Let’s Make Local Government Boring.
So when you need government, it works and your calls are answered, processes are clear, and help arrives when you need it.
Permits get processed. Streets and parks get maintained. Calls and emails get answered. Agencies coordinate. When something starts going wrong, government steps in before it becomes a bigger problem.
That's what boring looks like and that's what Portland needs.
I've spent this campaign treating it like one extended interview by showing up across Portland, listening to residents and businesses, learning how the city works, and building a record you can judge for yourself.
Meet Tom
I've worked in consulting and in-house roles with nonprofits, businesses, and entrepreneurs in the U.S. and South Korea. I hold a BFA in Communications from Oregon State University and received the 2025 Taste for Equity Innovation Award for community-based work, including producing Oregon’s first Asian Pitch Competition, I Hope We Get Rich, and Oregon’s largest Asian-centered event the Legendary Makers Market.
My Values
As someone who was displaced through international adoption from South Korea to Oregon, an immigrant, and a former full-time educator, I know how profoundly agency, belonging, and opportunity shape a person's life. Those experiences strengthened my commitment to ensuring everyone has the opportunity to determine their own future, build a stable life, and fully participate in their community.
I believe every person deserves dignity, respect, and equal protection under the law. I will work to protect the rights of immigrants, LGBTQIA2S+ people, and every community facing discrimination or barriers to opportunity.
Portlanders don't always see things the same way, and that's okay. I believe we can disagree, listen, and still expect government to be accountable to the people it serves. I oppose federal overreach, including the way ICE has been deployed in Portland, and will stand up for Portlanders' rights and ability to govern our own communities.
I believe international events and conflicts have a profound impact on our local communities. I believe in peace, human rights, and self-determination for all people. I support a free Palestine, stand with Ukraine, and strongly oppose antisemitism and all forms of hatred and discrimination.
I believe public service is about solving problems, listening to the people most affected, and bringing diverse perspectives together to find practical solutions.
My Commitment
I believe the best government is often invisible because when systems work, people are free to focus on their families, their work, their communities, and their futures.
I'm running to build a Portland where government listens, communities are empowered, and public institutions deliver results.
Campaign Artist Commissions
I didn’t want to fundraise but I’ve already had to ask people to contribute so we could meet the Small Donor Matching Grant Program threshold and qualify for key debates, panels, and forums, such as those hosted by PDX City Club and 350 PDX.
Those matching funds aren’t free money. They are community dollars.
My campaign may not raise as much as some others. I’m less concerned with the total amount than I am with what we do with every dollar people entrust to us. At this point, every candidate has had ample opportunity to show voters how they steward those resources. Our campaigns are a reflection of our priorities and our values.
And it’s becoming clear who believes throwing more money at a challenge is the best solution.
Instead of spending Portland tax dollars on expensive, one-time printing with a glossy photo of my face or on digital ads that send money out of our community, I’m commissioning Portland artists and paying them for their work. I’m also looking for other ways to reinvest in small businesses, creatives, and community organizations.
That means more than stopping by for a cup of coffee and using someone’s business or event as a backdrop for my campaign or just lip service in appreciation. If I’m asking people to invest in this campaign, I want that investment to actually reach the people and communities I’m asking to support me.
The point is simple: use whatever resources are at hand to uplift, not exploit.
Even if the resource is just a social media post, it should center the community. Our platforms, our dollars, and our campaigns should create value for the people and places that make this city what it is.
That’s how I want to run this campaign, and it’s how I intend to approach public service.
While I can only control my own campaign, I hope this provides some food for thought for voters and other candidates about how we should expect Portland tax dollars to be spent and what is truly considered viable for a candidate.
Selected Artists ($500 each for a total of $5,000 with potential additional $1,000 for work that makes sense to be reproduced for yard signs, t-shirts, stickers, etc etc.) reinvested back into the community.
The Working Interview
I've treated this campaign as one long working interview.
For nine months, I've shown up across Portland listening, learning, getting involved, and finding ways to help. That includes neighborhood and business associations, community organizations, public meetings, town halls, volunteer projects, tours, events, many one-on-one conversations, numerous City Hall and Council visits, and work that doesn't fit neatly into a list.
