Don't Rank DSA – Portland DSA

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PORTLAND’S RECOVERY
CAN’T WAIT

#DONTRANKDSA

Portland’s DSA city councilors have spent 14 months proving they’re not ready to govern. Secret meetings. Frozen children’s services. Ethics investigations. In November 2026, three of their seats are on the ballot.

Section I — The Record

A Council in Chaos

From their first weeks in office through February 2026, the DSA bloc has lurched from one self-inflicted crisis to the next — a 6-6 council balanced on the precipice of disaster while Portland struggles to recover.

THE CHILDREN’S LEVY DEBACLE

In June 2025, the DSA bloc voted 7-5 to freeze $64 million in grants to over 60 nonprofits serving Portland’s most vulnerable children. Three weeks later they unanimously reversed course. The damage was done.

CHILDREN’S LEVY COVERAGE
Willamette WeekJul 16, 2025
Mixed Signals From the DSA Contributed to a Policy Debacle
Council voted 7-5 to freeze $64 million in children’s services grants after the DSA Afrosocialists caucus pressured members to reject the funding recommendations over racial equity concerns.
OPBJun 25, 2025
Portland City Council Reverses Vote to Withhold Nonprofit Youth Grant Funds
Three weeks after freezing children’s levy grants, the council unanimously reversed course. More than 60 nonprofits had been left in limbo — programs serving foster youth, hunger prevention, and child abuse intervention.
Green's Instagram post about cutting sweeps budget
Councilor Mitch Green
Instagram post celebrating $4.3 million cut from homeless sweeps budget — redirecting funds away from public safety during a crisis.
Source: @councilormitchgreen Instagram
Peacock text message chain published by Willamette Week
The Peacock Text Chain
Screenshot of the secret group text where Peacock members coordinated votes in real time during public council meetings.
Source: Willamette Week, published Aug 2025
THE SECRET TEXT MESSAGES

Willamette Week obtained over 300 pages of text messages showing Peacock members coordinating votes in real time during public council meetings — potentially violating Oregon’s public meetings law.

TEXT MESSAGE SCANDAL COVERAGE
OPBAug 19, 2025
Portland Councilors’ Group Chat May Have Violated State Laws, but Complaints Came Too Late
Over 300 pages of text messages revealed the six Peacock councilors coordinating votes during public budget meetings. The city attorney acknowledged the texts raised “important concerns” but said complaints were filed past the 30-day deadline.
KOIN 6Oct 2025
‘Peacock’ Portland Councilors Won’t Be Investigated Over Private Group Chat
Despite evidence of real-time vote coordination during official public meetings, the ethics commission ruled the complaint window had closed — leaving no accountability for the violations.
THE ETHICS INVESTIGATION

When the text message complaints failed on a technicality, a new complaint about a secret Peacock retreat succeeded. The Oregon Government Ethics Commission voted unanimously to investigate. Hearing scheduled: May 8, 2026.

ETHICS INVESTIGATION COVERAGE
Willamette WeekDec 15, 2025
State Ethics Commission Votes to Investigate Peacock Caucus Meeting
In a unanimous 7-0 vote, the Oregon Government Ethics Commission launched a formal investigation into whether the six Peacock councilors violated public meetings law by holding a secret retreat at City Hall.
Willamette WeekDec 16, 2025
Law Firm That Regularly Sues the City Is Representing Peacock Councilors
Five of the six Peacock members retained a civil rights law firm that has active lawsuits against Portland over police misconduct — raising conflict-of-interest questions.
COUNCIL PRESIDENT DEADLOCK
KGWJan 2026
After 7 Hours of Airing Grievances, City Council Still Deadlocked on New President
Thirteen rounds of voting over two sessions exposed deep fractures. Peacock members initially pushed their own candidate while centrists held firm — paralyzing city government for over a week.
Axios PortlandJan 2026
Portland Council Deadlocks After 9 Votes on New President
The standoff only broke after Dunphy agreed to leave the Peacock caucus entirely as a condition of his election — shrinking the progressive bloc from six to five.
Section II — The DSA

Not What You Think

The Democratic Socialists of America aren’t a local grassroots group. They’re a national organization with over 200 chapters, a radical platform, and iron-grip party discipline over their elected officials.

NOT A LOCAL ORG

Every local chapter answers to the National Political Committee. Portland’s representatives on the NPC are self-described radical communists. Any DSA politician must adhere to the national party platform — or face censure and expulsion.

“I believe that our obligation as socialists to offer alternatives and teach the truth about world poverty, capitalism & imperialism requires an equal commitment to teach about resistance. And I am not a victim, I am a communist.”
— Luisa “Knuckles” Martinez, Portland DSA NPC Representative
Portland DSA ACAB repost
Portland DSA
Portland DSA repost: “Now I know how people feel watching the draft after watching the city council budget marathon” — celebrating the bloc’s budget takeover.
Source: Portland DSA Twitter/X, May 2025
Mitch Green from each according to abilities post
Councilor Mitch Green
Bluesky post: “Proud to be in this struggle with you… can model ‘from each according to abilities, to each according to their needs’ in our policy making”
Source: @councilorgreen.bsky.social, Dec 3, 2025
Green blames centrist Dems
Councilor Mitch Green
“Centrist Dems have enabled austerity… It’s DSA versus the Democrats. We’re a different thing and we’re building something bigger.”
Source: @drmitchpdx.bsky.social
Section III — In Their Own Words

This Is Who They Are

Screenshots from the DSA councilors’ own social media accounts. No editorial spin needed — just read what they post.

Green blames People for Portland
Councilor Mitch Green
“I don’t want to hear anymore ‘Portland dying’ narrative… Groups like People for Portland, associated right-wing media ecosystem, and political opportunists own this.”
Source: @councilorgreen.bsky.social, Sep 28, 2025
Morillo dismissive post
Councilor Angelita Morillo
“Hallelujah maybe they’ll believe a white man lol” — dismissing criticism by reducing it to race.
Source: @pnwpolicyangel.bsky.social, Nov 19, 2025
Green's fake police invoice post
Councilor Mitch Green
Posted a fake invoice of police expenses with ID number “1312” (code for ACAB). When confronted, claimed it was “an art installation.”
Source: OPB reporting, confirmed by Green
Kanal on Israel boycott
Councilor Sameer Kanal
Jewish Federation response to Kanal casting boycotting Israeli businesses as a way to “invest in local firms, specifically citing the ice cream shop Salt & Straw.”
Source: Jewish Federation of Greater Portland
Morillo on Louvre theft
Councilor Angelita Morillo
“If the Louvre robbers give some of the money to people struggling without SNAP benefits I will give them each a meaningful & profound forehead kiss” — joking about theft.
Source: @pnwpolicyangel Bluesky
Jewish newspaper shut out of press conference
The Oregonian
Jewish Review editor Rockne Roll was ejected from the DSA’s Israel/Gaza press conference. DSA claimed his real name was “fake.”
Source: The Oregonian, Oct 23, 2025
This is what $47,500 of your tax dollars bought:
A “study tour” of Viennese social housing — during a $93 million budget deficit year.
Section IV — November 2026

Three Seats. One Chance.

Green, Koyama Lane, and Morillo are all up for reelection. Portland uses ranked-choice voting — every ranking matters.

RANKED CHOICE MEANS
EVERY RANK MATTERS

Under Portland’s voting system, ranking a DSA candidate — even as your 5th or 6th choice — can help them win. The only way to stop the bloc is to not rank them at all.

#DONTRANKDSA