Oregon Legislature · November 3, 2026

Portland City Council, Senate · District 20

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

Oregon City, Gladstone, Johnson City, Oatfield, Jennings Lodge and Happy Valley, with unincorporated Clackamas County toward Damascus and Clackamas Community College.Oregon City, Gladstone, Johnson City, Oatfield, Jennings Lodge and Happy Valley, with unincorporated Clackamas County toward Damascus and Clackamas Community College.Not yours? Senate · District 13

Our readingDraft

Both candidates promise affordability and public safety. One pairs those goals with housing, healthcare and school investment; the other with a no-new-taxes pledge conditioned on accountability, stronger enforcement and relief for childcare providers.

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

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	0 of 2 documented	Save to my ballot
Mark MeekIncumbent senator; business owner	Homes	Safety	Money	Roads
Michele StrohSchool board member; childcare owner	Homes	Safety	Money	Roads

What this office decides right now

What’s at stake

Senate District 20 covers Oregon City, Gladstone, Johnson City, Happy Valley and unincorporated Clackamas County toward Damascus. A state senator is one of 30 votes on the two-year budget, on any tax increase (three-fifths) and on holding back a kicker (two-thirds), and confirms the governor’s appointees. 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.
Tax disconnect
SB 1507 (2026) disconnected Oregon from federal H.R. 1 business tax breaks and enlarged the Earned Income Tax Credit, a net $314 million for the 2027–29 general fund by the Legislative Revenue Office’s estimate. Whether to go further, or to cut instead, is the 2027 session’s call.
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.
Abernethy Bridge
The I-205 Abernethy Bridge between West Linn and Oregon City is costing $672 million against an original $495 million authorization, ODOT reported in October 2025, with completion expected in 2026. HB 3991 repealed the mandatory toll program that had been planned for I-205.
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.
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.
Data centers
About 144 data centers get roughly $450 million a year in property-tax breaks, 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.

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 all to see who has said nothing about what.

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.

Mark MeekIncumbent senator; business owner
Voted for HB 3991
What they did
Voted yes on HB 3991 in the Senate on September 29, 2025; the enrolled bill also repealed the mandatory toll program, and his site says he ended ODOT’s I-205 tolling plans.
A recorded action; our summary of the official record.
Michele StrohSchool board member; childcare owner
Voters said no
Said: What they said
Her filed statement says the incumbent voted yes on a package to raise taxes that voters then rejected by more than 80 percent, and that Salem’s answer is always another tax.
Our paraphrase of the candidate’s statement.

Kicker refundLet the state keep part of a future kicker refund for wildfire or other one-time needs?0 of 2 on recordNot found: Mark Meek, Michele Stroh

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.

Mark MeekIncumbent senator; business owner
Not found
Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed; a research gap, not a position.
Michele StrohSchool board member; childcare owner
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.

Mark MeekIncumbent senator; business owner
Voted no on disconnect
What they did
Voted no on SB 1507 on February 16, 2026, the bill that disconnects Oregon from federal H.R. 1 business tax breaks to raise about $314 million for 2027–29 and enlarge the Earned Income Tax Credit.
A recorded action; our summary of the official record.
Michele StrohSchool board member; childcare owner
No new taxes
Said: What they said
Pledges no new taxes: says Oregon does not have a revenue problem but a spending problem, and she will vote no on new taxes until Salem shows it can spend what it has.
Our paraphrase of the candidate’s statement.

Data-center limitsMake data centers pay their own way: separate power rates, an end to tax breaks, or a pause on new ones?1 of 2 on recordNot found: Michele Stroh

Oregon has about 144 data centers and roughly $450 million a year in property-tax breaks, 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.

Mark MeekIncumbent senator; business owner
Voted for POWER Act
What they did
Voted yes on HB 3546, the POWER Act, in the Senate on June 3, 2025; it lets regulators put data centers in their own electricity rate class.
A recorded action; our summary of the official record.
Michele StrohSchool board member; childcare owner
Not found
Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed; a research gap, not a position.

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.

Mark MeekIncumbent senator; business owner
Voted for shelter bill
What they did
Voted yes on HB 3644 on June 26, 2025; his site says he is working to expand shelter capacity and treatment programs.
A recorded action; our summary of the official record.
Michele StrohSchool board member; childcare owner
Accountability for spending
Said: What they said
Says Oregon has spent billions while the crisis grew; wants treatment, accountability for spending and less red tape blocking shelters and housing, without saying whether to renew state shelter money.
On the topic; the exact choice is unsaid. Our paraphrase.

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.

Mark MeekIncumbent senator; business owner
Voted for HB 4002
What they did
Voted yes on HB 4002 in the Senate on March 1, 2024; his site backs resources for police, offender accountability and expanded treatment.
A recorded action; our summary of the official record.
Michele StrohSchool board member; childcare owner
Backed Fix M110
Said: What they said
Says she worked with the Fix M110 coalition on the bipartisan amendment giving police tools against dealers while getting people with addiction into treatment; wants prevention, treatment and consequences for dealers.
Our paraphrase of the candidate’s statement.

Wildfire moneySpend more state money on wildfire prevention and firefighting?0 of 2 on recordNot found: Mark Meek, Michele Stroh

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.

Mark MeekIncumbent senator; business owner
Not found
Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed; a research gap, not a position.
Michele StrohSchool board member; childcare owner
Not found
Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed; a research gap, not a position.

Sanctuary lawKeep adding state limits on federal immigration enforcement, on top of Oregon's sanctuary law?1 of 2 on recordNot found: Michele Stroh

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.

Mark MeekIncumbent senator; business owner
Voted for HB 4138
What they did
Voted yes on HB 4138 on March 5, 2026; his site says he stood firm against reckless federal policies.
A recorded action; our summary of the official record.
Michele StrohSchool board member; childcare owner
Not found
Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed; a research gap, not a position.

About this race

How to vote

You vote for one candidate. How it works

Ballots mail Oct 14 · return by 8 p.m. Nov 3

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 chip is our short reading of a sourced statement; we do not endorse, rank or score.

Reviewed September 18, 2026 · lines 2026-09-19.1 · AI-assisted, human review 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.