[Read all of our 2026 election endorsements here.—eds]
Portland City Council District 3 encompasses most of inner Southeast Portland from the east side of the Willamette River up to I-84 to the north, as well as a swath of Northeast and outer Southeast to I-205.
District 3 is one of two districts in which councilors elected in 2024 started out with two-year terms under Portland’s new city charter, to allow for the new 12-person City Council to have staggered terms. This election, 21 candidates are vying for three seats. In September, the Mercury interviewed all three incumbent candidates one-on-one in our offices. We brought in four other candidates for a panel interview, candidates whose responses to our questionnaire piqued our interest—Joel Corcoran, Esther León, Tom Sollitt, and Kellie Torres.
Here are the Mercury‘s 2026 endorsements for District 3.
#1: Angelita Morillo
Angelita Morillo entered office in 2025 with energy, presence, and an agenda. She’s spent the last two years introducing ambitious legislation, and even managed to pass a good portion of it, despite the Council’s frequent stalemates. The youngest councilor by roughly a decade, Morillo—a democratic socialist—has a significant following online and is savvy with social media messaging. Her intelligence, productivity, and outspokenness have earned her some die-hard fans. But her tendency to be blunt—on social media and on the dais—can also come across as disrespectful to some of her colleagues and other members of the public.
We also appreciate Morillo’s ability to see past the bullshit in city politics, and her willingness to call it out. But when it comes to verbal sparring, we think she could stand to pick her battles a little more deftly, or risk hurting feelings. Morillo’s frustrations are often correct, but we don’t want her accomplishments to get lost behind her communication style.
At any rate, Morillo works hard for Portlanders, and her passion for the city is as evident as her political competence. Let’s keep her in City Hall.
#2: Tiffany Koyama Lane
Tiffany Koyama Lane has proven she has what it takes to do the work, even when it flies under the radar. In her first year in office, Koyama Lane—a democratic socialist and former teacher—served as the first-ever Council vice president, largely because of her unique ability to build relationships and broaden coalitions. In that role, she was forced to pivot to high stakes issues coming from the federal government.
Koyama Lane has risen to the moment. She met with civil rights groups, attorneys, and experts to protect immigrant rights, and stood strong when Trump attempted to bring the National Guard to Portland.
We held concerns after a former employee filed a discrimination complaint alleging Koyama Lane retaliated against the employee when she asked for ADA accommodations. The city investigated and dismissed the complaint. Koyama Lane ultimately convinced us that as a political newcomer, she’s willing to learn from mistakes and move forward in the interest of the city.
Thanks to her coalition building skills, Koyama Lane passed policies that garnered broad support. She convinced Mayor Wilson to recommit to safer streets through Vision Zero, co-sponsored code to enshrine local sanctuary laws, and brought protections for immigrants and LGBTQIA2S+ Portlanders. In tense budget negotiations, Koyama Lane consistently held the line for a host of worthy policies, most of which were blocked by her centrist colleagues.
A vote for Koyama Lane is a vote for strong progressive policy at City Hall. We’re happy to endorse her for a second term.
#3: Steve Novick
To many local progressives, the way Steve Novick governs has been quite the disappointment. Of all the Council districts, District 3 appeared to promise the truly progressive representation many Portlanders have long been waiting for. But Novick, who considers himself a swing vote on the current Council, has frequently voted with the Council’s centrist bloc, effectively killing many progressive policies (especially during this year’s budget discussions).
We were disappointed in his 2025 vote to continue funding sweeps of homeless Portlanders, which simply makes things more difficult or deadly for people who need housing. We were also surprised to watch Novick, an environmental lawyer, vote against oversight on the oil-by-rail company Zenith Energy in his first month in office, and repeat fossil fuel industry talking points when voting to transfer a city contract to a new company without any extra protections for Portlanders in September.
But Novick doesn’t always disappoint. He’s at his best when he chooses to interpret policies in good faith and doesn’t let personal animosity take center stage. Novick has shown up to protect the Portland Clean Energy Fund and has been dedicated to the integrity of the Moda Center negotiations. He also helped advance a law enforcement mask ban, and was a voice of reason in discussions about banning foie gras. Novick has also been a strong advocate for making Portland’s transportation system more sustainable, which we appreciate.
We hope Novick—who once positioned himself to the left of Senator Jeff Merkley—can find a way to start imagining big things again in a second term. The opportunity for a truly progressive city government is right there. Novick just has to reach out and grab it.
Honorable mention
Esther León
While we aren’t ready to endorse Esther León, we’re impressed with her enthusiasm and some of her forward-thinking ideas about public safety, inclusivity, and trying to tackle the region’s homelessness crisis, and we’ll be ranking her on our ballots behind our top picks.
Thanks…but no thanks
Kellie Torres
While Kellie Torres’ years of experience at the city and her dedication to public service are commendable, we ultimately decided not to rank her on our ballots. Torres is the establishment pick to help turn Council back to the status quo. Two warnings: 1) Torres was Dan Ryan’s chief of staff when he was commissioner, and 2) the often-misleading Mayor Keith Wilson may as well be her campaign manager this season. Portlanders deserve visionary leaders, not establishment politicians simply wrapping tired policy in progressive language.
The Mercury Election Strike Force is News Editor Courtney Vaughn, Reporters Taylor Griggs and Jeremiah Hayden, Managing Editor Katherine Chew Hamilton, and Editor-in-Chief Wm. Steven Humphrey.