[Hello! You know, putting these endorsements together takes LOTS of hard work—and that's on top of our regular excellent reporting. Show your appreciation for the Mercury with a small contribution, please, and thank you!—eds]

Welcome to a very busy and spicy May primary election! And this one has it all—a battle for both the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners (which could have big-time future ramifications) and Multnomah County DA, two Dems fighting to regain Oregon's 5th Congressional District from Republican hands, a handful of measures, a crowded race to fill the seat of retiring US Rep. Blumenauer, and more!

"DANG," you might be saying to yourself, "How am I supposed to research all these races myself, and make a logical, ethical choice?" We'll tell you how... with the Mercury's May 2024 endorsements! We've been working our buttz off for months, interviewing candidates, digging deep into their pasts and voting records, and writing our fingers to the bone so we can present these endorsements—which we have to admit are pretty darn good and trustworthy.

Some quick notes before you dive in: The Mercury Election Strike Force is made up of News Editor Courtney Vaughn, News Reporter Taylor Griggs, Arts & Culture Editor Suzette Smith, and Editor-in-Chief Wm. Steven Humphrey in case you need someone to yell at (but re-read the previous paragraph before you do). The Mercury does not make endorsements in uncontested races, and if you don't have time to read all our thoughtful, well-researched endorsements before you vote, check out our handy-dandy Voter Cheat Sheet™for your ballot filling-out needs! Reminder that election day is May 21, and mailed ballots must be postmarked no later than May 21 in order to be counted. Here are your local ballot drop locations.

And one last thing... our small but mighty editorial staff works our asses off for you, and we love it. Plus we spent months compiling this information while also continuing to give you the smart journalism and fun you've grown accustomed to on a daily basis, and trust us when we say that is A LOT of work. So if you use our endorsements or cheat sheet to fill out your ballot, will you consider dropping us a $5 (or more if you're feeling generous) contribution which will keep us happy and healthy for a long time to come? PLEASE AND THANK YOU, YOU'RE THE BEST! ❤️

So dive into to our endorsements, linked for your convenience to the right over there 👉, and vote for progressive candidates who are also working hard to keep our city, county, and state out of the greedy hands of conservative buttholes. (Read more about that situation here.) We appreciate you... and so does democracy!