Organized, researched, and drafted by Victoria B., Janna T., Cole S., Cay Lynn C., and Josh S.
Introduction
The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is the largest socialist organization in US history, with over 120,000 members nationwide. We believe that the people whose labor built the world should decide its direction and benefit from its resources. That’s why we fight for thriving working-class communities, working-class foreign policy, and working-class democracy.
The Portland, OR chapter is the 4th largest in the country. We have over 3,700 members spread across the City of Portland, Southwest Washington, Clackamas County, East Multnomah County, the Tualatin Valley, and Yamhill County. At the chapter’s October general meeting, members approved the publication of the following voter guide to inform DSA members and allies in the upcoming election.
How to Use this Guide
First, check your voter registration status! You can do that at the Oregon Secretary of State’s My Vote website here. The deadline for making updates is 11:59pm tonight (Tuesday, October 13).
Then, get to know the categories we use. Finally, look at your ballot and scroll down to the Recommendations section below to look for the candidates and ballot measures you’re voting on. Make sure to vote for our endorsed candidates and rank them #1 in ranked-choice races.
Our Categories
This guide places candidates into three categories: endorsed, green light, and red light.
🌹 Endorsed candidates have received a 2/3 endorsement vote from chapter members. Their campaigns coordinate with DSA, and they commit to coordinate with the chapter once they are elected. Vote for our endorsed candidates and rank them #1 in ranked-choice elections. Please sign up to canvass or donate to their campaigns as well.
The chapter has endorsed Portland City Council incumbents Angelita Morillo, Tiffany Koyama-Lane, and Mitch Green, as well as Multnomah County Commission candidate Nathan Ong Norris, Oregon HD 27 Democratic nominee Dr. Tammy Carpenter, and Oregon HD 35 incumbent Farrah Chaichi in this election. We have also endorsed the Your 2 Cents ballot measure in Portland and endorsed a No vote on IL 26-001 and IL 26-638 in Washington.
🟢 A green light means that a candidate supports some chapter priorities, although they are not endorsed. A candidate received a green light if they did not meet any of the red light criteria and met at least two of the following criteria:
- Supports:
- State-level single-payer health care, such as that supported by Health Care for All Oregon
- Universal Pre-K, such as Preschool for All
- Taxing the rich and corporations
- A moratorium and/or ban on data centers
- The Renters’ Bill of Rights (either whole or in part)
- Restoring and expanding funding for public transit
- Lifting the state preemption on local rent control
- The Your 2 Cents ballot measure
🔴 A red light means that a candidate is unacceptable to the chapter. Do not vote for or rank red-light candidates. Candidates received red lights if they met a single one of the following criteria:
- Accepts endorsements or contributions from:
- Police unions
- Police-associated PACs
- Chambers of commerce (such as the Portland Metro Chamber)
- Chamber of commerce-associated PACs
- Fuel storage or shipping companies (Zenith oil, etc.)
- Opposes:
- The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanction (BDS) movement
- Universal Pre-K
- Gender-affirming care
- Taxing the rich and corporations
- The Your 2 Cents ballot measure
- Supports:
- Data centers
- Charter schools or anti-teachers’ union groups.
Most red lights were due to endorsements by corporate PACs. We based our list of red-light PACs on a recent article in The Thorn.
Methodology
We created this guide democratically. In our project proposal and at a series of forums, we decided that we would not include races for Congress, state legislatures, or governor. Leaders of our branches outside of Portland decided what races in their areas should be included.
Our criteria for green and red lights were democratically decided at a member forum. In most cases, we evaluated criteria based on candidates’ public statements. We only contacted campaigns to ask about their positions on state-level universal health care and ending the state moratorium on local rent control.
