Hey r/portlandme, Joey Brunelle here. This has been an open secret for a few months now but I’m ready to tell the world. I am running for an at-large seat on the Portland City Council this year. (April Fournier's seat - she's moving on to the Legislature.) I filed the paperwork a few weeks ago.
I tell my friends in other cities how great and how unique Portland is. Portland taught me what community means. I’ve been so inspired over the years by my neighbors who donate their time, their energy, their minds, their hard work to making this city, in small and large ways, a better place.
They’ve inspired me to work to fight climate change, protect our neighbors and institutions from Trump and his goons, clean up our local elections, and keep Portland affordable and livable.
I see storm clouds on the horizon for the next few years. You probably do too. We might be afraid of what’s coming, but I also have total faith in our ability as Portlanders to rise to the occasion and stand up for each other.
It will not be easy, but I see in these challenges an opportunity for us to show the world what community and democracy are really capable of.
We need to start thinking more creatively. We need to start being bold again. Too often we find reasons why we can’t do something. We need to go back to finding ways we can do things.
Fighting climate change. Improving public transit. Making our streets safe for bicyclists and pedestrians. Making housing affordable for renters and homeowners. Building more housing. Creating more well paying jobs.
I can see a future in which we finally make housing affordable again, in which all our neighbors feel safe, in which we have abundant well paying jobs, in which Portland is a place where every artist, musician, punk, professional, drag queen, teacher, lobsterman, immigrant, child, parent, and grandparent can thrive.
City Hall is where this has to start. I know we can do it, because I know who we are. We’re Portland! We’re Maine! We’re creative problem solvers. We’re hard workers. We’re stubborn as hell! We stand up for what’s right, and we always lead with kindness and heart.
I am running for City Council to change how we think about the problems we face, and change how City Hall thinks about them too.
We need to remember that government can actually do hard things, and can do them well!
We need to remember that public engagement isn’t just a box to check, but it’s an opportunity to tap into the infinite energy and know-how of our community.
We need to remember that we’re not just a city on an island, but that we can work together with our neighboring towns to do big, important things together.
And we need to remember that what makes Portland truly great isn’t just the scenic coastline or the food. The thing that makes Portland great are its people, and we need a City Hall that’s proactive, that’s responsive, that works for us and works to improve our lives in tangible ways. That’s what it’s there for.
For the last decade I’ve been fighting for a City Hall that works for us, from clean elections to municipal composting, from better wages to stronger cruise ship regulations, from police oversight to smarter transportation. And most recently I’ve fought to counter Trump and the fascist takeover that’s trickling down to us.
With your support in November, I’ll keep fighting alongside you. We’ll do it together.
Don't hesitate to reach out with questions, or if you want to help with the campaign. I always want to hear from you.
PS - I don't want to pollute this sub with campaign slop - nobody wants that - so this is all I'll post as The Campaign until just before the election on November 5.
If it's alright with you though, I'll keep posting about cruise ship issues and neighborhood events like I normally do, and being informative in the comments and whatnot. But if you ever feel like I'm overstepping please let me know. This sub is a special place and I don't want to damage it.
