Sameer Kanal | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Portland City Council from District 2 | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2025 Servingwith Dan Ryan and Elana Pirtle-Guiney | |
| Preceded by | office established |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater | Clark College (AA) University of Washington (BA) New York University (MS) |
Sameer Kanal is an American politician who is currently member of the Portland City Council from District 2 after being elected along with Dan Ryan and Elana Pirtle-Guiney in the 2024 election. [1] [2] Kanal is one of the twelve inaugural members of Portland's new expanded city council after switching from a city commission government to a mayor–council government. [3] He will be the first Asian American (along with fellow council member-elect Tiffany Koyama Lane) and first South Asian American to serve on Portland City Council. [4]
Kanal was born in Portland,Oregon at the Bess Kaiser Hospital that is now part of the Adidas America headquarters. [5] He grew up in the Overlook neighborhood. His parents immigrated from India. His father was a small business owner and his mother worked for the State of Oregon helping new refugees. [6]
Kanal attended Clark College and received his Associate's degree in international relations and political science. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science and economics from the University of Washington before getting his Master of Science degree in global affairs from New York University. [7] [8]
On May 28,2024,Kanal announced his intention to run for a seat on the newly expanded city council in the 2024 election. [9]
Kanal,along with Dan Ryan and Elana Pirtle-Guiney,won the race to represent District 2,which covers North and most of Northeast Portland. [2]
Kanal lives in the Portsmouth neighborhood. [10]
He is a drummer,and in high school frequently performed at the Portland Saturday Market. He is a fan of the Portland Trail Blazers and is a season ticket holder for the Portland Timbers and Portland Thorns FC. [11] [6]
Portland is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon,located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated in the northwestern area of the state at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers,it is the county seat of Multnomah County,Oregon's most populous county. As of 2020,Portland's population was 652,503,making it the 26th-most populous city in the United States,the sixth-most populous on the West Coast,and the second-most populous in the Pacific Northwest,after Seattle. Approximately 2.5 million people live in the Portland metropolitan area,making it the 25th-most populous in the United States. About half of Oregon's population resides within the Portland metro area.
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The government of Portland,Oregon is based on a mayor–council government system. Elected officials include the mayor,a 12-member city council,and a city auditor. The city council is responsible for legislative policy,while the mayor appoints a professional city manager who oversees the various bureaus and day-to-day operations of the city. The mayor is elected at-large,while the council is elected in four geographic districts using single transferable vote,with 3 winning candidates per district. Portland's current form of government was approved by voters in a 2022 ballot measure,with the first elections under the new system held in 2024.
The Portland City Council,,is the legislative body of the City of Portland in Oregon and forms part of the Government of the city.
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The 2024 Portland mayoral election was held on November 5,2024,to elect the mayor of Portland,Oregon. Businessman Keith Wilson was elected,defeating 3 city council members and 15 other candidates.
The 2024 Portland municipal elections were held on November 5,2024,to elect the mayor,city auditor and city council of Portland,Oregon. This was the first Portland election to use ranked-choice voting following the implementation of charter reform approved by voters in a 2022 ballot measure.
The 2024 Portland City Council elections were held on November 5,2024. It was the first election under Portland's new form of government,the first election to elect a city council instead of a city commission,the first without a primary,the first where every seat was up for election,and the first under a proportional ranked-choice voting system as opposed to a first-past-the-post voting system with a primary. It was held concurrently with the 2024 Portland,Oregon mayoral election.
Candace Avalos is an American nonprofit executive and politician who is a member of Portland City Council from District 1 after being elected along with Loretta Smith and Jamie Dunphy in the 2024 election. Avalos is one of the twelve inaugural members of Portland's new expanded city council after switching from a city commission government to a mayor–council government.
Jamie Dunphy is a policy director who was elected to Portland City Council in 2024 in District 1,along with Candace Avalos and Loretta Smith. Dunphy is one of the twelve inaugural members of Portland's new expanded city council after switching from a city commission government to a mayor–council government. Due to the close nature of his race,Dunphy was one of the last two confirmed winners of the election.
Elana Pirtle-Guiney is a member of Portland City Council from District 2 after being elected along with Sameer Kanal and Dan Ryan in the 2024 election. Pirtle-Guiney is one of the twelve inaugural members of Portland's new expanded city council,following Portland's switch from a city commission government to a mayor–council government.
Tiffany Koyama Lane is a member of Portland City Council from District 3 after being elected along with Steve Novick and Angelita Morillo in the 2024 election. Koyama Lane is one of the twelve inaugural members of Portland's new expanded city council after switching from a city commission government to a mayor–council government.
Olivia Clark is a retired policy director who was elected to Portland City Council from District 4 in 2024,along with Mitch Green and Eric Zimmerman. Clark is one of the twelve inaugural members of Portland's new expanded city council after switching from a city commission government to a mayor–council government.
Eric Zimmerman was elected to Portland City Council in 2024 in District 4,along with Olivia Clark and Mitch Green. Zimmerman is one of the twelve inaugural members of Portland's new expanded city council after switching from a city commission government to a mayor–council government. Due to the close nature of his race,Zimmerman was one of the last two confirmed winners of the election.
