🎒Preschool for All needs to fill fewer seats

Record Number of Women Running for Governor Across Country

Across the country, there are 85 women who ran this year to be a major party’s gubernatorial candidate. That’s up from a previous record of 69, in 2022. Oregon has two who won their respective parties' nomination. But there are 36 states where at least one woman joined the race. [States Newsroom via Oregon Capitol Chronicle]

• Current status quo: There are currently 14 women governors, including Oregon’s Tina Kotek. That’s also a record. [Center for American Women and Politics]
• But still: “Despite the increase in women seeking office over the years, female representation is still low when taken as a percentage of all candidates running for Congress and state governors,” reports the States Newsroom. As of July 20, only about a quarter of the gubernatorial candidates are women. That’s in line with congressional numbers as well, where just 27% of total candidates for the U.S. House and 23.9% of Senate candidates are women. [States Newsroom via Oregon Capitol Chronicle]

Compromise Measure To Restore City Jobs Passes

City Council voted 10-to-2 to restore 30 public safety positions that were cut from the city budget passed last month. The ordinance will take $12 million from unnamed contingency funds — a compromise from the original proposal that explicitly called for using funding set aside for the Office of Community-Based Police Accountability. [Oregonian]

• Notable moment: Mayor Keith Wilson cast his first tie-breaking vote against the progressive councilors' resolution that would have restored more city positions — in parks as well as public safety — by using interest from the Portland Clean Energy Fund. [Oregonian]

PSU Laying Off 36 Faculty Members

Portland State University will eliminate its Conflict Resolution and University Studies departments and lay off 36 faculty members. It’s a smaller layoff than previously planned and part of an effort to address a projected $35 million budget shortfall for the 2027-28 school year. [Oregonian / OPB]

Preschool for All Needs Fewer Seats

New population projections suggest the county will need three thousand fewer preschool seats for 3- and 4-year-olds than previously expected. That’s a significant drop from the 11,200 previously projected to be needed by 2030. It comes as the county population is expected to remain flat. The new figures also ease some of the concerns about financing the program. [City Cast Portland 🎧]

• Related: Preschool for All will need just 8,000, according to the new projections. [Willamette Week]

Each week, we feature favorite local spots and organizations picked by City Cast Portland Neighbors. It’s a member benefit, but it’s also a great way to get to know our city:

• “Chill N Fill on North Lombard is a great community space with a lot of great food carts, games for people of all ages, and all kinds of boozy and N/A bevs!” — Jonathan B.
• “The chai flight at Pip's Doughnuts and Chai is one of the funnest and coolest things — in Portland, maybe the world. They claim it's the only place in the world to get homemade donuts and a chai flight.” — Sherri B.
• “Hoplandia on Interstate in North Portland is a fun new bar that just opened and has a great atmosphere, free popcorn, and one of the largest TVs in Portland. Love this new spot.” — Stephen S.

Become a City Cast Portland Neighbor today to share your own shoutout in this newsletter and on the podcast!