Oregon Legislature · November 3, 2026

Portland City Council, House · District 29

2
Candidates: 1
Seats: Vote for one
Method: Nov 3
Due 8 p.m.

Forest Grove, Cornelius, Dilley, Gaston and the western edge of Hillsboro.Forest Grove, Cornelius, Dilley, Gaston and the western edge of Hillsboro.Not yours? Senate · District 13

Our readingDraft

Both candidates focus on schools, infrastructure, civil rights and housing. One leads with public investment in them; the other with how programs are carried out, paid for and measured. The boards below set her votes beside his written answers on the Legislature’s eight choices.

Follow your district →

2 candidates, A–Z. Tap any position to read the sentence, how they would deliver it, and the source.

8 more choices, below8 more choices

Jump to a candidate

Where each candidate stands on four issues, in our short reading of their statements. Each position is a button; activate it to read the sentence, how they would deliver it, and the source. Candidates appear alphabetically.
Candidate	2 of 2 documented	2 of 2 documented	2 of 2 documented	2 of 2 documented	Save to my ballot
Brian SchimmelForest Grove city councilor	Homes	Safety	Money	Roads, energy
Susan McLainIncumbent representative; former teacher	Homes	Safety	Money	Roads, energy

What this office decides right now

Decisions ahead

House District 29 covers Forest Grove, Cornelius, Dilley, Gaston and the western edge of Hillsboro. A state representative is one of 60 votes on the two-year budget, on any tax increase (three-fifths) and on holding back a kicker (two-thirds). The 2027 session opens in January with a budget gap, no durable road-funding source and shelter money that runs out in June 2027.

Each of this office’s 8 live choices is a board below, with every candidate’s stated position or the gap.

2027–29 budget gap
Federal H.R. 1 is projected to open a gap between the cost of current programs and revenue, so the Chief Financial Office told agencies on February 10, 2026 that 2027–29 requests must be revenue-neutral. September’s forecast shows a $400 million 2025–27 ending balance, $3.46 billion in reserves (9.7% of the general fund) and no kicker due on 2028 returns.
Hillsboro data centers
Hillsboro has 34 data centers, more than any Oregon city, and in 2026 signed off on enterprise-zone tax exemptions for 15 developments tied to new or existing ones. A 2026 bill to add 373 acres to Hillsboro’s growth boundary for high-tech industry died after objections that it would allow more data centers.
Data centers
Oregon has 111 operating data centers and 32 more planned or under construction, a September 2026 study found. The Oregonian reported they will get at least $450 million in property-tax breaks this year, a figure the Legislative Revenue Office called “pretty close” on September 8, 2026. Data-center deals on state land are paused through July 1, 2027, and the governor’s advisory committee owes recommendations for a 2027 bill by the end of 2026.
Road funding
Voters repealed HB 3991’s gas-tax and fee increases in May 2026, and the 2026 session redirected existing money to close ODOT’s $297 million gap through June 2027. ODOT now projects a $200 million gap for 2027–29 and nearly 200 maintenance-job cuts; the governor’s workgroup owes recommendations for a 2027 package by year’s end.
Shelter money cliff
The statewide shelter program has $204.9 million for 2025–27, $102.5 million of it one-time money that ends June 30, 2027, and the homelessness emergency runs through January 10, 2027. The state counts 6,286 shelter beds added or kept, 5,539 people rehoused and 25,942 households kept housed since January 2023.
Federal enforcement
Eight immigrant-protection bills signed April 9, 2026 set rules for schools, hospitals, courts and data brokers and require officers to identify themselves; an interagency council created by Executive Order 26-04 coordinates the state’s response. The 2027 session decides what comes next.
Deflection funding
HB 4002’s county deflection programs, run by 28 counties and six tribes in the first cycle, have $40 million for 2025–27; through August 4, 2025 the state logged 2,096 deflection events, 1,308 program entries and 277 completions. The 2027–29 budget decides whether the grants continue.

Where they stand · eight more choices

Eight choices the 2027 Legislature faces

One question at a time: every candidate’s answer, A–Z, with its source. Open a topic to compare the answers and see where information is still missing.

2027 road packageVote for a 2027 transportation package that raises the gas tax and vehicle fees again?2 of 2 on record

HB 3991, passed in a September 2025 special session, raised the gas tax and vehicle fees; voters repealed those increases as Measure 120 on May 19, 2026, 83% to 17%. The 2026 session redirected existing funds to close ODOT's $297 million gap through June 2027, and ODOT says it faces a $200 million gap and nearly 200 maintenance-job cuts in 2027–29.

