It’s official: 118 Portlanders will be vying for 14 open city offices this November.
Portland City Hall, September, 2022.
MacGregor Campbell / OPB
On Friday, the city’s election office released the final list of all candidates approved to appear on the ballot for what will undoubtedly be a historic election. A total of 19 people are running for mayor, and 98 are running for the 12 open council seats. The city’s current auditor Simone Rede is running for reelection unopposed.
The final lineup gives Portlanders a clear sense of who will be lobbying for their vote over the next two months — and gives candidates an idea of who they’re in the running with.
The pool of candidates is far larger than past city races for a number of reasons, all rooted in city charter reforms passed by voters in 2022. That vote eliminated May primary elections in Portland, removing an opportunity to whittle down large candidate pools to two-person runoffs in the fall.
The charter change also expanded City Council from five to 12 seats, and gave the mayor a more administrative role that doesn’t include a council vote. And councilors will be elected to represent four new geographic districts — with three councilors elected to each district.
All of these changes meant the city needed to place all city offices on the ballot this fall, to give the reconfigured city government a unified start.
Related: Portland is overhauling its voting system and government structure. Here’s what you need to know
The candidate lineup is wide-ranging, including teachers, business owners, engineers, members of law enforcement, government employees, longtime community activists, and career politicians.
Three current Portland commissioners are running for mayor, while Commissioner Dan Ryan is vying for a seat in North Portland’s District 2. Former City Commissioner Steve Novick, former Multnomah County Commissioner Loretta Smith, and former Metro Councilor Rex Burkholder are also hoping to snag a council office. Mayor Ted Wheeler is not running for reelection.
Most candidates are running for office in Portland’s southeast and west side districts. A total of 30 people are running for the three council seats in District 4, which encompasses all of Portland’s west side as well as the Sellwood, Eastmoreland, and Reed neighborhoods in Southeast Portland. Thirty people are also looking to represent District 3, which includes nearly all southeast neighborhoods, stretching east to Southeast 82nd Avenue.
A total of 22 people are running for District 2, which includes most North and Northeast Portland neighborhoods, bordered by Sandy Boulevard and Northeast 82nd Avenue. And 16 people are vying for one of the three seats in District 1, which is made up of all neighborhoods east of 82nd Avenue.
Just over half of all candidates are participating in the city’s Small Donor Elections program, which promises to match candidate donations nine-to-one if they limit individual donations to $350. Yet all Portland candidates are barred from accepting individual donations over $500.
See a list of all candidates for Portland City Council, mayor, and auditor here.
