Carmen Rubio, the executive director of the Latino Network and former aide to a mayor and a city commissioner, has won a seat on the Portland City Council.
Rubio appeared headed to an easy victory in early returns Tuesday night. If the results hold, she’ll replace retiring Commissioner Amanda Fritz and become the second woman of color and the first Latina on the City Council.
In early returns published at 8 p.m., Rubio had won 67% of the vote.
Rubio was leading a field of nine candidates. The other top challengers were Candace Avalos, a student affairs advisor at Portland State University who has worked on the city board overseeing the Police Bureau; and Timothy Dubois, a carpenter. Rubio had been the frontrunner in this race from the moment she announced plans to run, because of her deep experience in local government and her wide network of supporters.
She spent a decade running and building the Latino Network, a nonprofit that works with immigrant and Latino communities. She also worked for former Portland Mayor Tom Potter, Commissioner Nick Fish and Multnomah County Commissioner Serena Cruz. She is the granddaughter of Mexican immigrants who came to the United States as migrant workers.