Brian SchimmelForest Grove city councilor
No if regressive
Said: What they said
Would vote no if the taxes and fees fall disproportionately on low- and moderate-income households, which he says was the problem with the last package, and would first review existing revenue, maintenance needs and cost controls.
On the topic; the exact choice is unsaid. Our paraphrase.
Susan McLainIncumbent representative; former teacher
Carried HB 3991
What they did
Carried HB 3991 on the House floor and voted yes on September 1, 2025; her site backs transit, road maintenance and a new earthquake-ready Columbia River bridge.
A recorded action; our summary of the official record.

Kicker refundLet the state keep part of a future kicker refund for wildfire or other one-time needs?1 of 2 on recordNot found: Susan McLain

The 2026 kicker returned about $1.4 billion; holding any of it back takes a two-thirds vote of each chamber. The September 2026 forecast puts 2025–27 personal income taxes $526 million under the kicker threshold, so no refund is due on 2028 returns; a 2026 bill to change how the kicker is calculated (HB 4125) had a hearing February 2 and died in committee.

Brian SchimmelForest Grove city councilor
Other funds first
Said: What they said
Wants taxpayer refunds preserved and would examine reserves, dedicated revenues and other funding first, and would put any proposal to keep kicker money to voters as a constitutional amendment; he does not rule one out.
On the topic; the exact choice is unsaid. Our paraphrase.
Susan McLainIncumbent representative; former teacher
Not found
Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed; a research gap, not a position.

Budget gap: taxes?Close the 2027–29 budget gap with new revenue, or with cuts alone?2 of 2 on record

The state's Chief Financial Office told agencies on February 10, 2026 that federal H.R. 1 opens a gap between current programs and revenue, and that 2027–29 requests must be revenue-neutral. In February 2026 the Legislature passed SB 1507, disconnecting from H.R. 1 business tax breaks to raise about $314 million for 2027–29 while enlarging the Earned Income Tax Credit; reserves stand at $3.46 billion.

Brian SchimmelForest Grove city councilor
Existing revenue first
Said: What they said
Would spend existing revenue more effectively and measure program performance, recover tax abatements from large corporations and make them pay vehicle fees, citing Amazon’s electric vans; he names no broader tax or specific cuts.
On the topic; the exact choice is unsaid. Our paraphrase.
Susan McLainIncumbent representative; former teacher
Voted to disconnect
What they did
Voted yes on SB 1507 on February 25, 2026; her site says she voted for the largest Earned Income Tax Credit increase in state history.
A recorded action; our summary of the official record.

Data-center limitsMake data centers pay their own way: separate power rates, an end to tax breaks, or a pause on new ones?2 of 2 on record

Oregon has 111 operating data centers and 32 more planned or under construction, a September 2026 study found. The Oregonian reported they will get at least $450 million in property-tax breaks this year, a figure the Legislative Revenue Office called “pretty close” on September 8, 2026. The 2025 POWER Act (HB 3546) put them in their own electricity rate class; the governor paused data-center deals on state land through July 1, 2027 and will bring the 2027 session a statewide framework.

Brian SchimmelForest Grove city councilor
Separate large-user rates
Said: What they said
Would make data centers pay their own way with separate large-user utility rates, stronger land-use and public-benefit requirements, and a review of Enterprise Zone incentives before any new tax abatements.
Our paraphrase of the candidate’s statement.
Susan McLainIncumbent representative; former teacher
Voted for POWER Act
What they did
Voted yes on HB 3546 on April 22 and June 5, 2025, and co-sponsored it; the bill has the utility commission assign the cost of serving large energy users to those users.
A recorded action; our summary of the official record.

Shelter fundingKeep paying for state-funded shelter beds and the homelessness emergency after June 2027?2 of 2 on record

The statewide shelter program created by HB 3644 (2025) has $204.9 million for 2025–27, half of it one-time money that expires June 30, 2027; Executive Order 26-01 extends the homelessness emergency through January 10, 2027. The state counts 6,286 shelter beds added or kept and 5,539 people rehoused from January 2023 through September 2025.

Brian SchimmelForest Grove city councilor
Sustain effective shelter
Said: What they said
Would sustain effective shelter and housing-stability services while increasing moves into permanent housing, aligning state funding with local operating capacity; he does not address the emergency declaration.
Our paraphrase of the candidate’s statement.
Susan McLainIncumbent representative; former teacher
Voted for shelter bill
What they did
Voted yes on HB 3644 on June 23, 2025, the bill creating the statewide shelter program.
A recorded action; our summary of the official record.

Drugs: deflectionKeep the 2024 approach of recriminalized possession plus county deflection programs, and fund them in 2027–29?2 of 2 on record

HB 4002 (2024) made drug possession a misdemeanor again on September 1, 2024 and created county deflection programs, run by 28 counties and six tribes in the first cycle and funded with $40 million for 2025–27. Through August 4, 2025 the state logged 2,096 deflection events: 1,308 people entered a program, 277 completed one and 630 did not.

