These candidates are running in the district composed of Portland's west side and some Southeast neighborhoods. by Courtney Vaughn Updated: Oct. 14 Thanks to a charter reform measure passed by voters in 2022, Portland is getting a new form of government, and it will come with a brand new districting system. In November 2024, Portlanders will vote for City Council members in one of four districts across the city, with three councilors per district. Councilors in District 4 will serve two-year terms following the initial election in November, then four-year terms each subsequent election. Here's who's running in District 4, which includes all of Portland's west side and the Southeast neighborhoods of Reed, Woodstock, and Sellwood-Moreland. (Find the list of candidates in District 1 here, District 2 here, and District 3 here.)  The following list contains candidates that have filed notice of intent to run, or have been qualified by the City Elections office to be on the ballot. District 4 Candidates Joe Alfone Alfone is a newcomer to Portland who says he's running on visionary ideas and better representation for hourly wage workers. In a recent candidate interview, Alfone said he moved to Portland two and a half years ago. Alfone tells the Mercury his introduction to the Pacific Northwest happened 30 years prior. "In the summer of 1994 I hitchhiked across the country from being homeless and adventurous in Seattle in the immediate time after the passing of Kurt Cobain, back to my university where I was a student at Louisiana State University, passing through Portland along the way," Alfone said. Originally from New Orleans, Alfone, 51, now calls the Alphabet District home. He doesn't drive, and says exploring the city on foot gives him a different perspective. Most of his policy proposals center around Portland's arts and cultural offerings. He wants to see a dedicated graffiti art mural area, similar to what the city of Denver offers, and advocates for "skyscraper observation decks" as part of a larger plan to beautify Portland's downtown core. Alfone also proposes a city-wide speaker system that plays nature sounds and wants to see Portland lobby the OLCC to allow for cannabis cafes. He'd also like the city to revoke permits for a Live Nation music venue. He says he wants to uplift hourly wage workers and "humanize those most in need in Portland," though his proposals don't address homelessness or adding more housing.  "I do not believe the working class of this city is represented by the City Council, which has failed this city," Alfone says. "I understand that it is a crowded field of candidates, but I believe I am uniquely qualified to be one of the three new city [councilors] of this district because I have the most experience living and working among the people of the world as an English teacher in China, Russia, South Korea, Canada, and Malta. Being a foreigner for 10+ years in other countries has made me recognize the commonality that we all share as people. We all want the same things, healthy food, water, affordable housing, and living wage employment." Eli Arnold Eli Arnold Arnold is a police officer with the Portland Police Bureau who lives in Sellwood with his family, including four children. He previously served in the Army, working as a helicopter pilot during two deployments to Afghanistan. Arnold, 43, primarily works downtown, where he says he confronts the city's most pressing issues daily. "I've been dealing with the growth of homelessness, the spike in homicides, the rise of fentanyl, and the frustrations of community members on a daily basis," Arnold says. "I've been very frustrated by the lack of action from City Hall. I'm convinced that we can begin making meaningful progress right away so long as we are hands-on, pragmatic, and maintain our sense of urgency. I believe my first hand experience with these problems is unique and will supplement those with more legislative backgrounds well. What the city has tried has often suffered from a lack of understanding of the realities at the street level." Arnold says he started a community garden program before leaving the military and found a calling in police work. "In the aftermath of Ferguson I decided that policing is important work and it needs to be done right," Arnold says.  This is his first bid for public office. In recent campaign ads, Arnold has expounded on his views around the criminal justice system and Portland Street Response. Arnold says Portland Street Response (PSR), the city's non-police behavioral health crisis response program, "has suffered from being treated as an ideological prop, rather than a tool." Arnold said he planned a ride-along with PSR to gain perspective and learn what role they should play in the first responder ecosystem. Arnold says he opposes any new taxes, citing "loss of residents and the flight of businesses" from Portland. Patrick Cashman Patrick Cashman is heavily concerned about process, utility, and following the letter of the law. Cashman, who has a military background in the Marine Corps, is a public records hound with a quest for government accountability. "I advocate the city of Portland doing the legal bare minimum. That's it," Cashman tells the Mercury. "To accomplish this first we