The forums also decided other details of the format and process. A handful of volunteers researched and drafted the guide ahead of the October general meeting, where it was approved for publication by a majority of chapter members in attendance.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Portland City Council District 3
🌹 Tiffany Koyama Lane (ENDORSED – RANK #1 OR #2)
Tiffany is an award-winning educator, leader in the Portland Association of Teachers, and Democratic Socialist. During her first year in office, she served as Council Vice President. She used her position to strengthen our sanctuary city status and passed the Protect Portland Initiative to keep federal troops out. Make sure to rank Tiffany #1 or #2 alongside Angelita. To learn more about her, make a donation, or sign up to canvass, visit her website.
🌹 Angelita Morillo (ENDORSED – RANK #1 OR #2)
Angelita is an anti-hunger advocate, Constituent Services Specialist, and Democratic Socialist. She has been unhoused and has never owned a car. In her first term in office, she banned AI price fixing for corporate landlords, created an office to protect immigrants’ data from federal overreach, and called out abuse in Urban Alchemy shelters. Make sure to rank Angelita #1 or #2 alongside Tiffany. To learn more about her, make a donation, or sign up to canvass, visit her website.
🟢 Esther León (Green Light)
Supports Your 2 Cents, expanding funding for public transit, and a data center moratorium.
🟢 Cristal Otero (Green Light)
Supports allowing local rent control and statewide single-payer health care.
🟢 Tom Sollitt (Green Light)
Supports allowing local rent control and statewide single-payer health care.
🔴 Steve Novick (Red Light)
Endorsed by United for Portland and Future Portland.
🔴 Kellie Torres (Red Light)
Endorsed by United for Portland and Future Portland.
🔴 Heart Free Pham (Red Light)
Opposes universal pre-K and taxing the rich.
🔴 Martin Ward (Red Light)
Opposes taxing the rich and gender-affirming care.
Portland City Council District 4
🌹 Mitch Green (ENDORSED – RANK #1)
Mitch is an economist, anti-war army veteran, and a Democratic Socialist, and has also been endorsed by DSA nationally. In his first term in office, he has secured a historic investment in social housing, supported striking workers, and recently introduced a proposal to give relief to small businesses by taxing mega corporations. He is running for reelection to deliver social housing, climate justice and resilience, welcoming communities, trickle-up economic development, and government for the people. Make sure to rank Mitch #1 on your ballot. To learn more about him, make a donation, or sign up to canvass, visit his website.
🟢 Jamey Evenstar (Green Light)
Supports Your 2 Cents, expanding funding for public transit, allowing local rent control and statewide single-payer health care.
🟢 Jeremy Beausoleil Smith (Green Light)
Supports a data center moratorium, the Renters’ Bill of Rights, allowing local rent control and statewide single-payer health care.
🟢 Matt Schulte (Green Light)
Supports allowing local rent control and statewide single-payer health care.
🟢 Josh Leake (Green Light)
Supports allowing local rent control and statewide single-payer health care.
🔴 Eli Arnold (Red Light)
Endorsed by Go Portland Go and Future Portland.
🔴 Olivia Clark (Red Light)
Endorsed by the Portland Police Association, United for Portland, and Future Portland.
🔴 Eric Zimmerman (Red Light)
Endorsed by the Portland Police Association, United for Portland and Future Portland.
Multnomah County Commission District 2
🌹 Nathan Ong Norris (ENDORSED – RANK #1)
Nathan is a hazardous waste technician, union member, community organizer, and Democratic Socialist. He is a first-time candidate running to protect Preschool for All, improve housing stability through measures like social housing, and protect our environment. Make sure to rank Nathan #1 on your ballot. To learn more about him, make a donation, or sign up to canvass, visit his website.
🟢 Bri Williams (Green Light)
Supports Preschool for All, allowing local rent control, and statewide single-payer health care.
🟢 Tony Robertson (Green Light)
Supports allowing local rent control and statewide single-payer health care.
🔴 Serena Cruz (Red Light)
Endorsed by United for Portland.
🔴 Herman Greene (Red Light)
Endorsed by Future Portland.
🔴 Nabil Zaghloul (Red Light)
Endorsed by Future Portland.
