Here are the big races and measures on Portland's May 2024 ballot
A breakdown of county and Metro races and local measures that will be on the May primary ballot in Portland.
Here's a look at the top county and Metro races and local measures that will appear on the May 2024 primary ballot for voters in the Portland area. The information listed here comes from the official Voters' Pamphlets for Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties and the State Voters' Pamphlet or the state campaign finance database.
For up-to-date coverage of the current primary election, head to KGW's main Elections page or visit the Oregon Secretary of State's website. Ballots will be mailed out starting May 1 and are due back by 8 p.m. on May 21. The deadline to register to vote in the election was April 30.
All of the races and ballot measures in this guide are local and non-partisan, which means despite Oregon's closed primary system, these races will appear on every voter's ballot in their respective counties or districts, regardless of party affiliation. For a look at state and federal races, check out KGW's statewide voter guide.
"There is a lot of interest about this election," said Multnomah County Director of Elections Tim Scott. "With the presidential primary and lots of local contests and measures, people are starting to get interested."
One thing that won't be on the ballot this time around: Portland city council races. The city previously held primary elections in May, with the top two finishers in each race facing off in November. But Portland is switching to new form of government with ranked-choice voting, which doesn't require primaries and runoffs; all candidates will appear on the November ballot.
Multnomah County
The race for Multnomah County District Attorney tends to generate the most headlines, but this year's election will also heavily reshape the makeup of the county board of commissioners, with four out of five seats up for grabs and only one of the four incumbents seeking reelection.
County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson's term runs through the end of 2026, but the other four current commissioners were all either elected in 2020 or took office as mid-term replacements, putting their seats on the 2024 ballot.
District Attorney
- Mike Schmidt (incumbent)
- Nathan Vasquez
County Commissioner, District 1
County Commissioner, District 2
County Commissioner, District 3
- Julia Brim-Edwards (incumbent)
- TJ Noddings
County Commissioner, District 4
Washington County
Two Washington County Commission seats are on the ballot this year, along with the office of Sheriff. Current Commissioner Roy Rogers isn't running for reelection, setting up an open race for his seat. Current Sheriff Caprice Massey is running unopposed.
County Commissioner, District 1
- Nafisa Fai (incumbent)
- Jenny Kamprath
County Commissioner, District 3
- Peter Huhtala
- Jason Snider
Washington County Sheriff
- Caprice Massey (incumbent)
Clackamas County
Three Clackamas County Commission seats are on the ballot this year, including Position 1, which serves as the Commission Chair. All three of the current officeholders are running for reelection, as is current Sheriff Angela Brandenburg.
County Commissioner, Position 1 (Chair)
- April Lambert
- Craig Roberts
- Tootie Smith (incumbent)
County Commissioner, Position 3
- Amy Nichols
- Dana Hindman-Allen
- Martha Schrader (incumbent)
County Commissioner, Position 4
- Tina Irvine
- Melissa Fireside
- Rae Gordon
- Mark Shull (incumbent)
Clackamas County Sheriff
- Angela Brandenburg (incumbent)
- Lynn Schoenfeld
- Paul Moore
Metro
Three Metro Council seats are on the ballot this year. All three incumbents are running for reelection, and all three are on the ballot unopposed.
Metro Council, District 3
- Gerritt Rosenthal (incumbent)
Metro Council, District 5
- Mary Nolan (incumbent)
Metro Council, District 6
- Duncan Hwang (incumbent)
Ballot Measures
Portland voters will be asked to weigh in on three ballot measures in May: one from Metro, one from the City of Portland and one from Portland Public Schools.
Metro Measure 26-244: Bonds to protect animal health; provide conservation, education; increase sustainability
The measure would authorize $380 million in bonds to raise funding for the Oregon Zoo, which would be used to update older exhibits, provide educational opportunities and increase heat protection for animals and visitors. The bonds won't raise current tax rates, according to Metro, because they would coincide with previous bonds being paid off.
City of Portland Measure 26-245: Renew Motor Vehicle Fuel Tax for Street Repair, Maintenance, Safety
The measure would renew Portland's gas tax for another four years, raising funding for road maintenance and safety projects. Voters first approved the 10-cents-per-gallon tax in 2016 and renewed it in 2020. If approved, the next round — still set at 10 cents per gallon — is expected to raise $70.5 million over four years.
Portland Public School District Measure 26-246: Levy Renewal to Maintain Teachers and Classroom Support Staff
The measure would renew an existing levy of $1.99 per $1,000 of assessed value for another five years. A home assessed at $275,706 would result in a charge of $45.72 per month. Voters previously renewed the levy at the same rate in 2019. The next round is expected to raise a little over $100 million per year.