FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, July 23, 2024

PORTLAND, OR — The Oregon Working Families Party has announced its first round of endorsements for Portland City Council. The following candidates were endorsed after a thorough endorsement process that engaged party members, union leaders, and community leaders: 

District 1: Candace Avalos, Steph Routh, Timur Ender

District 2: Nat West

District 3: Tiffany Koyama Lane, Angelita Morillo

District 4: Mitch Green

“This year we have a unique opportunity in Portland for the first time to have a truly representative City Council. We are thankful for the work of the commission to strengthen district representation and implement ranked-choice voting,” said Annie Naranjo-Rivera, Oregon State Director for the Working Families Party. “Our party is proud to be supporting candidates who share the WFP’s values and demonstrate a true commitment to positive change in their communities.”

“This year we’re excited to not only have candidates from Portland and across the 1-5 corridor, but to have brought on a new Oregon State Director to focus on electing candidates up and down the ticket whose issue priorities are rooted in their lived experience,” said Vanessa Clifford, Northwest Regional Director for the Working Families Party. “We’re proud of many of our recent wins, including Vinc Jones-Dixon’s victory in the Multnomah County Commissioner’s race, and we’re still fighting to get Shannon Singleton and Meghan Moyer onto the County Commission.”

“I am incredibly honored to receive the endorsement of the Working Families Party. This endorsement reflects our shared vision for a future where everyone, regardless of their background, has the opportunity to thrive,” said Candace Avalos (District 1). “Together, we will fight for a more just, equitable, and inclusive Portland.”

“I grew up in a working-class neighborhood in East Portland. It forged me. I am thrilled to receive the Working Families Party’s endorsement, so together we can advance policies that allow all our neighbors a future of self-determination and dignity,” said Steph Routh (District 1).

“East Portland families face greater pressures around park access, tree canopy, public transit, housing displacement, gun violence, and traffic crashes. The disinvestment and lack of representation for our East Portland neighborhoods has translated into decreased safety and lower life expectancy for our families. This is unacceptable and within our power to fix,” said Timur Ender (District 1). “As a candidate from a working family, I am honored by this endorsement and committed to fighting for a strong future for our East Portland families.”

“I’m thrilled to receive the WFP endorsement,” said Nat West (District 2). “Together, we’ll champion affordable housing, stable and fair workplaces, and increased mental health resources for all who need it. Let’s make Portland a city where everyone thrives—no magic wand required, just hard work and determination.”

 “I am so proud to have the endorsement of the Working Families Party and thrilled to share this honor with candidates whose values align with mine. As a proud BIPOC working mom I know that WFP is one of our most powerful organizations for supporting workers and families, changing the calculus at the ballot box, and strengthening the multiracial working class.” said Tiffany Koyama Lane (District 3). 

“Being a first-generation immigrant who was raised by a single mother influenced my political views. As an anti-hunger policy advocate who has faced homelessness and hunger myself, I know what it means to not be served by systems that prioritize profits over people,” said Angelita Morillo (District 3). “I am beyond ecstatic to be endorsed by the Working Families Party of Oregon because they’ve always fought for my community and my neighbors.” 

“The Oregon Working Families Party is committed to the idea that we should not shy away from the fight for social and economic justice. That’s why I’m so excited to receive this endorsement, because I share that commitment. I’m running for Portland City Council District 4, because I think Portlanders share those values, but are looking for champions to stand up for them in City Hall and do the work of moving us forward,” said Mitch Green (District 4). “We’re in a moment where democracy itself is at stake, so I’m grateful to receive the support of an organization that knows it’s time to go big and show folks we can still do big things.”

The Working Families Party is the grassroots political party of the multi-racial working class, fighting for a nation that cares for all of us. Over the past twenty-six years, it has elected thousands of progressive leaders at every level of government in states across the country.