From left, councilmembers-elect Sameer Kanal, Elana Pirtle-Guiney, and Dan Ryan clap for their colleagues after the twelve new councilmembers are sworn into office, Dec. 19, 2024.
Anna Lueck for OPB
At the beginning of the year, Portland’s new city council elected Elana Pirtle-Guiney as council president in a contentious vote that revealed some of the dividing lines of the new council. Pirtle-Guiney won by a 7-5 vote after nine rounds of voting. In the new role, Pirtle-Guiney will set council meeting agendas and refer council items to a vote that are proposed by the mayor or city auditor. Pirtle-Guiney joins us to talk about her new role and the challenges facing the new 12-member city council.
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