Hello, I’m Travis Curran. I’m a working class Portlander, and I’m running for City Council At Large. It’s not because I want to, but because I have to.

Yes, I have to.

I’ve been working in the service industry for most of my life, and I’ve slept in the Oxford street shelter. I’ve tossed pizza, washed dishes, waited tables, and talked to members of every community eye-to-eye. I’ve stood and felt the pain of everyone in Portland as we watch it become more and more unaffordable. We have seen out-of-town developers buy up our city. We watched luxury condos and largely vacant AirBnB units choke out housing opportunities that could be available to Portland’s workers, seniors, and vulnerable immigrant communities.

I’m running because I have watched my neighbors get evicted and I’ve watched as their homes were transformed into a complex of Airbnb units. We must enforce the cap on non-owner-occupied Airbnb’s, incentivize affordable housing, and build strong neighborhood centers. We must also take a look at the property revaluation process and find ways to prevent massive increases in taxes.

I am running because it’s time for Portland to create a night bus for third shift workers at restaurants, nurses at the hospitals, and for the folks who need to get around safely after dark. Not everyone works nine to five, and we should ensure our city is accessible for all our essential workers.

I’m running because I know that Portland needs an independent civilian police oversight board. Many other cities have these boards, and in the wake of the events of the past two years, it’s more important than ever that we have transparent, procedural accountability. The police are not our enemies, they protect and serve, and we can reinforce a mutual trust with the public.

I’m running because we need strong schools where equity and accessibility are top priority. We need to increase attendance, and hire more bilingual/ELL staff, and we need better,  more robust communication between school staff and city officials.

I’m running because our sea levels are rising every day. Climate change is here now. Unseasonably warm summers and shorter, more violent winters, hurricanes and blizzards are now the norm. The Gulf of Maine is warming faster than anywhere on the planet, and we needed to address this yesterday. Municipal governments can play a role in climate action. I support tax rebate incentives for developments and homeowners to make buildings more green, more public recycling and compost bins, and better public transit access so we can stop relying on cars.

I’m running for everybody, from brand new homeowners to the unhoused community. With divisive bickering in City Hall, I promise to provide a clear and transparent voice without party lines or special interests swaying me. Politics should not be decided by the deepest pockets, or the loudest voice in the room, but by having every voice at the table. Portland is going to change dramatically over the next five years, and the working class needs their hands on the steering wheel. The people should trust our elected officials. An elected official is a public servant — I have been a servant my entire life, and I am at your service.

I look forward to discussing all of the issues and policies I’ve outlined above with Portlanders of all walks of life, with public officials in Augusta, in other states and in Washington as we set Portland as a shining example of a small city in the 21st century.

I’m Travis Curran, and I’m running for the regular, working Portlanders who love this city as much as I do. I’ve been a servant all my life, and I’m ready to serve the people of our great city. I hope I can count on your number one vote on Nov. 2. Together, we can protect the spirit of Portland, and make sure everybody is at large.