review the finite body of laws from the federal and state government that place clear measurable legal obligations on the city," he says. "These will be items such as hiring, advertising, reporting, accounting, audits, services, performance obligations for federal and state monies, etc. "We then publish a single public document showing all those legal obligations so the public can assist the city in meeting its responsibilities. I would also like to see an incentive program for bounties to citizens who uncover instances of the city not being in compliance with Federal and State laws so again, the public can assist our city in meeting its responsibilities. And let's face facts; city employees won't change unless forced to change so we incentivize change; offer and publicly award significant bonuses to city employees who find efficient ways to meet legal obligations we aren't currently meeting." "Once we have all gone through the pain of getting right with the law," Cashman says, "then we can talk about whatever nonessential but important priorities come next." Olivia Clark Olivia Clark Olivia Clark lives in John’s Landing and is running in District 4. Clark, 69, comes with a background in government–predominantly public affairs–and nonprofit development. Clark previously worked as a legislative director for Gov. John Kitzhaber and has also worked for TriMet to help develop funds for light rail lines.  Clark said she’s running for City Council because she values public service and wants to “make life better and safer for everyone who lives in Portland. “I understand how policy is made and how to get things done,” Clark says, pointing to her experience in government affairs with the governor’s office TriMet, and the Department of Environmental Quality, as well as a slew of volunteer boards and commissions, including the Community Shelter & Assistance Corp, cleanup organization SOLV, and Oregon Providence Health Care. Like many candidates, Clark cites safety and livability as top priorities. “I want to make our city work for everyone, and our city council work together to get things done,” Clark says. “I want to bring back the city we love and can be proud of — a city where we can walk downtown without fear. A city where our emergency services are strong and our businesses thrive. A city where all citizens have a place to call home. A city where a 911 call brings immediate help. I am an optimist. I believe that if we work together we can get things done.” Mike DiNapoli Mike DiNapoli lives in Southwest Portland's Goose Hollow neighborhood and is a self-described "pro-worker, pro-affordability and pro-safe communities candidate." DiNapoli, 45, is a lifelong Portlander who says the new charter changes sparked his decision to run for office. He prioritizes working class families and affordability, noting, "living wage jobs are what build healthy communities, families and businesses." He also says the city is due for a more urgent, hands-on approach to revitalization. "As a working-class contractor, audio-video production engineer and small business owner, I firmly believe in problem-solving as a way of getting things done," DiNapoli says. "I'm a tradesperson, family man, and committed Portlander who is invested in this city that I call home. What I hope to bring to the City Council is common sense and reason as an approach to the policy work ahead, with the intention of being effective and productive. We need to be focused on revitalizing the city as a matter of urgency and need a council that is ready to work together and stand by its duty to provide a safe and functioning city that works for everyone." This is DiNapoli's first run for political office.  Thomas Dodson Thomas Dodson is a longtime resident of Forest Heights in Portland's west hills. Dodson, a forensic psychiatrist, maintained a private practice in general and forensic psychiatry until retiring two years ago. Prior to opening his own practice in the Goose Hollow neighborhood, he worked at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center's inpatient psychiatry unit for several years. He's not interested in waxing poetic about all the city's problems and potential solutions. Instead, he wants to see the city take a new direction when it comes to addressing the acute behavioral health needs of Portland's residents, and the options for connecting them with treatment. Dodson says his background in psychiatry gives him unique insight and perspective in this realm. "I am running this campaign to introduce the prospect of shifting the civil commitment process to a temporary substituted judgement standard," Dodson tells the Mercury, noting local government leaders could explore "a better way of managing the liberty interests of the seriously mentally ill and the rights of Portlanders to a civil, beautiful, and functional city." The civil commitment process in Oregon typically involves a judicial determination about whether a person with severe mental illness can be involuntarily put in an inpatient treatment facility. "I feel I could be an effective person to first understand the cities major current problems and to work judiciously toward substantive remedies," Dodson adds. Kelly Doyle Kelly Doyle is an attorney and lifelong Oregonian. Doyle, who's