Three District 4 incumbents hold lead with 12 candidates in race

Olivia Clark, Eric Zimmerman, and Mitch Green hold the lead in the race for District 4 on the Portland City Council. The three incumbents topped the ballot counts shortly after 8 p.m. on Election Night. Those results remained unchanged when the county elections office released a second round of tallying just after midnight.

The results are preliminary. The county continues to count ballots and conduct additional rounds of tallying for ranked-choice votes. Portland voters used this system for the second consecutive year. Under the rules, three candidates win seats by collecting just over 25 percent of the district’s vote.

The system redistributes votes if a voter’s first choice does not reach that threshold. Their vote then counts toward their next choice. If a candidate exceeds the 25 percent threshold, their surplus votes distribute to their second choice. The exact winning threshold will not be known until all votes are counted.

District 4 covers all neighborhoods west of the Willamette River and a small portion of inner Southeast Portland. In 2024, that threshold required about 19,000 votes. Twelve candidates are running for the three open seats this year.

The field includes the three leading incumbents along with Portland police officer Eli Arnold. Former City Council staffer Jamey Evenstar, construction manager Jeremy Beausoleil Smith, and nonprofit consultant Jayne Cronlund also compete. Clark spent decades leading TriMet government affairs. Zimmerman worked as chief of staff for Multnomah County Commissioner Julia Brim Edwards and served as deputy city manager of Medford. He is a member of the Oregon Army National Guard.

Clark and Zimmerman represent the more moderate side of the council. Green also served in the Army and previously worked as an economist for the Bonneville Power Administration. He is a member of the local Democratic Socialists of America and is considered one of the most progressive councilors. District 4 is one of two city council districts on the November ballot.

Three seats in Southeast Portland’s District 3 are also up for election. The county will update results as the counting process concludes.