I'm not asking you to take my word for what I might do in office. I'm building a record you can judge for yourself.
WHAT I HAVE BEEN DOING DURING THIS CAMPAIGN
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I helped earn the trust of a tenants union facing a 2.5-year elevator outage that was creating serious accessibility and quality-of-life challenges for residents. With potential TriMet service reductions adding another concern, I helped connect residents with the Mayor's Office through relationship building and advocacy.
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I stood alongside the Save Lloyd community and testified before Portland City Council in support of a climate-conscious, community-centered vision for Lloyd Center's future.
Our proposal emphasized adaptive reuse and preservation where feasible while creating opportunities for future investment and regional collaboration.
The experience reinforced what I believe public service requires: representatives should stand alongside Portlanders who organize and advocate for their communities, elevate their voices, and advance practical alternatives, even when those alternatives may not prevail.
Currently, there is no redevelopment plan other than demolishing the existing structure, our Mayor is now on record saying as much and that it will be 30 acres of dirt. A blighted section that large in the Lloyd District is likely going to become a big barrier towards revitalizing that part of Portland.
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I participated in conversations surrounding The People's Depot relocation and helped amplify concerns about a process requiring community organizations to navigate multiple separate agreements with different parties.
The experience reinforced my belief that government should bring stakeholders together and coordinate its work rather than requiring communities to manage disconnected systems themselves.
It was also a great opportunity to learn more about Good Neighbor Agreements, and the process that different parties engage in when adding something of substantial to a neighborhood.
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I've been working with community members regarding the proposed renaming of César Chávez Boulevard to ensure the voices of those who will be materially impacted are included in the conversation.
I also distributed a survey to more than 600 residents whose addresses that will have to change and have explored alternatives such as street co-naming that could honor important figures while reducing unnecessary burdens on residents and businesses.
These experiences have shaped how I approach public service: listen first, bring people together, and build solutions that work for the communities involved.
I ultimately testified against the waiving of the city code to expedite the renaming of Cesar Chavez to Campesinos arguing that circumventing one group’s meaningful participation in a matter that will impact them directly undermines the goals while well meaning that are trying to be achieved.
This was in opposition to the current councilors who all stated their support for the ordinance to waive city code.
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM ME AS A COUNCILOR
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Portlanders experience one Portland, not separate agencies and jurisdictions.
The City of Portland, Multnomah County, Metro, TriMet, schools, state agencies, nonprofits, and community organizations all play a role in our city's future. When these systems operate separately, people fall through the cracks. When they work together, we can deliver better outcomes.
As a Councilor, I will focus on bringing partners together, breaking down silos, aligning priorities, and making sure public investments create meaningful results.
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People experiencing homelessness, behavioral health challenges, addiction, poverty, or instability often have to navigate a maze of disconnected systems.
Government should make that process easier, not harder.
We need better coordination between healthcare providers, service organizations, housing providers, and government agencies so people can access the right support at the right time.
Better coordination means:
Fewer people falling through the cracks
Less duplication of services
Faster responses during crises
Greater accountability for what actually works
Government should help people navigate systems instead of requiring people to navigate government.
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Good government starts by listening.
Residents, businesses, and community organizations should have meaningful opportunities to shape decisions before policies are finalized, not after.
The best solutions often come from the people closest to the challenges. Government's job is to listen, collaborate, and help turn those ideas into action.
That means strengthening civic engagement, supporting neighborhood partnerships, creating better feedback loops, and making government easier to access.
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Strong neighborhoods are the foundation of a resilient city.
After spending months attending neighborhood associations, business associations, and community events, one thing has become clear: Portland needs stronger connections between residents and the decisions that affect their lives.
We should invest in the systems that make civic participation possible, including the Office of Civic Life and partnerships with neighborhood and business organizations.
Community groups should spend more time building relationships and solving problems, and less time competing for limited resources.
Supporting neighborhood events, local partnerships, and community-led projects helps create a Portland where people feel connected, informed, and invested in their future.
