for City Council.
(Photo: Mary Nolan campaign)
Political action committee Bike Walk Vote has just announced their endorsements for Portland City Council and Metro Council.
The group endorses Mary Nolan for Portland City Council Position #1. Nolan, a former Oregon state legislator, is looking to unseat incumbent Amanda Fritz. Bike Walk Vote Co-Chair Evan Manvel says Nolan, “has taken tough positions in support of green and active transportation.” Manvel also cited the “tough votes” Nolan took in opposition to “highway-heavy transportation plans” and her opposition to the Columbia River Crossing project.
For City Council Position #4, Bike Walk Vote has endorsed Steve Novick. Novick ran for a Senate seat in 2010 (which he lost to Jeff Merkley) and he is considered a relative shoe-in for this Council spot. His main challenger is neighborhood activist Jeri Williams. In announcing their decision, Bike Walk Vote Co-Chair Peter Welte said Novick, “has been a champion of public health for decades,” and that he, “deeply understands the intersection of community health with healthy transportation and land use planning.”
If all three of Bike Walk Vote’s City Council endorsements end up winning (they’ve chosen Jefferson Smith for mayor), we’ll have a new majority making decisions in Portland.
There are three spots up for grabs on the Metro Council. In those races, Bike Walk Vote has endorsed Sam Chase for District 5, Tigard mayor Craig Dirksen for District 3, and the former head of land-use non-profit 1000 Friends of Oregon Bob Stacey for District 6.
All of the candidates endorsed by Bike Walk Vote will attend a party tonight at Crank bike shop (2725 SE Ash Street) beginning at 7:00 pm. Everyone is welcome to attend. There will be great conversations as well as free beer and snacks. See you there!
— Stay tuned for more coverage of these candidates as the May 15th primary approaches.