practiced law for the last 40 years, doesn't appear to have a campaign website, but shared some policy perspectives and a vision for the city with the Mercury. On homelessness and the city's new camping ordinance, he has some unconventional ideas. "My solution is so simple that it must be wrong," Doyle says. "Tear down the boards, open up the oldest buildings downtown and bring back horses. The homeless would learn trades and some old abandoned parking garages would have new lives and so would the horses." Doyle envisions rooftop gardens on the roofs of old buildings, fertilized by the manure of the city's new equestrian fleet. When asked about the prevailing narrative that the city is dying or needs saved, Doyle doesn't find much truth in it. "People who think Portland is dying or broken do not KNOW Portland (and yes I do mean in the Biblical sense)," he says. "I love Portland so much that sometimes in my dreams I think that I asked to be born here because there is no place I would rather live." "No one running has my Portland history and experience," Doyle says. "And Kelly Doyle can tell the difference between dirt and soil."  Brandon Farley Brandon Farley is a self-described independent photo journalist. He lists himself as unemployed on campaign paperwork and doesn't have a campaign website or any prior experience in government. An anomaly in the local political arena, Farley espouses far-right views, speaks out against transgender people, and staunchly opposes progressive policies. His most notable presence in Portland is on social media, where he frequently demonizes unhoused people, rails against protesters, and depicts Portland as a wasteland. Farley wants to “Make Portland Great Again” and aims to “combat far-left lunacy in gov." Lisa Freeman Lisa Freeman Lisa Freeman is a former Peace Corps volunteer with a robust background in conflict resolution, international peace and government transitions. Up until recently, she worked for the city. Freeman holds a masters degree in international peace and conflict resolution and previously worked in the Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI) at the US Agency for International Development. "I worked with OTI for 10 years, getting my start in Kandahar, Afghanistan, helping governments and communities rebuild after Taliban rule," Freeman says. "I worked to support opposition leaders in northern Syria to shift from being the opposition, to governing and providing services like rubble removal and solid waste management. I partnered with local government leaders in North East Nigeria to improve government responsiveness to communities in the face of the Boko Haram threat. I worked in over a dozen other countries as well, like Bosnia, Pakistan, and Malaysia. I know how to work in transition and crisis." She lists housing and homelessness, climate, and transportation as her central areas of focus. Freeman also cites public safety and a successful city government transition as priorities.  Freeman says the city needs "stable, experienced and collaborative leadership." In 2022, she joined the city's Community Safety Division, working on gun violence reduction initiatives. She now works as an instructor at Rose City Self Defense- a community funded, free program that teaches women, girls and LGBTQ residents the basics of self-defense tactics. Outside of work, she's championed programs like Portland Street Response, in hopes of fixing strains on the city's first response system. She also volunteers with SW Outreach, a volunteer group serving Southwest Portland's homeless population. Freeman says she's running for office "because this is the moment my skills and experience matter most for Portland." "By prioritizing community-based responses and investing in programs that tackle root causes, we can promote equity, justice, and public safety," she says. Kevin Goldsmith Kevin Goldsmith is an engineering consultant with a master's degree in mechanical engineering. He currently resides in the Hayhurst neighborhood in Southwest Portland. "As a long time resident of Portland, I believe I have developed an understanding of our community's needs and values," Goldsmith tells the Mercury.  Goldsmith currently works as a private engineering consultant providing structural and mechanical services to clients. "My interaction with the city has been primarily in the area of building permits and code compliance," Goldsmith says. "As an engineer I have developed an aptitude for problem solving. I do my best to understand the constraints and possibilities before making a decision. I value democracy and the fact that all voices need to be heard. These are theprinciples I would bring to a position on the city council." Goldsmith says he believes in "transparent governance, active community engagement, and making decisions that reflect the best interests of our entire community." Mitch Green Mitch Green, 42, lives in the West Portland Park neighborhood on the city's west side. Green has a PhD in economics from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and currently works as an economist at Bonneville Power Administration. He's also served as a part-time instructor at Portland State University (where he earned an undergraduate degree) and most