Portland, Oregon, swears in new government and mayor who campaigned to end homelessness

A businessman with no experience in public office is taking over as mayor of Oregon’s biggest city as it embraces an entirely new system of government — one that’s so different, the City Council chambers had to be completely renovated.

Portland voters last month elected Keith Wilson, a trucking company executive and founder of a nonprofit working to increase homeless shelter capacity. He ran on an ambitious pledge to end unsheltered homelessness within a year and will be sworn in Thursday alongside a council expanded from five seats to 12.

Portland is contending with homelessness, public drug use and a rising cost of living.

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Wilson, a Portland native, plans to reach his goal of ending unsheltered homelessness by increasing the number of nighttime walk-in emergency shelters in facilities such as churches and community centers.

His message appeared to have resonated in a city where surveys conducted over the past few years have shown that residents view homelessness as a top issue. He ran against three outgoing City Council members.

The mayoral race, which featured 19 candidates, was thrown open when Mayor Ted Wheeler decided against seeking reelection after holding the city’s top post since 2017. Wheeler rose to national prominence in 2020 as nightly protests erupted on Portland streets and around the country in response to the police killing of George Floyd.

The field of candidates in council races was crowded as well, with nearly 100 running for the new seats that were elected by voters in individual districts rather than citywide.

The 130-year-old City Hall was renovated for $8.3 million to accommodate the increase in members. The new dais can now seat 12 people; floor layouts were changed to create more office space; and technology, seismic and accessibility updates were added throughout the building.

“Remodeling council chambers is a once-in-a-generation activity,” Maty Sauter, director of Portland’s Bureau of Fleet and Facilities, told the outgoing City Council as it held its last meeting on Wednesday in the new chambers. “We’ve been able to reuse this 1895 facility and make it modern, contemporary and useful.”

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It’s going to take time for the new government to figure out which of the many changes are working, said Chris Shortell, associate professor of political science at Portland State University.

In another first for City Hall, Wilson and the incoming Council members were elected under Portland’s new system of ranked-choice voting. A candidate would win if they were the first choice of more than 50% of voters in the first round. Otherwise, a second round would eliminate the candidate with the fewest votes and their supporters’ votes go to their next choice. The process would repeat until someone emerges with a majority of votes.

Some 34% of voters ranked Wilson as their first choice, according to final results.

The new City Council will hold its first meeting in January.