Resources

We’re a grassroots broad-based coalition of Portlanders across the four City Council districts.

We’ve come together for this election to vet, interview, discuss and endorse a slate of candidates to well represent ALL of Portland.

We’re mothers, fathers, grandparents, healthcare providers, retail store managers, social service administrators, educators, small business owners, environmental engineers, creatives, and retirees. Young and old, our 12 for PDXers represent Portland’s ethnicities, genders, socio-economic levels, longtime Oregonians and more recent arrivals.

We evaluated all 70+ candidates on their record and demonstration of:

• Collaboration

• Real accomplishments

• Relevant life experience

• Fiscal responsibility and

• Broad-based mindset

More detailed description of criteria are here

Our purpose is to encourage election of 12 new city council candidates who are competent, collaborative and results -oriented, and have the skillset and mindset to restore and run our city. 12 for PDX formed to be a resource to voters during this unprecedented election cycle by recommending a slate of candidates who meet criteria that represents the majority of what Portlanders want: safe neighborhoods, clean public spaces, reliable city services, and a supportive local business environment.

12 for PDX was formed and all work vetting, interviewing and evaluating candidates was undertaken entirely by volunteers who have given their time. To cover hard costs associated with graphics and printing, the coalition has undertaken a small fundraising effort from friends and family. 

12 for PDXers reviewed publicly available information on all announced candidates in each district to assess record and demonstration of collaboration, real accomplishments, relevant life experiences, fiscal responsibility, and broad-based mindset. Each district cohort then discussed and ranked candidates to compile a list of semifinalists.

Meetings were scheduled with each semifinalist and candidates were asked to address a comprehensive set of questions. Once interviews were completed for all semifinalists, district cohorts and 12 for PDX came together to review and rank their top choices.

We then finalized and endorsed the 12 for PDX slate.

12 for PDX is unique and unlike any other entity. We are the only grass roots coalition representing a broad cross-section of Portland neighbors who have invested hundreds of hours to vet, interview and evaluate over 80 city council candidates. 

Unlike PACs and other organizations making endorsements in this election, we are not funded by special interests, not beholden to city contracts, and not single issue oriented.  We’re here for ALL of Portland to elect the strongest City Council to lead the city forward at this critical juncture.

There’s not a conversation about the City that we’ve had with our friends, family, neighbors, baristas and small business owners that doesn’t focus on these baseline issues. Unequivocally, we want:

• safe streets and neighborhoods

• clean public spaces, 

• reliable city services for all including mental health and substance abuse services

• a healthy and thriving local business environment

No. We chose to focus our efforts on the City Council race because these are completely new roles, elected through a completely new process, and we have unprecedented number of largely unknown candidates. These three elements make for voter confusion and possible fallout. We want to empower Portland's majority to vote as City Council is critical to how the city runs and recovers. 

In this election, we are electing not just individuals but a small team within each of the four districts. While 12 for PDX strove to have all endorsed candidates meet core criteria, no one candidate has it all. Therefore, it’s important that voters in each district elect three candidates who complement and leverage each other in terms of strengths, work record, lived experience, and diversity of opinion. Our candidate slates reflect that. 

No. 12 for PDX will not raise or contribute money, directly or indirectly, to individual candidates.

Minimally, voters should rank their top three choices for city council to represent their district. In total there are four new district each will have three City Councilors elected. (4X3 = "12 for PDX")