BIPOC and Progressive Table Launches Campaign

The PAC says Rubio is best pick for mayor, urges voters not to rank Gonzalez.

Maja Viklands Harris Avatar
City Commissioner Carmen Rubio
Carmen Rubio is the PAC’s pick for mayor

A table of community-based organizations serving Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC), along with progressive groups, has launched a campaign promoting its endorsement slates for Portland’s city races.

Featuring both mailers and an online voter guide, the campaign is convened by Building Power for Communities of Color, the political arm of the Coalition of Communities of Color, a nonprofit that spearheaded the public input process for Portland’s charter reform measure and later led the successful campaign to pass it on the 2022 ballot.

“We know that to realize the potential of the voter-approved charter changes, voters need thorough information about the candidates running to represent them,” said Jenny Lee, Managing Director of Building Power. 

The voter guide, funded by the Portland Voter Guide PAC, urges voters to rank City Commissioner Carmen Rubio as their first choice for Portland mayor. Notably, it discourages support for City Commissioner Rene Gonzalez, claiming he “represents everything that’s broken about Portland politics.”

In District 1, the PAC has endorsed sustainability advocate Candace Avalos, transit and biking advocates Steph Routh and Timur Ender, and music advocate Jamie Dunphy.

For District 2, the PAC backs Portland Public School Board member Michelle DePass, Tiffany Penson and Sameer Kanal, both holding leadership roles within the City of Portland, and Nat West, a cider entrepreneur.

In District 3, the PAC endorsed teacher and union organizer Tiffany Koyama Lane, anti-hunger advocate Angelita Morillo, and former City Commissioner Steve Novick.

For District 4, the endorsed candidates are economist and environmentalist Mitch Green, Rose City Chess founder Chad Lykins, and City of Portland manager Lisa Freeman.

The PAC also provides information for additional candidates and does not discourage voters from ranking any City Council candidates.

In addition to Building Power for Communities of Color, supporting organizations include APANO Action Fund, Color PAC, Latino Network Action Fund, Next Up Action Fund, Oregon Chapter of the Sierra Club, East County Rising, and others. According to filings with the Oregon Secretary of State, the Portland Voter Guide PAC has raised approximately $160,000.

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