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Representation is not authority over people; it is responsibility to work with them.
Public service is not about defending systems because they exist. It is about asking whether they still serve the public and improving them when they do not.
Government should be functional, transparent, accountable, and responsive. Major decisions should be guided by clear goals, measurable outcomes, and public trust.
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As the cost of living continues to rise, Portland needs practical solutions that help people afford to live, work, and build their futures.
That means supporting housing stability, strengthening small businesses, investing in neighborhoods, improving infrastructure, and creating opportunities for people to build a life here.
A strong local economy depends on the people who choose to stay, build, create, and invest here. Government should support that resilience by making it easier and not harder for people and businesses to succeed.
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Portland needs to get more disciplined about how it spends money before asking residents for more.
This year, I hosted a Budget Amendment Session where a city employee, a union member, another candidate and others reviewed Council’s proposed amendments. It highlighted how difficult it can be to evaluate decisions when information arrives late or is difficult to digest.
I will improve the process so Council and the public have the information needed to make informed decisions.
I will prioritize core services and make sure that when a resident calls for help, someone answers.
The Auditor’s Office should have the capacity to independently identify waste and inefficiency. Bureaus should not be expected to audit their own operations. Independent oversight can identify savings and ensure taxpayers get value.
I will evaluate services based on outcomes and ask whether Portland is the right entity to provide them. Where another regional, county or state agency is better positioned, we should coordinate, share costs or transfer responsibility rather than duplicate services.
Cuts should also account for long-term costs. A position’s title may not reflect specialized knowledge that is expensive to replace.
I will strengthen oversight and scrutinize contracts before raising taxes or fees.
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If Portland needs to increase police staffing we should be intentional about where those positions go. It needs to start with public demand for police accountability to restore trust in that office for public safety. I was encouraged by the candidates for the Director position for the Oversight Committee for Police Accountability (OCPA).
I have also heard some compelling evidence to consider strengthening detectives and specialized units that investigate human trafficking, violent crime, fraud and other complex crimes.
Staffing should follow public safety needs and not an attempt to reach a certain number and be in alignment with the very clear public desire for police accountability.
However, with recurring budget shortfalls each year we need to prioritize a holistic approach to public safety balanced across different bureaus and agencies.
Endorsements
Currently, I am endorsed by a Metro Councilor and former State Senator. The other endorsements are community organizers and a small business owner. They will be listed soon after the ballot becomes available.
This section will be a lighter compared to other candidates. I made a pledge earlier in the year to separate special interest from politics and to ensure that Portlanders can feel confident I’m not being uplifted just to vote in a predetermined direction. Read below.
I’m making a simple pledge to the residents of Portland: I will not take contributions or seek endorsements from organizations, associations, or other special interest groups that receive money from the City of Portland including through a “separate” nonprofit or 501(c)(3) arm or organizations that regularly lobby to influence policy.
That does not mean I won’t work with these organizations or value them as partners. They should have a voice in our community, but there must be a clear line between helping shape decisions and controlling them.
The exception is City of Portland labor unions whose members are critical to delivering city services and would welcome their endorsements. This does not include police unions or associations because their advocacy extends beyond the employment interests of their members into shaping broader local policy.
I don’t believe endorsements or campaign contributions should create implicit or implied political obligations for elected officials.
I work for the residents of Portland and no one else.
Community Reinvestment Through Donations
We officially qualified for the Small Donor Elections Matching Program thanks to meaningful support from all of you! This means that donations of $5-$25 will now be matched 10-1, which presents a big opportunity for the only viable campaign that is truly independent.
Now that this campaign now has access to community dollars. I want to use those dollars differently and not just for months of self-promotion, but to intentionally reinvest in the community and leave something behind.
So far, our campaign has been able to reinvest nearly $6,000 back into local small business owners, entrepreneurs, creatives, and community organizers with an additional $5,000 already pledged through artist commissions, and $4-5,000 for my next event. I want to keep doing that. The only thing slowing us down is that it took a month to receive the first round of matching funds from the city so did not want to commit to anything before that.
Follow along here to keep track of how and where we are reinvesting!
