A genuine swing vote: with progressives on policing and civil liberties, but with the business bloc whenever money, sweeps, Zenith or city jobs are on the table.
Novick is an environmental lawyer. He sued polluters for the U.S. Justice Department (1987–1996) and later worked at the Oregon Justice Department (2018–2024). He was a city commissioner from 2013 to 2016, lost his seat to Chloe Eudaly, and won a District 3 seat in 2024. He now chairs the council's Community and Public Safety Committee. OPB reports he "describes himself as a progressive Democrat." The Mercury says he "considers himself a swing vote."
Backed bySteve Novick is the hardest candidate on this site to sum up, and that's the point. He calls himself a progressive, and on some issues he votes like one. But when the council splits along bloc lines over money, sweeps, jobs or the Zenith oil terminal, he has sided with the business bloc far more often than not.
Start with police accountability. In May 2026 he co-sponsored an amendment to move $10 million out of the Office of Community Police Accountability, which voters created with 82% of the vote, and into police and fire. It failed 6–6 [1][2]. In July he defended a centrist plan that again looked to underspent funds, most likely the same office's, to refill the city's reserves [3].
On climate, he was the only no vote in March 2025 when the council voted 11–1 to investigate Zenith Energy's possible franchise violations. Even Olivia Clark and Eric Zimmerman voted yes [4]. In September 2026 he voted to consent to transferring Zenith's franchise, a 6–6 tie the mayor broke [5]. The Mercury, while endorsing him, said he repeated "fossil fuel industry talking points" [6].
On homelessness, he voted against Angelita Morillo's 2025 plan to move $4.35 million from camp sweeps to other services [7]. The Portland Metro Chamber then urged supporters to thank him, five other councilors and the mayor [8]. In the 2026 budget he voted against reversing the shift of clean-energy money to encampment programs and against resident-run villages [9].
On city jobs, he voted against a July 2026 supplemental budget that would have restored up to 55 frontline positions. It failed on the mayor's tie-break [10]. In May he co-sponsored an amendment to backfill 46 non-manager jobs, then voted against it, saying he was "horribly disappointing some of our union colleagues." In our analysis of that budget committee's split votes, he sided with the centrists on 20 of 21 [11].
On transparency, he voted no when the council ordered the release of records about millions in unspent housing money and scheduled an oversight hearing. He preferred an internal investigation or an audit [12]. He also wrote a chronic-nuisance law that, he told Montavilla News, "gives the police a little more leverage to lean on property owners to play ball" [13]. It passed 7–5 over five progressives' objections [14]. A public defender and Portland Copwatch opposed it [15].
His backers see the same pattern. The Chamber's PAC tells voters to rank Kellie Torres first, Novick second, and no one else [16]. The police-union, labor and business Unity PAC backs only those two [17].
Novick deserves credit where he has earned it. He voted to require all officers, federal agents included, to show their faces and ID [18]. He proposed raising the tax on companies with outsized CEO pay [19], and at the City Club debate he said "No" to diverting clean-energy money to police [20]. Willamette Week says he can't be "bullied or bought" [21]. But a ranked ballot asks who will deliver progressive priorities when the votes are close. On budgets, sweeps, jobs and Zenith, Novick's close votes have usually gone to the other side.
The Clark amendment Novick co-sponsored would have moved $10M from the Office of Community Police Accountability to police and fire. Voters created that office with 82% of the vote. The amendment failed 6–6, with all six progressives voting no.
Willamette WeekHe voted yes on consenting to the transfer of Zenith Energy's franchise (Ordinance 192229). The council tied 6–6 and Mayor Wilson broke the tie. The Mercury, while endorsing him, faulted him for voicing "fossil fuel industry talking points" in that vote.
Portland.govThe council voted 11–1 to demand an investigation of Zenith Energy's possible franchise violations and pause city action on Zenith. Even Clark and Zimmerman voted yes; Novick was the only no. He had also backed amendments to strip its findings.
Portland.govThe progressive supplemental budget (2026-222) would have used PCEF interest and other funds to restore frontline positions cut in the budget. It failed 6–7 after Mayor Wilson broke the tie. A centrist version that saved fewer jobs passed instead.
Portland.govMorillo's mid-year amendment to cut $4.35M from the Impact Reduction Program, which runs camp sweeps, failed 5–3 with four councilors absent. Novick voted no. The Portland Metro Chamber then urged supporters to thank him, five other councilors and the mayor.
Willamette WeekHe voted for the Moda Center term sheet: $120M up front and up to $275M for maintenance over a 20-year lease, with $3.2M a year in rent. It passed 8–4. He voted no on a Morillo/Kanal amendment, which failed 6–6.