recently, Portland Community College. Before going to grad school, he served in the Army shortly after 9/11, deploying to Afghanistan with the 364th Civil Affairs Brigade. Mitch Green Green grew up in Portland and Southwest Washington. He says a confluence of issues impacting Portland spurred his decision to run for City Council. "I think the triple crises of the pandemic, climate change and economic inequality sharpened in me the urgency to take a more direct and active role in municipal politics, where previously I have organized through campaigns behind the scenes," Green tells the Mercury. "Charter reform made it possible for a working class person like me to actually run." Green supports many of Portland's recent progressive social measures, saying the city needs to remember its core values.  "Like a lot of Portlanders I’m worried that the big, bold things we do in this town are at risk of being cut down early out of impatience and fear, precisely when we should be holding fast and nurturing them. I’m talking about things like Preschool for All, M110, a real commitment to solving the housing crisis, the Portland Clean Energy Fund and our transit and cycling infrastructure," Green says. "I wanted to make sure that people living in District 4 who still believe in the Portland Idea - that we can fight to build things that make our lives better - have a voice and someone who will champion them." Green says the recent winter storm, which heavily impacted Southwest Portlanders with power outages "due to poor utility infrastructure" was the push he needed to enter the council race. Chris Henry Chris Henry is a perennial candidate who's eager to break into politics. Henry is the current chair of Oregon's Progressive Party and a former long-haul trucker. Most recently, Henry ran in the May 2024 Multnomah County Board of Commissioners race, but failed to secure enough votes to advance to the November run-off. Henry vows to advocate for affordable housing, which he calls "a fundamental human right" as well as clean energy, and better bicycle and public transit infrastructure. He also stresses the need for a publicly-owned bank, a publicly-owned utility district (to circumvent repeated electricity rate hikes), and universal health care- policy areas that are typically not within the purview of city councilors. Henry is staunchly pro-labor and pro-union, and advocates for making the rich pay their fair share. To address Portland's climate goals, Henry suggests the city requires all freight and delivery trucks be electric, with more investment in public charging infrastructure. More info to come. Ben Hufford Architect and former adjunct university professor Ben Hufford says Portland is filled with good intentions but very little action.  Ben Hufford Hufford's most recognizable resume entry is his ownership of popular restaurants and bars, including Pizza Jerk, Victoria, Fortune and the Lightning Bar Collective, where he's among several owners. Hufford's agenda includes investing in police, homeless shelters and addiction treatment centers, and cleaning up garbage and graffiti throughout the city. His priorities? Revitalize downtown, remove barriers to affordable housing development and quash ineffective, unaccountable government. "We need solutions that solve our problems without surrendering our values," Hufford, 54, tells the Mercury. "For instance, the problems of crime and vandalism don't just require more police, they require that we put the 'public' back in 'public safety' by creating accountability in policing and building a street response that includes non-violent solutions and social workers, not just guys with guns." Touching on Portland's housing crisis, Hufford says expanding temporary shelters is a necessary stopgap, but the city can't afford to ignore the larger problem. "We need to expedite temporary shelter solutions while we fix the systemic problems in our City’s permitting and housing policies," Hufford says. "We can’t keep only bailing the water out of the boat – we need to fix the hole in the boat, and that’s the housing affordability crisis." Chad Lykins Chad Lykins Chad Lykins, 42, lives in the Hayhurst neighborhood in Southwest Portland and is the founder of Rose City Chess, an after-school chess academy. He's also the current president of the Oregon Scholastic Chess Federation. He has three children.  Lykins said he's running to represent District 4 because Portland is at a pivotal moment. "The eyes of the world are on Portland as a test case for everything from housing to climate policy to criminal justice reform," Lykins said. "Our city can become a place in which homelessness is rare and brief, homes are affordable and abundant, treatment for substance abuse and mental health is widely accessible, and community safety is both a human right and a shared responsibility." Lykins, who has a doctorate in leadership and policy studies, as well as a master's degree in philosophy, says he believes Portland can be "the proving ground for evidence-based solutions to public problems." Tony Morse Tony Morse Tony Morse, 42, lives in Woodstock, near the District 4 boundary. Morse, a policy and advocacy director at Oregon Recovers, says addiction recovery is a hallmark of his campaign and policy