What's driving Portland voters this election
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Ian DuPuis speaks with City Council candidate Steve Novick. Photo: Kale Williams/Axios
Portland voters who spoke with Axios said affordability, city spending and public education are driving their decisions at the ballot box.
Why it matters: The issues local voters care about most boil down to what kind of life you can live in a city that's getting more expensive every year.
Zoom in: Axios joined Councilors Steve Novick and Angelita Morillo as they canvassed in District 3 over the last couple of weeks.
- Our goal was less to hear the pitches from the candidates and more to hear what's top of mind for voters.
- Axios spoke with voters or observed candidates' conversations with them, hearing from more than a dozen people. Their concerns offer a snapshot of how locals are feeling.
Zoom out: The City Council races in Districts 3 and 4 are arguably the most consequential on the local ballot, but Portlanders will also be voting on a participatory budgeting measure and two Multnomah County races.
- Check out our voter guide for a full rundown.
What they're saying: Rising living costs were a top concern for many voters. Portland residents face up to $1,500 in new taxes and fees set to take effect over the next year.
- Jennifer Cooke, a Southeast Portland resident, doesn't blame any single councilor for the city's rising costs but said "they haven't made a lot of actual progress" on affordability.
Anger over the potential closures of as many as 14 Portland schools came up repeatedly, with voters asking how the city could afford other projects while the schools were in such a dire state.
- Portland's budget deficit — more than $100 million for two years in a row — also has a direct impact on how they think about putting taxpayer dollars into renovating the Moda Center.
Steph Cleary, a Northeast Portland voter, told Novick that funding a Moda renovation should be near the bottom of the council's priority list.
- "To pay any money into this system while schools are closing is insane," Cleary said.
Between the lines: Funding for Moda and for schools come from different pots of money.
For Ian DuPuis, a lifelong Montavilla resident and Democrat, the election is less about specific issues and more about the changing culture of Portland.
- He said his political views have shifted toward the center since the 2020 racial justice protests, when the toppling of some statues "left a sour taste in my mouth."
The bottom line: DuPuis said his vote will come down to whoever he thinks will create the best environment for his teenage daughter.
- "It's almost in the next generation's hands," he said. "We have to give them the best tools we can."