I am Yonsei, a fourth-generation Japanese American, and my family members were forced into the WWII Japanese incarceration camps. This history lives within me and grounds me in one of my most foundational values: dignity. Through public policy, we show our community who is deserving of dignity. We need city councilors who are willing to fight for dignity as a basic human right for every single Portlander. 

I have been teaching in public school classrooms for 15 years, and I am a proud union leader in the Portland Association of Teachers. Working in schools teaches you who has access to food, clothing, housing, transportation, medical care, mental health support, and more. The classroom is a mirror for our society, and as a union leader I am fighting with other teachers, parents, and students for safer schools, smaller class sizes, and better mental health services for our students.

In a classroom, you can’t pick favorites. There are no disposable people; everyone deserves dignity and fair treatment. I’m running for Portland City Council District 3 because I believe we need to bring this approach into city government. We need more compassionate, fair leadership—councilors who listen to the voices of the working people in this city and not just the wealthy few. 

As a city councilor, I will prioritize community safety through increasing addiction and behavioral health support, crisis intervention, and street outreach, using proven strategies to address root causes. 

I will champion connected neighborhoods through pushing for policies that ensure everyone can move through their neighborhoods without fear of traffic violence. I will partner with fellow teachers to turn our public schools into true Community Schools.

I will champion housing through building upon and pushing for more supportive housing, housing that regular Portlanders can afford, and eviction resources and defense throughout the city.

I believe our city councilors should be deeply invested in their community. I am visible in the community and will continue to be so as your city councilor. I will know my neighbors on a first name basis, housed and unhoused. I will support local schools and businesses. I will help people feel safe and connected. 

There has been so much negativity about Portland. Yes, Portland is facing many challenges. But Portland is also a place full of amazing people who put their heart and soul into their community. It is full of people who are ready to get to work to realize Portland’s promise. 

In November, a power shift awaits with the new city charter, transitioning us from 4 council seats to 12. I’ve spent the last months meeting with local leaders and politicians and other candidates. I’ve been meeting with neighbors on the street and in homes, sometimes trading childcare to have long conversations about what people in our district need and what they hope for from their city. I want to be a part of the group to usher in the change we need in Portland. As City Councilor Tiffany Koyama Lane, I will bring my community – that’s you – into office with me.