priorities. Morse, who has a diverse background in both law and real estate, said Portland needs "a champion for recovery." "We have an addiction crisis that impacts every part of daily life, from homelessness and community livability, to public safety and the reputation of our city," Morse told the Mercury. "Portland needs someone with the lived experience and policy expertise necessary to help center and elevate recovery as we work to solve our city’s interconnected challenges." Morse previously worked as a field organizer for the Democratic Party of Oregon and was a real estate agent for eight years. He also worked in law, having served two and a half years as a judicial law clerk in Multnomah County Circuit Court and working with drug treatment courts. "I grew passionate about the importance of good government in law school, and as an attorney I practiced complex civil litigation," Morse noted. Oregon State Bar records confirm Morse was admitted in 2008, but doesn't currently practice law.  Despite having worked on several political campaigns, this is Morse's first run for office. Stanley Penkin Stan Penkin Stanley Penkin formerly served as chair of the Pearl District Neighborhood Association. Like most other candidates, he cites homelessness as a priority, but also leans heavily into livability, arts, and civic engagement.  Penkin has a masters degree in urban planning from Columbia University. "We need to listen more, talk less and act decisively," Penkin tells the Mercury, saying the new council should work collaboratively within city hall, as well as other government agencies, to get things done. "No more silos," Penkin says. Penkin is currently retired, but has a civil engineering and planning background, as well as an extensive resume of nonprofit work. "I have been active in many areas of civic life as a champion of neighborhood livability, leadership in the arts, serving on city advisory committees, my role in passing an ordinance to transition gas leaf blowers to electric, working on homelessness issues and connecting people to housing through my chairmanship of the nonprofit Home Share Oregon," Penkin says. "Arts and culture will be a significant factor in building back the vibrancy of our city, and I want to bring my experience to that effort." Penkin co-founded the Oregon Arts and Culture PAC, with the mission of promoting candidates who support the arts, as well as increasing government funding for artistic endeavors. He also served on the board of Portland Center Stage and is a previous board president of the Oregon Children's Theater. Penkin also cites stints chairing the Arts Education and Access Fund Oversight Committee, and his work as a board member of the Cultural Advocacy Coalition, where he advocated for support of arts and culture at the state level. Worth noting: Penkin gives his time to arts and cultural causes, but he gives his money to political causes and candidates. Penkin recently donated $250 each to the mayoral campaigns of Rene Gonzalez, Carmen Rubio, and Keith Wilson. Records show he donated to every current city commissioner and the mayor when they were running for office. Penkin also contributed to Portland Commissioner Dan Ryan's current council campaign and supported Rubio and Gonzalez during their initial bids for Portland City Council in 2019 and 2022, respectively.  Moses Ross Moses Ross   Moses Ross lives in Southwest Portland's Multnomah neighborhood, and chairs the Multnomah Neighborhood Association. He runs M.J. Ross Group Inc., a political consulting business that largely assists Democratic candidates. A single father, Ross has volunteered with his local PTA and has been involved with Democratic Party organizing at the county and state level. Ross has served on the Multnomah County Community Budget Advisory Committee since 2018. Prior to that, he served on the county's Charter Review Committee in 2015 and championed a county campaign finance reform measure that passed with overwhelming voter support. In 2017, he ran for a seat on the Portland Community College Board, but lost to Valdez Bravo. Ross says leading his neighborhood association gave him "a front-line seat to the impact of houselessness and the addiction crisis happening within Portland neighborhoods." "The quality of life in every neighborhood in District 4, as well as Citywide, has been affected in some way. I hear it every day," Ross says. "Folks are frustrated with the City and they feel unheard and disrespected by our City leaders. I think we need to hold each other accountable and elections are how we do that." Ross said it's no surprise Portlanders voted for a charter change that will reform the city's governance. "I'm running because I believe that we in Portland's neighborhoods are the heart and soul of this city. We are alive and well, open for business and visitors. I want us to thrive and make sure this new City Council supports us. I KNOW that what is currently wrong with Portland can be corrected by all that is right with Portland." Sarah Silkie Sarah Silkie Sarah Silkie hails from the Maplewood neighborhood in Southwest Portland. Silkie, 49, is an environmental engineer who grew up in Portland and now works for the city.  