Multnomah County Chair
🟢 Shannon Singleton (Green Light)
Supports Preschool for All, allowing local rent control, and statewide single-payer health care.
🔴 Julia Brim-Edwards (Red Light)
Endorsed by United for Portland and Future Portland.
🔴 Sharon Meieran (Red Light)
Endorsed by Future Portland.
Clark County Council District 2
🔴 Michelle Belkot (Red Light)
Opposes gender-affirming care and taxing the rich.
Hillsboro City Council Ward 1
🟢 Diana Jackson (Green Light)
Supports allowing local rent control and statewide single-payer health care.
🔴 Sarah Marugg (Red Light)
Endorsed by the Hillsboro Police Officers’ Association.
Hillsboro City Council Ward 2
🟢 Karim Delgado (Green Light)
Supports a data center moratorium, parts of the Renters’ Bill of Rights, allowing local rent control and statewide single-payer health care.
🔴 Ivette Pantoja (Red Light)
Endorsed by the Washington County Chamber of Commerce PAC, the Hillsboro Police Officers’ Association, and the Portland Metropolitan Association of Realtors.
Hillsboro City Council Ward 3
🔴 Titonian Wallace Sr. (Red Light)
Endorsed by the Washington County Chamber of Commerce PAC and the Hillsboro Police Officers’ Association.
Beaverton City Council Position 1
🟢 Evelyn Kocher (Green Light)
Supports parts of the Renters’ Bill of Rights, expanding funding for public transit, taxing the rich, allowing local rent control, and statewide single-payer health care.
🔴 Rachel Philip (Red Light)
Endorsed by the Beaverton Chamber of Commerce.
Washington County Commission District 4
🟢 Kipperlyn Sinclair (Green Light)
Supports a data center moratorium, allowing local rent control, and statewide single-payer health care.
🔴 Steve Callaway (Red Light)
Endorsed by the Portland Metro Chamber and the Washington County Chamber of Commerce PAC.
Washington County Commission At-Large
🟢 Nafisa Fai (Green Light)
Supports expanding funding for public transit and a data center moratorium.
🔴 Pam Treece (Red Light)
Endorsed by the Portland Metro Chamber, the Washington County Chamber of Commerce PAC, the Hillsboro Police Officers’ Association, and the Portland Metropolitan Association of Realtors.
Oregon House District 27
🌹 Tammy Carpenter (ENDORSED)
Tammy is a retired physician, school-board member, and a Democratic Socialist, and has also been endorsed by DSA nationally. She is running to champion statewide single-payer health care, fully-funded public schools, the Renters’ Bill of Rights, a data center moratorium, abolishing ICE, and a Green New Deal. To learn more about her, make a donation, or get involved, visit her website.
Oregon House District 35
🌹 Farrah Chaichi (ENDORSED)
Farrah is a human rights advocate and Democratic Socialist. In the 2026 short session, she used one of her two allotted bills to introduce and pass identification requirements for federal officers (or suspected imitators) at the state level. She is running for reelection to guarantee housing, health care, a habitable planet, unions, and education for all. To learn more about her, make a donation, or get involved, visit her website.
Ballot Measures
Your 2 Cents
🌹 VOTE YES (ENDORSED)
The Your 2 Cents ballot measure would allow Portlanders to decide how to spend the equivalent of 2% of the city’s discretionary budget through a participatory budgeting process. Participatory budgeting is already used by 7,000 local jurisdictions around the world. To learn more about the measure, donate to the campaign, or get involved, visit the website.
WA IL26-001 and IL26-638
🌹 VOTE NO (ENDORSED)
These Washington state initiatives would require teachers to out LGBTQ+ children to their parents and impose genital inspections on students wanting to participate in girls’ sports. Our chapter voted overwhelmingly to recommend a No vote on both. You can learn more on this website.
Ballots will be mailed out October 14th, so once you get yours, we encourage you to
VOTE!