Portland is way too expensive. I will fight to lower costs and make life easier.

My name is Jeremy Beausoleil Smith and I’m running for Portland City Council in 2026 to represent working families, protect our local waterways, and help build a vibrant downtown that works for everyone.

This campaign is for every Portlander who believes in the dignity of their neighbors and that the government’s job is to make our lives better.

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Care

Portland is facing overlapping crises of housing, addiction, mental health, and environmental neglect. 

A city that allows people to live on the streets is failing its most basic responsibility. A city where the cost of rent has surpassed the minimum wage is no longer livable. These conditions are not inevitable. They are the result of a political body which does not uphold housing as a human right.

Justice

Democracy only works when people are safe, housed, and healthy. True public safety means stable housing, access to treatment, and neighborhoods where working families can thrive. 

To defend our democracy, we must rapidly expand treatment infrastructure, strengthen street outreach, and confront the environmental injustices that harm working-class Portlanders first.

Sustainability

Environmental protection is not optional—it is a public health necessity. Portland must urgently address the contamination of our waterways in Sellwood and the dangerous waste sites concentrated in North Portland.

We must also continue investing in public transit, pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, and urban green spaces so every Portlander can move freely and live in a healthy environment.

Affordability

As a democratic socialist, I believe we should invest collectively in the systems that make life possible: clean water, safe housing, healthcare, and environmental protection. 

To protect Portlanders, I will fight the sky rocketing cost of living in this city.

issues
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Photo by Jimmy Woo
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District Four

The issues facing District Four include protecting green spaces and riverfronts, revitalizing downtown and Chinatown, supporting small businesses, and ensuring that growth benefits both longtime residents and newcomers.

Fast, Safe, Affordable Public Transit

Portlanders need the freedom to move to. A robust transportation system is vital for a healthy city and we need to invest stations, and MAX lines. Increase safety on bus and MAX lines. Read about Portland Streetcar’s success with their ambassador program here

For Profit, investor owned utilities are rapidly increasing the electric bills of Working Portlanders while the rise of Data Centers and Artificial Intelligence.

Every summer the Ross Island Lagoon develops a Toxic Algae Bloom that renders our river unswimmable and poisonous to our beloved animals. The Toxic Algae Blooms are preventable and we can create a World Class, Public Park, in the heart of our city. Read about Oregon State University’s Channel Study that would help prevent the annual Toxic Algae Blooms here.

 

Preventing Algae Blooms

Decrease emergency response times by strengthening the infrastructure needed to provide healthcare for those experiencing drug addiction, including expanded triage services and additional rehabilitation centers.

Portland Street Response is a key part of that effort: a non-police emergency response program that dispatches trained mental health professionals, medics, and peer support specialists to 911 calls involving behavioral health crises, addiction, and public distress when there is no immediate threat of violence. By pairing faster response times with the right kind of response, we can treat addiction as a health issue, reduce strain on law enforcement, and connect people directly to the care and services they need.

 
Portland Street Response
Create a Renters’ Bill of Rights

Renters need relief immediately. I will fight to ban rent hikes when Code Violations Exist, require 6 months notice for rent increases, protect children and educators from evictions during the school year, prevent evictions during extreme weather events, establish a right to counsel in Eviction Court and demand that local rent control be allowed throughout Oregon.


Renters' Bill of Rights

Working Portlanders deserve more. A job is how people support their families and build stability in their lives. When workers can be fired without explanation, that stability disappears overnight. Just cause protections recognize that employment is not disposable. I will fight for workplace protections so Portlanders can lead secure, sustainable, and happy lives.

Portlanders deserve a say in how their tax funds are spent. Participatory Budgeting empowers historically marginalized Portlanders to decide what projects get funded.

For every small campaign contribution, the city of Portland matches the donation 1:5 ensuring fair campaign financing.

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Our future is not federal. It is local, it is shared, and it is ours.

Our campaign believes government should guarantee dignity because democracy belongs to the people, not the powerful.

The future of Portland won’t be handed down—we’ll build it side by side.

I am a husband, a parent, and a Project Manager at Portland State University. I believe city government should prepare Portland for 2050 by investing in a strong social safety net while being a responsible steward of taxpayer dollars. 

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Campaign Pledges

Portland Street Response

I commit that if elected I will prioritize, introduce budget amendments, and vote in favor of full funding for expanded 24/7 citywide Portland Street Response coverage in every budget cycle.

No Police Money

We can create a safer Portland without expanding our police force. I pledge not to take contributions from police unions or associations, not to seek their endorsement, and to publicly reject their independent expenditures.

Patients Over Profits

I pledge to put patients over profits and not take contributions from the executives, lobbyists, and PACs affiliated with the corporate health care industry, including private insurers, pharma corporations, and private hospitals who are organizing to take over our health care system.

No Fossil Fuel Money

I pledge to not take contributions from oil, gas, and coal industry executives, lobbyists, or PACs and instead prioritize the health of our families, climate, and democracy over fossil fuel profits. I am not for sale and neither is the health of Portlanders.

community partners

I am proud to stand alongside a growing coalition of local and national organizations, dedicated community partners, and seasoned mentors who have been doing this work for years.

This campaign is not built alone. It is shaped by activists, organizers, policy experts, and neighbors who believe in a more just and democratic Portland.

Together, we are building a team rooted in solidarity, accountability, and a shared commitment to serve working people.

 

Official Endorsements
Campaign Team

Participatory Budgeting

I commit to centering the expertise and leadership of underrepresented communities, to champion processes where neighbors decide how public money is spent, and to build a participatory democracy that shares power, expands equity, and lifts up the priorities of real people, not entrenched interests.