PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – The newly-elected members of Portland’s city government were officially sworn in Thursday, marking a historic transition that will define the city’s future after an election with ranked-choice voting.
Mayor-elect Keith Wilson was voted into office using Portland’s new ranked-choice voting system, along with a handful of commissioners who will serve as the first round of elected officials under Portland’s government restructuring.
A voter-approved ballot measure in 2022 changed Portland’s bureaucratic structure from a commission form of government to a representative form of government, meaning the City of Portland will no longer be led by four commissioners elected at large.
Starting in January, 12 councilors will lead the city in representation of four districts throughout the city. The city councilors also won’t be in control of individual bureaus, as it was in the previous form of government.
Instead, the elected city councilors will focus on creating laws while individual bureaus will be controlled by a city administrator, and deputy city administrators, underneath the mayor’s office.
The role of the mayor will also change as the position will no longer be part of the city council or vote alongside them.
During the final city council meeting of 2024, Mayor Ted Wheeler and Commissioners Mingus Mapps, Carmen Rubio and Rene Gonazlez said their goodbyes — leaving Dan Ryan as the lone remaining member. It is unclear where these outgoing city leaders will be working next.
The Oath of Office was administered by Oregon Court of Appeals Judge Darlene Ortega.
Mayor Keith Wilson
District 1 (East Portland):
Jamie Dunphy
Candace Avalos
Loretta Smith
District 2 (North and NE Portland):
Dan Ryan
Elana Pirtle-Guiney
Sameer Kanal
District 3 (SE Portland):
Tiffany Koyama Lane
Angelita Morillo
Steve Novick
District 4 (Downtown, South and SW Portland):
Eric Zimmerman
Mitch Green
Olivia Clark
A diverse group in terms of ethnicity, income and political experience, this version of Portland City Council is expected to face a number of problems in the city from homelessness to the economy.
“It can be a little bit intimidating,” said Angelita Morillo of District 3. “But I think we just have to understand that we are building a new government that has to last for the next 100 years, god willing, and we've got to take our time and do it right, and I think we have the right people in place to do that.”
But all of them expressed that they are ready to get started.
“I was a big believer in districts. I'm a Portland-born boy — glad to see districts in my lifetime,” District 4’s Eric Zimmerman said. “I think it's super important to have a city government that actually represents every quadrant of the city.”
The mayor-elect and incoming city councilors are set to work through an intensive onboarding program led by City Administrator Michael Jordan. This city council under a new government will have its first official council meeting on Jan. 2, 2025.
