Portland metro voters will decide this month who should lead Metro, the often overlooked regional government.

But the Metro Council president’s race isn’t the only seat on the seven-person governing body that is up for grabs this cycle. Three other Metro Council races are on the ballot for broad swaths of Washington, Clackamas and east Multnomah County residents.

Metro oversees decisions around transportation, land use planning, waste management, natural areas, and other public spaces across the tri-county area, including Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington counties.

It also manages the regional Supportive Housing Services tax, an income tax on high-income earners that funds programs across the tri-county area that help people experiencing homelessness get into stable housing.

That tax, which brought in more funding than initially anticipated, expires in 2030, and has drawn public criticism for not making a more noticeable impact on the region’s homelessness crisis. Last year, Metro Councilors decided not to ask voters to renew and extend that tax, after polling showed tepid public support. Instead, councilors chose to create a new oversight committee to strengthen public trust in the program.

From determining next steps for this tax to setting the stage for a new 50-year regional land management plan, the next Metro Council President will step into office during a pivotal moment.

Several newcomers and one Metro Councilor are vying for the nonpartisan office.

Juan Carlos González, a registered Democrat, has represented Metro’s District 4 – northern and western Washington County – since 2018. He also works as the director of development and communication for Centro Cultural, a Washington County social services nonprofit. He is the first Latino to serve on Metro Council, and says his identity as a child of immigrants, a millennial, and a new father make him the right fit to be the next Metro President.

Metro has long focused on managing the area’s residential and commercial sprawl, using the urban growth boundary and zoning rules to balance environmental protections with new development. But as the region’s population and business activity lag, González believes Metro needs to refocus.

“So much of Metro’s mantra has been managing growth, but we’re in a position where we have such little growth to manage that it almost requires us to build new muscles to support the long-term stability, prosperity of the region,” he said.

González says his top priorities are “affordability, belonging, and competitiveness.” He wants to renew the Supportive Housing Services tax, but not without first proving to voters that the money is being spent responsibly. He’s endorsed by the majority of Metro Council and former Metro President Lynn Peterson (who left office early to take a job as Lake Oswego’s interim city manager).

González is running against a handful of candidates who are new to politics – but familiar with campaigning.

Chris Christensen has unsuccessfully run to represent Oregon in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives as a Republican three times. In an email to OPB, he said his experience in real estate gives him the expertise needed to lead Metro. Bruce Broussard, another perennial candidate in Portland-area races, is also vying for the seat. He did not respond to OPB’s request for comment. Neither did another Metro President candidate named Philip Fensterer. Candidate Ken Ross is a code compliance officer for the City of Tigard. He wants to strengthen whistleblower protections at Metro, build workforce housing, and improve public trust in government.

Beyond the president, three Metro Council positions are up for grabs. Two incumbents are on the ballot. District 2 Councilor Christine Lewis, who represents Milwaukie, Lake Oswego, West Linn and other south metro cities, is running unopposed.

District 1 Councilor Ashton Simpson, who represents East Portland, Gresham, Troutdale and other cities, is running against Noah Ernst. Simpson, previously led pedestrian advocacy nonprofit Oregon Walks and is the CEO of a company that develops charging stations for electric vehicles. He’s collected endorsements from every mayor in his district. Ernst is an attorney for Radio Cab, who ran an unsuccessful campaign for Portland City Council in 2024.

Two candidates are vying to fill the District 4 office that González is vacating. Like González, they are both registered Democrats laser-focused on growth.

Alex Phan is a realtor who has seen firsthand how zoning rules and permitting challenges have hampered development in District 4 – and how the shrinking economy has forced some people to leave the region. He wants to reassess Metro’s urban growth boundary, to better understand what areas of land could be developed on.

“I want to protect our environment and preserve everything we can, too,” Phan said. “But we do need to be able to respond to growth.”

Phan was appointed to a Metro work group to oversee the Supportive Housing Services tax in 2025. He wants to see Metro’s homeless services tax renewed, but with the assurance that nonprofits get to shape more decisions on how the money is spent. He said he wants to work closely with people working “boots on the ground” on homelessness to better understand the issue, if elected.

He also wants to see an end to the political infighting sparked by the homeless tax, which has pitted county governments against each other – and Metro.

“We need to really focus on outcomes that our voters are looking for and make sure that we are showing progress and stop this infighting,” Phan said.

González endorsed Phan to succeed him. Phan also has the support of former Metro Presidents Lynn Peterson and Tom Hughes, and current Metro councilors Simpson and Duncan Hwang. He’s also backed by Washington County Chair Kathryn Harrington and a number of Democratic state lawmakers. As of Tuesday, Phan had collected $82,000 in contributions, with more than half of the money coming from the Portland Metropolitan Association of Realtors PAC.

There’s a lot that Phan and his competition, Miles Palacios, agree on. Palacios has spent much of his career in state government, working most recently as chief of staff for Senator WLnsvey Campos, a Democrat from Aloha. He is currently an elected board member of the Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District and Metro’s Policy Advisory Committee, which advises councilors on land use decisions.

Like Phan, Palacios wants to see the homeless services tax renewed. But he believes Metro needs to rebuild public trust to get there.

“People want to see results specific to their community, they want to know that the tax dollars they are paying are being fed back into their specific region,” said Palacios.

He believes some of that trust comes from elected officials getting out in the community more.

“An open door policy is great, but it only works if you also have an empty office policy,” he said in an interview with OPB. “Which means you need to be meeting people where they’re at.”

As a renter who has relied heavily on public transit after being diagnosed with epilepsy last year, Palacios also wants to see a renewed focus on creating an accessible and reliable transit system. And he wants to see permitting processes for new development improved to spur new industry and job growth in District 4.

Palacios has been endorsed by Metro Councilor Gerritt Rosenthal, Beaverton Mayor Lacey Beaty, and a number of Democratic state legislators. As of Tuesday, Palacios has received nearly $11,000 in campaign contributions.

Metro Auditor Brian Evans will also appear on Portland-area ballots this election. He is running unopposed.

Ballots are due May 19 by 8 p.m.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/05/01/portland-metro-council-races-2026/