By: Meira Gebel
The Portland City Council will expand from four commissioners to 12 starting next year and will effectively act as the legislative branch in the city's new form of government.
Why it matters: In the past, city council members have run citywide and have overseen specific bureaus. Now, commissioners — three chosen from each of the four quadrants — will be tied to specific areas with the goal of representing communities with shared political interests.
Catch up quick: Voters will select three candidates to represent their district via the city's first ranked-choice election this fall.
Zoom in: District 1 encompasses parts of northeast Portland (including the airport) and all of the easternmost part of the city, from 82nd Avenue to the city boundaries.
Only seven of 16 candidates qualified for public matching funds from the small-donor elections program.
Here's a brief look at who's running:
Steph Routh is a longtime organizer, an adjunct professor of urban planning at Portland State University and former executive director of Oregon Walks, a nonprofit aiming to improve neighborhood walkability.
She previously served on the Portland Planning Commission and said one of her priorities would be to fully fund Portland Street Response and make it available to all neighborhoods around the clock.
Timur Ender is an attorney and previously worked for the Portland Bureau of Transportation with a focus on bike infrastructure.
He told Willamette Week that his top priorities are housing, homelessness and community safety.
Candace Avalos is the executive director of environmental advocacy group Verde and previously served on the city's police oversight committee and charter review board.
Her first move if elected would be to call for an audit of Portland's police and fire agencies on response times.
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