Representation Matters
The Mercury Election Endorsements for May 15, 2018
State Senator, District 24: Kayse Jama
The Mercury Election Endorsements for May 15, 2018
Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2: Susheela Jayapal
The Mercury Election Endorsements for May 15, 2018
Multnomah County Auditor: Jennifer McGuirk
The Mercury Election Endorsements for May 15, 2018
Portland City Commissioner, Position 2: Nick Fish
The Mercury Election Endorsements for May 15, 2018
Portland City Commissioner, Position 3: Jo Ann Hardesty
The Mercury Election Endorsements for May 15, 2018
Renew Portland Childrenās Levy: Yes!
The Mercury Election Endorsements for May 15, 2018
Election Cheat Sheet!
Your Handy Mercury Voter Guide for the May 15 Election
District 24, which includes the area between 82nd Avenue and Gresham and follows I-205 south to Happy Valley, has quickly become one of Oregonās most diverse districts. As historically diverse corners of inner Portland are hit with skyrocketing rents and mortgages (looking at you, Albina), many longtime Portlanders have had to move east, where housing costs are slightly more tolerable. Thatās shaken up the regionās demographics: As of 2018, roughly 25 percent of District 24ās population was born outside of the United States. Fifteen percent of the district identify as Hispanic. Five percent identify as Black. Students who attend the communityās David Douglas School District speak over 70 different languages. Take a peek at census data and youāll see the districtās residents grow less and less white the younger they getāpromising a future of increasing racial diversity.
But this migration east has created its own housing crisis, setting landlords against tenants and newcomers against longtime residentsāand leaving many without stable, permanent homes. Affordable housing has easily become the focal point of this senate race.
Thatās why we believe Kayse Jama, a Somali refugee who moved his family into District 24 after being priced out of North Portland, can best guide this region to a better future. But, weāre not only endorsing him because his story reflects the districtās population.
For years, Jama has been hustling for his would-be constituents as the director of Unite Oregon, a nonprofit that advocates for immigrants, refugees, people of color, and low-income Oregonians at both local and national levels. Heās led career and leadership trainings for first-generation immigrants and refugees, and rallied at the state legislature for economic equality.
Most notably, last year Jama lobbied for Oregon House Bill 2004āa bill that would have killed a state preemption on rent control and limited landlordsā ability to issue no-cause evictions. Itās a measure that District 24 incumbent Senator Rod Monroe, himself a landlord, is credited with derailing. In the Mercuryās endorsement interview with Monroe, who has been backed by some of the stateās top real estate barons, he maintained his wholehearted support of no-cause evictions and his continuing opposition to rent control.
Itās one of the main reasons we believe Monroe is the weakest candidate in this three-person race. While Monroe may have adequately represented the progressive heart of District 24 for the past 12 years, heās no longer able to speak for a district in desperate need of affordable, stable housing.
Jama also puts forth plans to strengthen state laws involving hate crimes and has called for a statewide ban on assault weapons. He stressed the importance of listening to constituents who have different lived experiences than his own, like members of the homeless community and undocumented immigrants.
āI want to take the voices of my community along with me to Salem,ā Jama told us. āIām a community-based leader, not a politician. And itās time for more of us to run for office.ā
That said, we wonāt be upset if you decide to vote for the third candidate in the race, Shemia Fagan. Fagan is an impassioned employment lawyer and former state representative, and she has a solid history of fighting for underrepresented Oregonians both in the courtroom and at the capitol. She was also a vocal supporter of House Bill 2004, and deftly dismantled Monroeās anti-tenant arguments during our interview.
This endorsement was one of the more difficult decisions we had to make. Butākeeping in mind Faganās repeated statement that ārepresentation mattersāāweāre going with Jama, the candidate that best represents the evolving district. Your vote for either Jama or Fagan will send a strong message to Salem that current renter protections arenāt workingāand help tip Oregonās white male-dominated Senate in a more equitable direction.