Dear Portlanders,

The first time I heard about Portland I felt an electric shock run through me. I was 19 and camping on the Homer Spit working the halibut season in a fish processing plant. My Portlander neighbors had an old army tent with rugs and furniture and a battery-powered turntable cranking out classics like “Brandy”. The city took my breath away when I first visited; it might have been because I caught a stray elbow at a rock show, but it was all in good fun. I had always been worried about getting trapped in other places, but Portland felt like home.

There was a palpable sense of possibility in the air. People were starting businesses and bands. A polluted old rail yard in Northwest turned into a new neighborhood.

It was a heady time to be a young political staffer in Portland City Hall. 

My first project in Portland was organizing over a hundred community meetings to build support for our first big local investment in affordable housing. I learned my way around, navigating between meetings in church basements, community rooms and schools. I was struck by the quality of those conversations. People were curious about the project, and they were kind. It was fun, and it was productive because the Housing Investment Fund happened. 

It dawned on me then that I had not only found a home, but also, I had found my calling. Over the course of the next ten years, I learned as much as I could about the city. Every time I answered my phone, another adventure ensued. I worked on issues as diverse as telecommunications policy and crafting legislation to address a guy who decided it was a good idea to have a tiger in his backyard. 

In case you are starting to wonder, I’m not just writing to share my fascinating life story. I’m writing because I want to be your next Mayor. I’m going to wrap that part up now, but first a couple more quick accomplishments: I helped my friend Chloe get elected because it was clear we needed to do more to protect renters from runaway cost increases; I helped pass the Metro Supportive Housing Services and the Portland Clean Energy Fund measures because homelessness is our biggest problem and clean energy is our greatest opportunity. 

I’ll bring a deep well of experience and a track record of success to the Mayor’s office. I’ll be ready on day one. Much more importantly, I’ll bring energy, optimism and a passionate devotion to working with others to get things done. 

That’s my cue to ask for your help! Please use the buttons below to donate to the campaign, schedule a time to connect, get some campaign gear and/or sign up to volunteer. 

Thank you, and lots of love,

Marshall