City Council candidate Deian Salazar suspends campaign, backs Terrance Hayes

PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) – It is a crowded race for Portland City Council with 98 candidates running for 12 seats in four newly-formed districts this November.

As of now, 16 of those candidates are running in District 1, which represents outer-East Portland east of 82nd Avenue and I-205 to Gresham.

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One of these candidates was Deian Salazar, a David Douglas high school alumnus who has served on the Oregon Autism Commission and Gov. Tina Kotek's Child Foster Care Advisory Council among other roles.

While joining KOIN 6 News' Eye on Northwest Politics, Salazar announced that he has suspended his campaign in support of Terrance Hayes as he shifts to work as Candidate Hayes' policy advisor and deputy field manager.

"I am doing this because service and serving the people is not just about running for office," Salazar said. "It's about making the right decisions and putting others before yourself and being in the role that you believe is most effective is affecting change."

Salazar shared how his personal experience fits into these advocacy roles and why he was initially pushed to run for Portland City Council.

"I believe that we needed a fresh perspective that represents the demographics and the values of Portland City Council District 1 and also someone who has been working on these key issues that have contributed the the homeless crisis for several years now — while not being someone who believes that people should not be out there on street camping or RV camping," Salazar said.

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Salazar said it will take "mental healthcare access, workforce development, employment opportunities and economic opportunity in general" to improve East Portland, which is generally the lowest-income area of the four districts. Some would consider it the most under-served by the city.

He also shared his support for the Portland Children's Tax Levy to help youths with economic opportunities while protecting them from domestic violence and abuse in their homes.