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The Portland Police Association, which represents sworn police officers in the Portland Police Bureau, has quietly endorsed Portland City Council candidates running in Districts 1 and 4, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
While the police union hasn’t publicly announced whom it’s supporting and declined to provide a list to WW, union president Aaron Schmautz confirmed PPA had made endorsements in District 1, which includes all of Portland east of Interstate 205, and District 4, which covers the westside and a small portion of Southeast.
The union endorsed only one candidate in District 1, at the city’s eastern edge: Terrence Hayes, a small business owner and formerly incarcerated Black man whose cousin, Quanice Hayes, was shot and killed by a Portland police officer in 2017.
PPA endorsed four candidates in District 4 on Portland’s westside: addiction recovery advocate Tony Morse; legislative advocate Olivia Clark; Eric Zimmerman, the chief of staff for Multnomah County Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards; and Eli Arnold, who is a bike cop and a member of the union.
The union has not yet endorsed in District 2, which covers North and Northeast Portland, or District 3, which covers most of Southeast. Schmautz says the union is still reviewing those candidates.
An endorsement by PPA carried some baggage during the 2020 racial justice protests after a police officer murdered George Floyd in Minneapolis. But as Portland’s public sentiment has warmed to police—and, in fact, appears to support bolstering officer ranks—an endorsement might be welcomed by more candidates.
In a statement, Clark said of her endorsement: “Public safety is a primary responsibility of local government whether it is on the streets, in our neighborhoods, or in our homes.”
Morse says he’s proud to receive the union’s endorsement: “Those of us who have worked in addiction and recovery policy understand that police officers and behavioral health professionals both play an essential role in solving Portland’s addiction crisis.”
Zimmerman says he’s “happy to have the endorsement,” adding that “I know we can work together and I’m looking forward to it.”
The union endorsed City Commissioner Rene Gonzalez last month in the mayoral race.