City Council Members Elected in Districts 3 and 4 Next Year Will Serve Only Two-Year Terms

Some victories last longer than others.

Tony Morse is one of 12 declared candidates for City Council. He's running in District 4. (Allison Barr)
By Sophie Peel

Next fall, Portland voters will elect 12 new city councilors to lead the city.

Here’s a funny wrinkle, however: Candidates running for six of those 12 seats will receive only a two-year term, while the other six secure a full four years. That’s because the city wants to ensure that City Council elections are staggered so as to avoid 13 separate city races every four years (the exact scenario that will occur next fall, when all inaugural elected officials in the city’s new form of government will be elected).

All City Council members representing Districts 3 and 4 will have truncated two-year terms. (Those districts represent inner Southeast west of Interstate 205 and the westside, respectively. See map below.) If they want reelection, they must run again in the fall of 2026.

It also means they have to prove their value to Portlanders faster than the City Council members representing District 1 (all of Portland east of I-205) and District 2 (most of North and Northeast Portland.)

So far, 12 candidates have registered to participate in Small Donor Elections, a city program that matches small campaign contributions with taxpayer dollars with the intent of removing big money from politics. Meet them here.

Labeled Portland District Map (Kelsey Zuberbuehler)

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