labor issues. He has provided issues analysis for a number of national publications, including the Wall Street Journal, CNBC, The Washington Post, and the New York Times.
- AFSCME 189
- Columbia Pacific Building & Construction Trades Council
- Communications Workers of America Local 7901
- Industrial Association of Machinists Council
- IBEW 48 (Electricians)
- Ironworkers 29
- LiUNA 483
- LiUNA 737
- National Association of Letter Carriers 82
- NW Oregon Labor Council
- Oregon Working Families Party
- Protec 17
- SEIU 49
- SEIU 503
- Teamsters Joint Council 37
- United Association 290 (Plumbers and Pipefitters)
- UFCW 555
- Western States Regional Council of Carpenters
Principal, Confluence Solutions; former advisor to Gov. Kate Brown; political director at Oregon AFL-CIO. She helped raise Oregon’s minimum wage, convened a group that wrote the state’s paid family leave law, and developed expertise on living-wage workforce policies. She helped to pass Oregon’s first racial justice agenda as a member of the governor’s executive team and led a coalition that helped pass a gun violence prevention ballot measure.
- AFSCME 189
- AFSCME 75
- Amalgamated Transit Union Local 757
- Ironworkers 29
- Oregon Working Families Party
- SEIU 49
- SEIU 503
- Teamsters Joint Council 37
- UFCW 555
A Woodlawn neighborhood resident, West is the founder of Reverend Nat’s Hard Cider, and a former TriMet Bus Driver and member of the Amalgamated Transit Union.
Looking to rank additional candidates?
Our Recommended
District 3 City Council Candidates
Working for a Better Portland has evaluated the experience, track records and positions of candidates for City Council across a wide range of issues. These include economic fairness and workers’ rights, support for services that Portlanders rely on for a safe, healthy and just community, and policy positions that help provide opportunity and livability for all. Sources include a review of public materials, responses to questionnaires and interviews.
- AFSCME 189
- AFSCME 75
- American Federation of Teachers
- Communications Workers of America Local 7901
- Ironworkers 29
- LiUNA 483
- National Association of Letter Carriers 82
- NW Oregon Labor Council
- Oregon Working Families Party
- Portland Association of Teachers
- Portland Community College Federation of Faculty & Academic Professionals
- Protec 17
- SEIU 49
- SEIU 503
- UFCW 555
- Western States Regional Council of Carpenters
Portland Public Schools teacher and union organizer, “Teacher Tiffany” is a fourth-generation Japanese American active in the local AAPI community and has served on Teacher Advisory Councils at the Portland Art Museum and the Japanese American Museum of Oregon. She has worked to bring universal preschool to Portland, has worked as a community organizer on anti-racist events, and has participated in landmark programs for museums through the National Endowment for the Humanities.
- AFSCME 189
- AFSCME 75
- Columbia Pacific Building & Construction Trades Council
- IAFF #43 (Portland Firefighters Association)
- IBEW 48 (Electricians)
- Ironworkers 29
- LiUNA 737
- National Association of Letter Carriers 82
- NW Oregon Labor Council
- SEIU 49
- SEIU 503
- UFCW 555
Attorney for the Oregon Dept. of Justice and former Portland City Commissioner, Novick spent nine years suing polluters while working for the Federal Dept. of Justice after graduating from Harvard Law School. When then-14-year-old Steve’s school was shut down, he began taking college classes at the University of Oregon, obtaining a degree in Mathematics at age 18. He has spent 20 years in politics and public policy, working for the State Senate, as a lawyer, as an organizer and researcher, and as a candidate for the US Senate and City Commission.
- AFSCME 189
- AFSCME 75
- IBEW 48 (Electricians)
- Ironworkers 29
- LiUNA 483
- LiUNA 737
- NALC 82
- NW Oregon Labor Council
- Oregon Working Families Party
- Protec 17
- SMART Local 16
- UFCW 555
Housing Program Specialist, City of Portland. Their interest in public affairs began when, as a teenager, they fought for marriage equality. Flanary worked at a Washington, DC, housing-related nonprofit that operated a spectrum of housing options including mortgage and foreclosure assistance. In Oregon, Chris worked as an AmeriCorps volunteer and then at the city’s housing bureau. Flanary has also worked as their union’s steward, board member, and organizer.
Looking to rank additional candidates?
Our Recommended
District 4 City Council Candidates
Working for a Better Portland has evaluated the experience, track records and positions of candidates for City Council across a wide range of issues. These include economic fairness and workers’ rights, support for services that Portlanders rely on for a safe, healthy and just community, and policy positions that help provide opportunity and livability for all. Sources include a review of public materials, responses to questionnaires and interviews.
- AFSCME 189
- AFSCME 75
- Amalgamated Transit Union Local 757
- Columbia Pacific Building & Construction Trades Council
- Industrial Association of Machinists Council
- IAFF #43 (Portland Firefighters Association)
- IBEW 48 (Electricians)
- Ironworkers 29
- International Union of Painters & Allied Trades
- LiUNA 483
- LiUNA 737
- National Association of Letter Carriers 82
- NW Oregon Labor Council
- SEIU 49
- SEIU 503
- SMART Local 16
- Teamsters Joint Council 37
- United Association 290 (Plumbers and Pipefitters)
- UFCW 555
Recovery advocate, former policy director, attorney, and realtor. His extensive legislative work on recovery issues include the passage of the 2023 Fentanyl Education Bill and legislation to create safer learning environments for students struggling with addiction. He has also worked in political campaigns on reproductive justice and candidate elections.
- Columbia Pacific Building & Construction Trades Council
- IAFF #43 (Portland Firefighters Association)
- IBEW 48 (Electricians)
- Ironworkers 29
- LiUNA 737
- National Association of Letter Carriers 82
- NW Oregon Labor Council
- SEIU 49
- SEIU 503
- United Association 290 (Plumbers and Pipefitters)
- UFCW 555
Long-time Government Relations Manager at Tri-Met, Intergovernmental Relations Director for Gov. John Kitzhaber, and chair of several non-profit boards. Clark grew up working in her father’s small diner peeling potatoes and polishing floors. The first in her family to graduate from college, Clark attended graduate school at the University of Oregon and then found her way to public policy work at the state level. She has been a neighborhood activist, light rail advocate, and affordable housing voice since the 1980s.
- Columbia Pacific Building & Construction Trades Council
- IBEW 48 (Electricians)
- Ironworkers 29
- LiUNA 737
- Multnomah Co. Prosecutors
- National Association of Letter Carriers 82
- NW Oregon Labor Council
- SMART Local 16
- United Association 290 (Plumbers and Pipefitters)
- UFCW 555
Chief of Staff to County Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards; former city manager for two mid-sized cities. A lifelong Oregonian, Eric obtained his degree from University of Portland on an ROTC scholarship. After serving a combat tour in the Iraq War, Zimmerman has continued to serve in the Oregon National Guard for 17 years, on a NATO peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, a diplomatic assignment in the US embassy in Bangladesh, and other assignments. He served on the Multnomah County Veterans Task Force, as chief of staff to two county commissioners, and as Senior Advisor for the Central City under Portland’s mayor. His achievements include developing shelter plans, fentanyl abatement, expanding street safety programs, sponsoring central city entertainment programs, and helping to open Downtown back up after the pandemic.
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Done filling out your Portland Ballot?
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