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Cynthia Castro, a policy advisor to city Commissioner Amanda Fritz, has joined the increasingly crowded field seeking to replace the late Commissioner Nick Fish.
Castro joins 13 other candidates in the race, including three who have held elected office: Metro Councillor Sam Chase; former Multnomah County Commissioner Loretta Smith; and Dan Ryan a former member of the Portland School Board.
"I am running for City Council because I want Portlanders, especially youth, to be hopeful, I want them to know that their voices matter and that their City leaders are putting the health, safety, and well-being of our community above all else," Castro said in a statement. "I want to connect more Portlanders to their local government and build greater trust by following through with commitments made and being transparent throughout processes and programs."
Castro started her career as a coach at Oregon State University, where she assisted with women's cross country and distance track programs. She also has a Master's in Public Health.
Since coming to City Hall, she has worked with Fritz on a variety of initiatives.
"Commissioner Fritz has been such a great mentor to me," Castro said in a statement. "My experience working at the city for the past six years will help me be ready on day one if elected to Council."
Before joining Fritz's office a year ago, Castro worked for Portland Parks & Recreation employee for five years. She most recently served as the director of the Charles Jordan Community Center in North Portland and oversaw a budget of more than $1 million.
Following a significant Portland Parks & Recreation 2019 budget shortfall, Castro says if elected she will focus her efforts largely on getting the department back on track.
She also hopes to "work to ensure all Portlanders, especially historically marginalized communities, have access to their City government and have their basic needs met like clean drinking water, clean air, housing and living wage jobs."