AFSCME Local 189 has begun our process for endorsement of candidates for Portland city office in the November 2024 elections. Candidates who are interested in being considered for endorsement should contact our Communications Editor who will put them in contact with the Political Action Committee Chair.
Our members have authorized our Political Action Committee (PAC) to complete a two-part process to inform their recommendations.
The first part is a questionnaire which will be sent via e-mail to any candidate who has filed for a City of Portland office which will be voted on in the 2024 general elections and who has contacted us to express interest in our Local's endorsement. Candidates whose questionnaire responses show alignment with the values and interest of our union and our local will be "green lighted". A "green light" is not an endorsement, but it signifies that the PAC members reviewing the questionnaire responses saw no objective basis for concern that this candidate's positions and priorities might undermine or mitigate the power and influence of our Local and/or the interests of our rank-and-file members.
A select number of green-lighted candidates will be invited to participate in the second part of the process, panel interviews.
Interviews will be conducted over the course of 5 sessions, which are tentatively scheduled for June 22 and 23, in panel-to-panel format. Each session's candidate panel will consist of candidates for the same office (i.e., candidates for the office of Mayor will be one session, candidates for the office of Council District 1 will be another session, candidates for Council District 2 will be another and so on.) The PAC panel will consist of AFSCME Local 189 members in good standing and invited representatives of other AFSCME Locals whose members live and work in Portland. During each two-hour session, candidate panelist will take turns responding to questions from the PAC panel. After completion of all session, PAC panelist will prepare their recommendations for endorsement. The PAC panel will recommend not more than one candidate for each vacant office plus one additional candidate for each District Council office (one for each for Mayor and Auditor, not more than four for each of the four Council Districts.) The names of the candidates whose endorsement recommendation is adopted by our general membership will be published on our website.
