Our top three picks for the District 3 City Council race—ranked for your convenience. by The Mercury Election Strike Force [Hello! You know, putting these endorsements together takes LOTS of hard work—and that's on top of our regular excellent reporting. Show your appreciation for the Mercury with a small contribution, please, and thank you!—eds] District 3 encompasses most of Southeast Portland west of I-205 and east of the river. It includes the Buckman, Woodstock, Laurelhurst, Montavilla, and Mt. Scott-Arleta neighborhoods, among others. It’s also home to some of the city’s most walkable and recognizable shopping and dining hubs. Small businesses are central to the district’s vibrancy. Top concerns in District 3 range from homelessness in the central city, to housing affordability, treatment and detox centers, and the redevelopment of 82nd Avenue. Candidates in District 3 will serve two-year terms. 1) ANGELITA MORILLO Morillo is whip smart and innovative. She currently works as a policy advocate at Partners For a Hunger-Free Oregon. Prior to that, she worked in constituent services for former Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty. Her ability to connect with Portlanders and engage them on critical issues is unparalleled, as evidenced by her popular TikTok videos and social media following. She was the first candidate to garner enough donations to unlock $80,000 in matching funds from the city’s Small Donor Election Program. If elected, Morillo would provide representation for voters under 30 that we rarely see in local government.  But it’s not just her knack for engaging Gen Z and millennial voters, or gathering likes on social media that sets her apart. Morillo’s innate understanding of how Portland has been governed and the impacts of its policies is hard to match. When asked about solutions to the affordable housing crisis, Morillo is quick to point out a few sources of skyrocketing rents (like arbitrary rental income databases) that could and should be nixed. Morillo, who was briefly unhoused while in college, also understands the nuanced and compassionate approach required to help get people off the streets and into shelter and housing. She’s also familiar with the barriers and harmful city practices that prevent people from accessing basic services and housing. Morillo is nothing if not grounded and resolute. Her campaign has proven that if given the chance, she’ll hit the ground running. Steve Novick courtesy novick campaign 2) STEVE NOVICK Steve Novick is a familiar face in Portland politics. He served on Portland City Council from 2013-2017. During that time, Novick passed a trailblazing CEO tax that penalizes companies who pay their CEOs 100 times the salary of the company’s average worker. It inspired other cities to follow suit. Novick also oversaw the Portland Bureau of Transportation and worked tirelessly to find new funding sources for the bureau. He created the 10-cent-per-gallon gas tax. It was a sorely needed new revenue stream for the struggling bureau. Voters renewed the tax in May.  Novick acknowledges the tax is a drop in the bucket and will merely “slow the bleeding” of PBOT’s budget crisis. He now says we should explore how to get more localized revenue from state registration fees, and charge based on the size and type of vehicle. In other words, he’s coming to the table with practical solutions. He’s also the force that got a gate installed on the Vista Bridge to prevent frequently occurring suicides. After he was ousted by Chloe Eudaly in 2016, Novick, an environmental attorney who previously worked for the US Department of Justice and the Oregon Attorney General’s Office, was quick to point out the flaws in Portland’s government system. The outdated commission form of government left each bureau with only one champion at City Hall, which negatively impacted city services. Now, under a modernized governing system, he’s eager to help fix things.  Novick is one of the rare candidates who can bridge the gap between Portland’s progressives and moderates.  We know what some of you are thinking: We too were skeptical when he was endorsed by the Portland Police Association. It’s arguably the most powerful union in the city, and has advanced efforts to claw back Portland’s new citizen-led police accountability and oversight system.  Typically, labor groups endorse candidates that are likely to champion their union’s priorities. In this case, we need someone who can balance the needs of Portland’s police with the need for greater accountability and transparency. Novick explained that he didn’t feel right ignoring the questions and concerns of hundreds of city employees. He said he answered their questions in earnest and the PPA later voiced their support. We don’t fault him for that.  Novick has proven he’s got the city’s best interests in mind and isn’t afraid to try new things. He’d bring much-needed experience and vision to City Hall at a time of extreme transition. Tiffany Koyama Lane courtesy lane campaign 3) TIFFANY KOYAMA LANE Tiffany Koyama Lane’s background as an educator gives her unique insight into the challenges kids and families are facing. Aside from being a K-5 teacher at Sunnyside Elementary, Koyama Lane is an organizer for her union, the Portland Association of Teachers. Before mounting her run for office, she volunteered with the Preschool For All measure, which voters passed in 2020. The county program now offers free, culturally responsive preschool for 3- and 4-year olds. Her policies and priorities are centered on people, not politics. She shared her experience of seeing a large encampment near her school get repeatedly swept and displaced with no positive outcome. “I watched this group of people and their things get swept back and forth several times between Sunnyside and Laurelhurst Park,” Koyama Lane told the Mercury. “No one thought that there should be an encampment next to an elementary school. But until we provide real, genuine options for housing–not a night in a jail bed that doesn’t exist, or a fine levied on someone who is already broke–a camping ban is just shuffling people around and making life a little bit harder every step of the way.” Koyama Lane is not only empathetic, she’s curious, collaborative, and outgoing. Those are traits that will be essential to ensure the city’s new Council listens to and reflects the needs of constituents and that our new governing system truly works to serve Portlanders. We think Koyama Lane is someone who can hold herself and others accountable, while building coalitions that will help move our city forward.  Other Impressive Candidates of Note: Chris Flanary - Our endorsement strike force was majorly impressed with Flanary and it was a tough call deciding how to rank candidates in this district. In fact, we’re still squabbling over it, but at some point, this baby needed to hit the printer. Flanary works for the Portland Housing Bureau and has a background in union organizing. Their deep knowledge of the city’s housing landscape and forthcoming redevelopment projects, as well as the intersection of homelessness, addiction, and behavioral health could be vital as Portland scrambles to address its often overlapping crises. If elected, Flanary would be the first openly non-binary member of City Council. Rex Burkholder - To some, Rex Burkholder might be familiar from his time serving on the Metro Council for more than a decade. To most, he’s known as the founder of the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, now known as The Street Trust. Aside from being a major catalyst in Portland’s bike movement, Burkholder also founded the Coalition for a Livable Future. His decades of experience in climate and transportation policy would be invaluable to the city. Not to mention, he’s a pretty nice guy. Jesse Cornett - Jesse Cornett has an eclectic background. After joining the US Army Reserves and Oregon National Guard, he landed jobs working for Congressman Earl Blumenauer, former Oregon Secretary of State Bill Bradbury, and later, for Sen. Bernie Sanders. More recently, he’s served on the board of Oregon Recovers and worked as a college professor. Cornett’s history centers on civic engagement (he worked on the Oregon Bus Project, now known as Next Up) and the pursuit of progressive public policy.  The Mercury Election Strike Force is news editor Courtney Vaughn, reporter Taylor Griggs, arts & culture editor Suzette Smith, and editor-in-chief Wm. Steven Humphrey.