This is Silkie’s first run for political office. Silkie is currently part of the Oregon Labor Candidate School. “I’m a middle-class working mom who grew up poor in Portland,” Silkie says. “I've experienced both sides, and now that I have stability, I want to give back to my community.”  Silkie says she’s eager to use her technical background and collaborative approach to help find solutions and shape sensible policy for Portland. “With better management and authentic transparency, I know we can improve core city services and address issues like the housing shortage, fentanyl crisis and global warming,” Silkie says. “I'm a problem solver. I don't just complain about problems; I find solutions that work. Portland is my home, and I want to make sure it's a great place to live for everyone, both now and in the future.” Ciatta Thompson Ciatta Thompson, 45, says she's running to bring a "working class" voice to city hall. Ciatta Thompson "A lot of economic issues are due to our current leadership trying to turn Portland into LA 2.0 for the past decade," Thompson tells the Mercury. "I am from the working class and working poor and too many people are finding themselves in a difficult situation that too often pushes them out of housing due to job loss, long term medical injuries, and a variety of causes of their control which leads to them living on the street and into drugs of despair. " Thompson currently works in Portland's hotel industry, and has a background in urban planning. Her plan for the city is straightforward: "Increase the number of police officers and fully fund Portland Street Response. Arrest individuals that are here to steal, kill and destroy.  Provide wraparound services for individuals that want support to get their lives together," Thompson says. Like several other candidates, Thompson wants Portland to "streamline the permitting process" to increase housing construction and "offer tax incentives to local developers to build affordable workforce housing." The candidate says she wants to see the city lower taxes for small, locally-owned businesses. Thompson also says we need to "fix the Portland brand name nationally and internationally, and develop Portland into the city of the future that attracts top tier employers." John Toran John Toran John Toran grew up in Portland and lives downtown. He’s a small business owner who’s run a cannabis dispensary and draws on a diverse work history to inform his latest quest for public service. “As a small business owner I gained experience in federal and state procurement, hiring from the union hall and retail operations as a dispensary owner. I also learned to add a touch of OJ when making a margarita while bartending in Mexico sin pálpelas,” Toran says.  Toran 48, says he wants to carry on his parents’ and grandparents’ tradition of community involvement to help Portland “get its mojo back” and create a city his two children want to raise their own kids in. “As a resident, property owner, and business owner in District 4, I understand the challenges we face,” Toran says. “Like many in SW, NW, and Sellwood, I see first hand how policy and legislation shape what occurs in our streets and neighborhoods. I also want to work closely with the Auditor to focus on outcomes and keep the Mayor and new City Manager accountable.” This isn’t Toran’s first political bid, but it would be his first time in office. He previously ran for a seat in the Oregon Legislature representing House District 45 in 2001.  Michael Trimble Michael Trimble lives in downtown Portland, not far from Providence Park. He currently works as an assistant property leasing manager. At 38, he aims to make Portland not just a "paradise for the LGBTQ+ community," but a more affordable, safer city for cycling.  Michael Trimble Trimble is an avid cyclist with a remarkable past. Born with no arms, he was placed in an orphanage as a newborn, and eventually adopted by an American evangelical Christian couple in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Trimble has said in past interviews that he suffered abuse in the home of his adoptive parents, and eventually sought help from the state to leave their home. He uses an adaptive bike to get around the city and relies on his feet for many everyday tasks. In 2022, Trimble ran for governor in Oregon, saying the state needed fresh ideas, rather than establishment Democrats.  He says many of the issues he sought to address with his gubernatorial run are fueling his city council bid.  "Two years later housing is still prohibitively too expensive further exacerbating the homeless crisis and by extension the opioid scourge plaguing Portland," Trimble says. "On top of all that bikers are being marginalized with ever increasing dangers..." Trimble says biking, public transit and electric vehicles are "the answer to help fight our run away changing climate." The candidate says he's all too familiar with the city's high cost of living and the struggles renters face. "Too many of them are just one missed paycheck away from homelessness as they live paycheck to paycheck barely treading the waters of sky high costs of living," Trimble says. "As a differently enabled individual myself living without arms, I have experienced my fair share of discrimination having been wrongfully terminated over the use of my adaptive bike." Trimble was fired from a customer service position at Kroger in 2017 after the company allegedly ordered him to carry his bike up stairs to a back entrance, rather than allowing him to wheel his bicycle through a front entrance of the company building in Southeast Portland. He sued the company and later settled.   