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An image of Portland's new district map approved by the Independent District Commission on August 16, 2023
Courtesy of the City of Portland
In November, Portland voters will be electing 12 new city council members to represent four new geographic districts. Three councilors will represent each district.
That means, for the first time in 100 years, Portlanders will be represented by people who live in their part of town, not just people elected through a citywide vote. This is particularly important for people in District 1, which encompasses Portland’s outer eastside neighborhoods. Only two Portland City Council members have lived in this district in the city’s history (Randy Leonard and Jo Ann Hardesty), meaning the interests and concerns of these neighborhoods have been long underrepresented in City Hall.
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The district includes all neighborhoods east of Interstate 205, ranging from Parkrose to Centennial to Pleasant Valley. It also crosses I-205 to include the Lents Neighborhood in Southeast Portland and the Sumner Neighborhood and Portland International Airport area in the north. It’s home to the East Portland Community Center, Powell Butte National Park, Leach Botanical Garden, Gateway Discovery Park, Lents Park (and the Portland Pickles stadium) and other city parks facilities. It includes five school districts: Portland Public Schools, Parkrose, Reynolds, David Douglas and Centennial.
This district is the city’s most diverse, per the 2020 US Census. Like all of Portland, the majority of residents are white, yet 16% identify as Latino, 15% identify as Asian, and 10% identify as Black. It’s also the district where the most Portlanders speak a language other than English at home.
District 1’s nearly 160,000 residents earn less than those living in other districts. The district’s median income is $61,000 and 16% of residents live below the poverty line.
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More families live in District 1 than the other four districts – 31% of all households include at least one child. This also means the district is one of the youngest, with a median age of 38 years.
The 16 candidates running for District 1 have focused their campaigns on addressing intractable issues they believe have lacked representation in City Hall, like gun violence reduction and a shortage of sidewalks and paved roads in the district. The candidates bring varied backgrounds, including nonprofit leaders, lobbyists, school board members, attorneys, and one former Multnomah County Commissioner.
Related: Listen to 'OPB Politics Now'
Read how Portland’s District 1 candidates answered our candidate questionnaire:
Joe Furi: Furi did not submit answers to the questionnaire.
Peggy Sue Owens: Owens did not submit answers to the questionnaire.
