Chris Smith Officially Announces Bid For City Council

Surrounded by supporters, Chris Smith officially announced his bid for Portland City Council this morning at an Ankeny Plaza press conference. Standing next to his partner, Staci Paley, and the Skidmore Fountain, with its well-known inscription “Good citizens are the riches of a city,” Smith gave his first speech as a candidate for the seat currently held by Commissioner Sam Adams.

In his remarks, candidate Smith, who as an activist advocated the adoption of the Voter Owned Elections public campaign finance system stated that, “Our campaign will work to be an example of how Voter Owned Elections should be used: honestly, transparently, and as an invitation to participation by voters.”

Known civically for his work as a transportation and neighborhood activist, Smith spent the previous week coordinating a portion of Project Homeless Connect, an event sponsored by the City of Portland and Multnomah County that provides one-stop access to housing, medical, legal and transportation services for low-income and homeless families. Smith also serves on Metro’s Policy Advisory Committee and is a past member of the City Club of Portland’s board of governors.

In recent days, entries on local blog sites expressed support for Smith, including a comment on BikePortland.org from bike-transportation activist Jessica Roberts who wrote, “He's passionate and knowledgeable about biking, walking, and transit issues. I look forward to seeing him in action in a candidate role now, after seeing him be a tireless volunteer for so long.”

When asked for a reason why he was supporting Chris Smith for City Council, prominent local businessman Michael Powell, a director of Smith’s campaign committee, said simply, “Chris knows transportation.”

Transcript of Announcement Speech
Video Clip of Announcement Event