Andra Vlatvín Andra Vlatvín is running a non-campaign campaign. The candidate is among the two dozen people running in District 4, which includes downtown, the west hills and select Southeast neighborhoods. Vlatvín's platform is largely values based. "Empathy, diversity, longevity and participation" mark the core values on Vlatvín's website, before voters learn about the candidate's policy priorities and pledges not to take donations from fossil fuel or police organizations. Vlatvín's been focused less on traditional fundraising and campaigning, noting they're "intentionally not taking donations to show that ranked-choice voting and the voter pamphlet works." "Instead I am going out to community events and volunteering with the time I would spend fundraising," Vlatvín tells the Mercury. Aside from preparing the city for the impacts of climate change, Vlatvín advocates for harm reduction and a streamlined city permitting process to increase housing density. They also want to see Portland Street Response expanded and a greater focus put on educating the public about how local government works. On homelessness, Vlatvín says city hall needs to collaborate more with local nonprofits and community groups that are "already doing the good work to empower and care for unhoused individuals." "As a local government, there is little we can do to change the financial conditions that allow for people to lose housing," Vlatvín says. On drug addiction, public drug use, and treatment, they say Portland needs to recognize that "drug use is often a symptom of a larger systemic issue." Vlatvín says it's possible to strike a balance, if city leaders approach the issue "from a place of compassion and bodily autonomy while minimizing overall damage to the community at large." Bob Weinstein Bob Weinstein lives in Northwest Portland. Weinstein, 73, is retired and previously served 12 years as mayor of Ketchikan, Alaska. He moved to Portland in 2018 and got involved in his local neighborhood associations shortly thereafter, working on pedestrian safety issues.  Bob Weinstein Weinstein earned a master’s degree in special education from the University of Oregon. He later took a teaching gig in Alaska, traveling by floatplane to teach in rural communities. Weinstein later served as a school superintendent in Alaska.  He also previously worked for US Senator Mark Begich’s state staff, handling constituent services and working on environmental issues affecting the Tongass National Forest. Weinstein said he’s running to represent District 4 because “Portland needs a course correction.” “With all council seats open this November, we have an opportunity to set a new direction,” Weinstein says. “Our city needs proven leadership and fresh solutions to pressing issues like public safety, homelessness, affordable housing, transportation, and climate change.” Eric Zimmerman Eric Zimmerman is the current chief of staff to Multnomah County Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards. Prior to that, he served as the Central City advisor to Mayor Ted Wheeler and previously worked as a staffer for another county commissioner. Eric Zimmerman Zimmerman, an Army veteran and Oregon Army National Guard major, also lists stints as deputy city manager of two Oregon cities, including Tigard. The candidate is well known in Portland City Hall and among current leadership at Multnomah County. He's also singing a familiar tune: Portland is broken and needs returned to its glory days. “Portland’s been through hell and back," Zimmerman said in a campaign announcement. "It’s time we change our story and restore Portland to what it was – and elevate it to what we know it can be." Zimmerman, who ran for county commissioner but lost to Sharon Meieran, says he's launching another bid for public office because he has "the experience to help guide this new council and new form of government and because I believe strong district representation is good for this city.” If campaign donations are any indication, Zimmerman's got clout in the local business and development arena. He's raked in donations from the Schnitzer family and commercial real estate developers, along with a few notable city and county employees (including his current boss, Brim-Edwards). Former Portland mayor and current Multnomah County board candidate Sam Adams has also contributed to Zimmerman's campaign. He cites "threats to public safety, homelessness and public drug use" as the city's most pressing issues. Other accomplishments Zimmerman touts: leading the Central Eastside Industrial District's 90-day reset initiative; ending the county's "foil and straw" distribution to fentanyl users; adding police and private security officers in Old Town, and working with Mayor Wheeler on the city's Temporary Alternative Shelter Site (TASS) plans, among other efforts. Note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated Zimmerman's rank in the National Guard.