Brian SchimmelForest Grove city councilor
Fund county deflection
Said: What they said
Would keep a response that pairs accountability for drug offenses with treatment and recovery: fund county implementation, set workable statewide standards and coordinate police, behavioral-health providers and treatment capacity.
Our paraphrase of the candidate’s statement.
Susan McLainIncumbent representative; former teacher
Voted for HB 4002
What they did
Voted yes on HB 4002 on February 29, 2024, which recriminalized possession and created county deflection programs.
A recorded action; our summary of the official record.

Wildfire moneySpend more state money on wildfire prevention and firefighting?2 of 2 on record

Fires burned a record 2.5 million acres in Oregon in summer 2026. HB 3940 (2025) taxes oral nicotine and moves 20% of Rainy Day Fund interest into two wildfire funds, which the Legislative Revenue Office put at about $43 million for 2025–27 and $63 million for 2027–29, and raises the timber harvest tax; SB 83 (2025) repealed the statewide wildfire hazard map.

Brian SchimmelForest Grove city councilor
Fund prevention, response
Said: What they said
Would strengthen wildfire prevention, community preparedness and firefighting capacity through sustainable funding, prioritizing fuel reduction, community protection, response readiness and coordinated state and local investment.
Our paraphrase of the candidate’s statement.
Susan McLainIncumbent representative; former teacher
Voted for HB 3940
What they did
Voted yes on HB 3940 on June 23, 2025, the bill that taxes oral nicotine, raises the timber harvest tax and moves Rainy Day Fund interest to wildfire funds.
A recorded action; our summary of the official record.

Sanctuary lawKeep adding state limits on federal immigration enforcement, on top of Oregon's sanctuary law?2 of 2 on record

Oregon's 1987 sanctuary law and the 2021 Sanctuary Promise Act bar public resources for immigration enforcement without a judicial warrant. The 2026 session passed eight more bills, signed April 9, 2026, including HB 4138, which requires officers to identify themselves and limits masks (House 36–19, Senate 18–10), and SB 1570, which requires hospitals to set policies for law-enforcement visits.

Brian SchimmelForest Grove city councilor
Limits via state units
Said: What they said
Would add limits by activating state-controlled specialized units with training, indemnification and deployment protocols, saying legislation with no enforcement mechanism does not limit federal immigration enforcement.
Our paraphrase of the candidate’s statement.
Susan McLainIncumbent representative; former teacher
Voted for HB 4138
What they did
Voted yes on HB 4138 on February 24 and March 6, 2026; her site says she fought this year to hold ICE and law-enforcement agents accountable.
A recorded action; our summary of the official record.

What the fundraising records show

January 1, 2025–2026-11-04 · Current transaction snapshot. November–December 2024 is missing; recent filings and manual-export coverage are provisional. Reviewed candidate–committee links do not make every transaction a 2026 campaign transaction. Official account balances and editorial findings are updated separately.

This race does not yet have reviewed, comparable fundraising records in this edition. No fundraising ranking is shown. Missing data is not zero fundraising.

About this race

How to vote

You vote for one candidate. How it works

Election Day: November 3, 2026 · official drop boxes close at 8 p.m.

Find an official ballot drop box

The League of Women Voters' VOTE411.org shows every race on your ballot from your address, in your choice of language, with candidates' answers to the League's questions where they gave them.

What this office can do

The Legislature adopts state laws, taxes and budgets, including school funding, healthcare, housing rules and transportation. Most legislation needs both chambers and the governor, or a veto override. An individual legislator cannot order a local agency to act.

How this list was made

Same questions for everyone, A–Z. Each short label summarizes a sourced position; we do not endorse, rank or score.

Original research reviewed September 18, 2026. AI-assisted; a separate human editorial review is still pending.

Terms explained

Amendment: A proposed change to a measure before the final vote. Voting for an amendment is not the same as voting for the whole measure.
Supplemental budget: A mid-year change to the city budget after the main budget is adopted.
Appropriation: Permission to spend money on something. It does not mean the money has been spent or the result achieved.
PCEF: The Portland Clean Energy Fund: a tax on large retailers that pays for climate projects. Council has debated using its interest for other services.
Term sheet: Starting terms for a negotiation. Approving one is not a final contract.
Social housing: Housing owned by the public or a nonprofit and rented at controlled prices.
CEI Hub: The fuel-storage area along the Willamette in Northwest Portland, where Zenith Energy operates.
Ranked choice: You rank candidates in order. If your first choice is eliminated or already elected, your vote counts toward your next choice.