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Chamber announces 2026 primary candidate endorsements

April 2026

We urge you to support the campaigns below by making a donation, talking with your friends, engaging on social media, knocking on doors, making calls, and returning your ballot by May 19.

At its best, Portland’s progressive values are an economic strength — making it one of the most livable, welcoming, creative and vibrant cities in the nation.

But we can go too far to the leftist fringes of politics and undermine the very things we say we stand for. Progressive isn’t anti-business, anti-growth, or anti-accountability. It isn’t punishing, divisive taxation policy or performative radicalism. At its core, progressivism is about solutions.

At our best, Portland delivers high quality public services to ensure that every resident can prosper. At our best, Portland offers a safe place to raise a family, excellent public schools, thriving businesses, well-maintained infrastructure like roads and parks, and an affordable place to call home or a clear path to one for every resident. That’s the Portland where the public and private sectors collaborate to solve problems, and our progressive values and prosperity reinforce each other.

Today, Portland falls short on every one of these measures — yet the loudest voices keep pushing us further down the failed path that created these problems.

Portland is at an economic crossroads, and our elected leaders must reckon with three economic realities:

  1. The promise of the Oregon Trail is dead. Population growth is no longer guaranteed. For the first time in our country’s history we have lost population, and Portland must now compete with every other metro region for fewer residents, businesses, jobs, and investment.
  2. We must build more housing. The region is at a breaking point with housing production nearly stalled. To address Portland’s housing affordability crisis, we must actively encourage private sector development.
  3. Portland must retain, grow and attract business to fund quality public services. Business and personal income tax revenue fund public services, and city and county budgets are being slashed because we’ve driven away investment with high taxes that haven’t delivered results. More taxes will only deepen the hole — we need to reform our tax burden to be in line with our peers.

Economic uncertainty is top of mind for voters as demonstrated in our latest voter polling results. The Chamber endorses the candidates below because they understand these realities. They are committed to driving the region’s recovery and growth through accountability, transparency, urgency, and collaboration.

It’s time to restore Portland’s progressive credibility. And that starts with rejecting leftist extremism and electing true progressives committed to solutions.

Oregon Legislature, the Chamber endorses:

Washington County Commission, the Chamber endorses:

Clackamas County Commission, the Chamber endorses:

Metro Council, the Chamber endorses: