Ryan, Pirtle-Guiney and Kanal lead in race to represent North and Northeast Portland on City Council

It is unclear which candidates in North and Northeast Portland’s District 2 will prevail to fill the three seats on the City Council after partial results were released Tuesday evening.

The competitive nature of the race, with perhaps the highest number of strong candidates in the four districts, played a role in the tight contest.

After preliminary selection rounds starting at 8 p.m. Tuesday, the top six candidates were current City Commissioner Dan Ryan, policy strategist and former union leader Elana Pirtle-Guiney and former Portland Inclusive Policy Manager Sameer Kanal. They were followed by Portland Manager of People and Culture Tiffani Penson, former cider house owner Nat West and climate change activist and vice chair of the Portland Public Schools board of directors Michelle DePass; and former cider house owner Nat West.

Voters could rank up to six candidates in order of preference. To secure a seat within the new election system, each of the district’s three top candidates will need only 25% of the vote after multiple rounds of vote redistribution to win.

As of 8 p.m. Tuesday, an estimated 46% of votes remained to be counted across the district.

District 2 is one of four districts that elect members of the new 12-member City Council, with each sending three representatives to City Hall.

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Among the 22 candidates running for the district, based on endorsements and money raised, top candidates included Ryan, West, Penson and Pirtle-Guiney. Champion of the Union Jonathan Tasini; Mariah Hudson, a communications specialist at Oregon Health and Science University; small business owner James Armstrong; and DePass were also among the list of strong candidates.

Ryan would be the only city commissioner to serve on the revamped council. Three other sitting commissioners ran for mayor, while Mayor Ted Wheeler opted to leave public office.

North and Northeast Portland are on deck for an influx of investment and community projects, including a proposed rebuild of the area near the Rose Quarter by Albina Vision Trust and commercial developments in the Lloyd District. The northern part of the city also carries a long history of redlining and gentrification that pushed people of color away.

The challenges facing the city — specifically homelessness, lingering effects of fentanyl and public safety concerns — have also weighed on the district. Persistent burglaries are putting some businesses in areas like St. Johns at risk of closing for good, and residents continue to oppose plans for a new Bottle Drop center in the same area.

District 2 is one of Portland’s most diverse districts, behind District 1 in east Portland, and is home to the highest population of Black residents at 10.3%, city data shows. The voting district hugs the Willamette River from Interstate 84 to Kelly Point and extends as far east as the Cully neighborhood.

Ryan leads the way in fundraising, with $199,000 as of Tuesday, campaign finance records show. He has received support from elected officials, including Gov. Tina Kotek and his fellow city commissioners. Ryan opened the first of several successful alternative homeless shelters in the city, known as “safe retirement villages.”

In second place is Hudson, with $148,000, the data shows. She has the support of several state lawmakers, Gary Hollands, chairman of the Portland Public Schools board of directors, and the business-backed United for Portland coalition.

West raised $127,000, placing him third. West previously owned Reverend Nat’s Cider House and then served as a TriMet bus driver for eight months. He has support from private and public unions, former Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty and a handful of small business owners.

The candidates who ultimately choose to represent them in the new city council will help determine policy direction under the reformed government. New council members will be joined by a new mayor and a city manager appointed to oversee Portland’s various agencies and departments. That task was previously divided among city commissioners.

– Austin De Dios covers Multnomah County politics, programs and more. Reach him at 503-319-9744, [email protected] or @AustinDeDios.

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