One of Three Black Women in the Race
Loretta Smith, photo by Brooke Herbert, courtesy of the Oregonian
Loretta Smith, former Multnomah County Commissioner from 2010 to 2018, is running for Portland City Council for the third time. But with 13 other contenders for the new East Portland District 1 seat, she may be facing an uphill battle. Under the city’s new plan for the council, however, each district will be represented by three people.
Previously, all Portland city councilors were “at-large” and did not represent a specific area of the city. This is the first election where councilors will be elected to represent four geographic districts, in a voter-approved plan.
Portland’s reorganization of the city council expands the council to 12 members who will represent one of four geographical districts. Voters will be able to rank candidates in order of preference, using ranked-choice voting. Three city council members will represent each district.
District 1 has one of the highest populations of Black residents, and Smith told Oregon Public Broadcasting that she is eager to represent that historically underrepresented population.
“I was always trying to make sure that the community’s voice was a part of everything that I did,” Smith said. “That was the mission of what we started out to do. I want to finish that on the City Council.”
Smith lost her bids for city council in 2018 and 2020 and for the U.S. House in Oregon’s 6th District in 2022.
Smith also spent 20 years working for U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden and later was a Multnomah County commissioner from 2011 to 2018. She said all that government experience gives her the experience needed for the job, she said.
"East Portland deserves an experienced leader with a proven record of listening to the people she serves," Smith said in a statement to Willamette Week.
Smith could not be reached to comment for this article, but told OBP she is eager to represent her constituents.
“I’m running to make sure that folks in my district have greater access and input in our local government,” Smith said. “I have a few priorities. But I think my agenda is going to be decided based on the conversations that I have with the constituency in District 1.”
Smith is not the only Black person running for the District 1 seat. Sonja McKenzie is community engagement coordinator at the Oregon Community Foundation, according to the Portland Mercury. Since 2019, she has been president of the Oregon School Boards Association and also serves on the Parkrose School District board and the Multnomah County Library Foundation board, among other volunteer positions.
"I have been a strong advocate for educational equity for students statewide, adequate funding during the legislative session, and supporting the needs for board members to have access to professional development," McKenzie wrote in an email to the Mercury.
"I have been a strong advocate for educational equity for students statewide, adequate funding during the legislative session, and supporting the needs for board members to have access to professional development," McKenzie wrote in an email to the Mercury.
McKenzie said she was inspired to run for a seat on Portland City Council because of the restructuring of city government.
"I care deeply about Portland and want to be a part of the change in the way we make decisions for our community," McKenzie wrote. "I am ready to utilize my years of experience setting policy and engaging with community as an elected official and community engagement professional to bring needed change."
Also running is Candace Avalos, executive director of the environmental justice group Verde, who describes herself as a “Blacktina” since her mother is from Guatemala and her Black father is from Virginia. She said coming from a multiracial family “has shaped my justice-centered values and political identity,” she told the Mercury. “These roots are what sparked my interest in government and politics at an early age.”
East Portland, a growing and evolving community, has been waiting a long time for promises made in city hall to be realized, she said in a news release.
“The only way Portland has ever made progress has been people coming together to make change. For years I have shown my love for this city by being a part of creating real solutions. And now I’m inspired to run for City Council to take it to the next level.”
Avalos said she has "the heart of an advocate, the skills of an executive leader, and the vision for a city that truly works for all Portlanders."
"I have a track record of convening and collaborating with folks with different perspectives to create real solutions on tough issues," she wrote to the Mercury. "I don’t shy away from difficult conversations, nuanced decisions, or complex challenges because I truly believe that is the only way we can make progress."
On November 5, the city is holding general elections for mayor, city auditor, and city council. The filing deadline for this election is August 27.