PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland City Commissioner Dan Ryan will run for re-election next year, he announced in an interview with KGW's Laural Porter on Thursday morning.
Ryan took office last September after beating out Loretta Smith in a special election runoff to fill the seat left by the late Portland Commissioner Nick Fish.
Ryan's current term is set to end in 2022.
"I'm just getting started. I love my city and I'm going to swing hard for her — she's in a lot of pain right now," Ryan said.
The commissioner said the decision to run for re-election did not come easy, especially after a year when protesters sought out and vandalized his home. Ryan said that experience was difficult for his family but especially hard on his neighbors who he checked with before deciding to run again.
"Four of my closest neighbors are refugees that fled violence, political violence in their own countries, and to experience that political violence on their own block was rough," Ryan said.
During his first year in office, Commissioner Ryan has prioritized finding solutions to the city's ongoing homeless crisis. Ryan's office is leading efforts to open six "Safe Rest Villages" for those experiencing homelessness by the end of this year.
Commissioner Ryan's seat is one of two on the Portland City Council set to expire next year, the other is Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty's.
Tune in Friday night at 7 p.m. for "Straight Talk" to watch Laural Porter's full conversation with Commissioner Dan Ryan.
