We’re back with a bonus episode of Stump Talk, taking you inside City Hall with two savvy reporters as your guides.
Joining us are repeat guests Shane Kavanaugh of The Oregonian and Sophie Peel of Willamette Week. Tune in for their take on the “first day of school vibes” as Portland’s new government finds its footing.
“It’s just completely different stepping into Portland City Hall in 2025 compared to a year or two ago,” says Shane Kavanaugh. “We have had an absolute clean break with the old, and it feels all new.”
He describes an environment buzzing with officeholders, bureaucrats, and journalists, all adjusting to a new system and emerging norms:
“There’s definitely some ‘first day of school’ vibes in that building.”
“A bit of naivete”
Sophie Peel paints a similar picture of a cohort of new officeholders still riding the high of their victories while beginning to confront a projected $27 million budget shortfall.
“Right now, there is a bit of a naivete about this new council,” Peel says. “All these city councilors who ran on big promises and ideals—they are going to have to put those aside until they figure out the budget.”
In fact, a potentially thorny decision is already on the horizon. On Wednesday, council members will debate whether to increase their own staffing budgets at a time when the mayor and interim city administrator are exploring cuts across city bureaus.
“I still haven’t gotten a clear idea of where that money is going to come from,” Kavanaugh says.
“Everyone can work with Elana”
Our guests also analyze the vote for council president, which was the topic of last week’s podcast. After nine rounds of voting, Elana Pirtle-Guiney emerged as the council’s first leader under the new system.
“She has a very calm, kind of diplomatic demeanor,” says Peel of Pirtle-Guiney’s leadership style. “I haven’t directly asked all eleven [councilors] if they feel like they can work with Elana—but I think they can.”
Yet, Peel views the contested council presidency vote as an early indicator of a council that will sometimes be closely divided. “I think we’re going to have a number of policy votes with a 6–6 split,” she says.
Both reporters believe divisions will revolve around hot-button issues rather than a clear progressive-moderate divide.
“The idea that Elana Pirtle-Guiney is considered to be a moderate choice on this council is almost absurd,” Kavanaugh says. “Elana Pirtle-Guiney is as progressive as Candace Avalos on most issues.”
Peel adds that tensions may instead emerge on topics such as police funding or using Portland Clean Energy Fund dollars to backfill budget gaps.
“The mayor is an optimist”
Both reporters also share their impressions of Portland’s new mayor, Keith Wilson, describing him as a quick learner with a glass-half-full mentality.
“The mayor’s optimism is palpable,” Kavanaugh says. ”That can potentially go a long way because that’s what people in Portland want and need right now.”
Peel concurs: “I hope he does not lose his positivity. It is hard to be in a conversation with him and not come out feeling quite positive yourself.”
Still, both believe that Wilson’s optimism will soon be tested.
“He has a window right now of being able to stay quiet and be fluid on things and not make any real decisions... But push is gonna come to shove in the coming weeks, especially with this budget,” Peel says.
Kavanaugh agrees, noting the challenges ahead:
“You’re not going to make everybody happy, and nor should you try to,” he says.
Enjoy listening to these two? Check out their previous conversation, which is still our most downloaded episode.
Coming in February: Does Portland have a strong or weak mayor?
This is one of the most frequently asked questions from our readers. Stay tuned for a policy paper next month, where we analyze the powers of Portland’s mayor and what they mean for the city’s governance.
Stump Talk is edited and produced by Jon Garcia of Lake Productions.
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