Portland.govResolution 37734 required the City Administrator to release records on unspent housing funds and set an oversight hearing. It passed 8–4; Novick, Clark, Zimmerman and Ryan voted no. Novick backed a failed alternative calling for an internal investigation or audit.
Portland.govMorillo-Green-Novick 1 would have paused the city's "core realignment" and backfilled 46 non-manager positions (about $8M). Novick said he shouldn't have signed on before talking to city administrators, then voted no. It failed 6–6.
Portland MercuryHis ordinance expanded nuisance activities, widened the counting window from 30 to 90 days and moved sign-off to the City Administrator. It passed 7–5, with five progressives voting no. A public defender and Portland Copwatch opposed it (Filter).
Portland.govThe council passed the Detention Facility Impact Fee 9–2 (Ordinance 192127). Novick and Dan Ryan cast the only no votes. KOIN reported his worry that the fee could reach any frequently protested site, such as abortion clinics.
Portland.govMixed. He co-sponsored moving $10M from the voter-created accountability office and wrote a law giving police more leverage over property owners, but he backed the mask/ID ordinance and opposed raiding PCEF for police.
He sided with the centrists on every bloc split on homelessness and housing in our vote analysis (12 of 12), including keeping sweep funding and opposing records on unspent housing money.
He proposes taxes on the top but votes with the business bloc on nearly every budget split: 20 of 21 in the May 2026 budget committee, in our analysis of that committee's split votes.
He guards PCEF's money from the arena and police, but he has repeatedly voted against oversight of the Zenith oil terminal.
He opposed the council's demand for records on unspent housing money and voted against a Morillo/Kanal amendment to the Moda term sheet, though he wrote his own Moda guardrail.
The business and police-labor slates rank him second, behind Torres, and tell voters to rank no one else.
certainly would not object to borrowing money that would otherwise just sit in a bank account.Novick said this of voters, while defending the amendment to move $10M from the new police accountability office. · Willamette Week, 2026-05-20
I realize that I'm horribly disappointing some of our union colleaguesHe said this while explaining his no vote on the jobs amendment he had co-sponsored. · Portland Mercury, 2026-05-20
pay for things with magic moneyNovick said he votes no on amendments that try to do this. He said it during the May 2026 budget-committee votes, when he sided with the centrists on nearly every split. · Portland Mercury, 2026-05-20
PCEF was designed to fight climate change and help low-income people and people of colorHe said this when explaining why he would not vote to spend clean-energy fund money on the Moda Center. · Willamette Week, 2026-03-25
I'm uncomfortable with the principle that … the landowner should have to pay the costs associated with those protests.Explaining his no vote on the ICE detention facility fee. · KPTV, 2025-12-03
Any councilor who believes in public involvement in the budget process should oppose these proposals.Opposing Morillo's mid-year cut to the camp-sweep budget, which he said got only a five-day review. · Willamette Week, 2025-11-12
it just gives the police a little more leverage to lean on property owners to play ballDescribing his chronic-nuisance property ordinance. · Montavilla News, 2026-03-16
I agree we need more police, but PCEF is not a 'free' pot of money.On the initiative to send 25% of clean-energy fund revenue to police. · OPB, 2025-11-13
No company is going to stop doing business in Portland because the amount of profit they make is reduced by 2.6%.Defending his proposal to raise the CEO pay-ratio surtax. · OPB, 2025-05-08
No.From the City Club debate video (38:27): his yes/no answer on rerouting 25% of PCEF revenue to hire about 400 police. Torres said yes. · City Club D3 debate (video, 38:27), 2026-10
judicious, but... unfortunateFrom the City Club debate video (26:07), describing parks cuts. · City Club D3 debate (video, 26:07), 2026-10
Novick is not a reliable bloc vote. He voted with the progressives on the 2026 ordinance requiring all officers in Portland, including federal agents, to show their faces and ID (Ord. 192184, 8–4), for the 2025 move of $1.9M from police to parks, and against rerouting 25% of PCEF to police, both in 2025 and in the Oct 2026 City Club debate. He refused to put clean-energy money into the Moda Center and has pushed new revenue from the top: in 2025 he proposed raising the CEO pay-ratio surtax for about $27M a year. WWeek, his top endorser, says he can't be "bullied or bought"; the Mercury, while critical, endorsed him for Moda, PCEF and the mask ban. On the votes that cut against him he has stated reasons: the $10M OCPA move was a repaid loan from an office with no director; the sweep cut got five days of public review; the ICE fee charged landowners for protests; and he votes against budget amendments that rely on "magic money."