On Nov. 7, at-large City Councilor Jill Duson won re-election to the Portland City Council. We congratulate her on her win, and thank her for running an honest campaign.

When I announced my candidacy in February, I vowed to myself and my supporters that this would be about much more than getting me elected. Instead, I wanted this campaign to be a vehicle for highlighting the critical issues Portland faces and for furthering new ideas. And if that was the goal, we were successful beyond our wildest dreams.

In June, I moderated a talk with an expert on gentrification, and over 100 people attended.

We helped create Portland’s first interactive city budget website, to make city government more accessible to the average person.

We organized a “Participatory Budgeting” event, the first of its kind in our city. Thirty people attended and learned about a more democratic way to decide how the city’s money is spent.

We were the first City Council campaign ever to refuse contributions from out-of-state political action committees, companies and real estate developers. We introduced the idea of a municipal Clean Election program to get big money out of local politics.

We ran an all-volunteer campaign that garnered 30 percent of the vote, with a budget less than half that of our competitors, proving that you don’t need to take big money to reach voters.

Our campaign is over, but the work is not. After we heard the results on election night, it was obvious that the positive energy and activism we fostered must continue. We have some very exciting plans, and you will be hearing about those soon. We’re just getting started.

Thank you to my family and friends, to my supporters and volunteers, and to you, Portland, for giving me the opportunity to speak with you. It was an incredible honor.

Joey Brunelle

Portland

Copy the Story Link