The Chamber's PAC and a police-union-backed PAC back her. She was the only D3 debater to say yes to moving PCEF climate money into police hiring.
Torres manages external affairs and partnerships for Portland Parks & Recreation. She was chief of staff to Commissioner Dan Ryan, and before that an elementary school teacher and an educational-equity leader at All Hands Raised; this is her first run for office (Mercury, Sept 9, 2026). WWeek says she was Ryan's chief of staff from 2020 to 2024 and that her Parks job was created to seek public-private partnerships for a $700M maintenance backlog (Oct 14, 2026). She has worked for the city on and off since 2005 (OPB, Oct 7, 2026) and calls herself one of the "practical, progressive leaders who deliver results" (campaign site).
Backed byKellie Torres has never held office, so her case rests on three things: who is spending to elect her, what she has said she would do, and what she has chosen not to say. Start with the backers. United for Portland, the Portland Metro Chamber's political arm, tells District 3 voters to rank her first, Novick second, and "not rank any other candidates" [1]. Unity PAC, a committee of the Portland Police Association, the firefighters, building trades, the labor council and United for Portland, recommends only Novick and Torres and reported $210,000 owed or spent with a Washington, D.C., firm [2]. Go Portland Go, funded by Partnership for Progress and Columbia Sportswear CEO Tim Boyle, endorsed her too [3]. Her donors include Chamber President Andrew Hoan and her former boss, Councilor Dan Ryan [4]. Her recorded answers match those backers' positions on police funding. At the Oct 7 City Club debate, asked whether she would vote for an initiative moving 25% of the voter-approved Portland Clean Energy Fund into hiring about 400 police, she said "Yes"; every other District 3 candidate on stage said no [5]. On the Fair Share tax, a proposal to raise about $72 million a year from roughly 400 large corporations while cutting taxes for 18,000 small businesses [6], she said at the debate she was "not sure" and wanted to know more [5]; at the North Tabor Neighborhood Association's Oct 13 forum, her answer was recorded as No [7]. She was recorded as supporting the Moda Center term sheet [7], which commits $120 million up front and up to $275 million for maintenance of the Blazers' arena [8]. She was recorded as opposing Measure 26-267 [7], which would let residents decide 2% of discretionary spending [9]. Where progressives want specifics, her platform is quiet. Portland Civic Lab found no answer from her on new revenue, camp-removal funding or Moda public money in her pamphlet, site or questionnaires [10]. Her police plan is to fill funded positions, then "consider additional officers"; the measures it tracks are vacancies, hiring and response times, not oversight [11]. Her answer to tight budgets leans on "grants, philanthropy, sponsorships" [11], which Civic Lab notes do not provide stable operating revenue [10]. She was chief of staff to Commissioner Dan Ryan from 2020 to 2024 [12]. In that period Ryan cast the deciding vote against Jo Ann Hardesty's $18 million police cut [13], co-wrote the 2022 plan to ban street camping and build camps of up to 250 people [14], voted for the 2023 daytime camping ban with fines or jail [15], and opposed the charter reform voters passed [16]. Those are his votes, not hers, and no source shows her role in them. Independent reviewers have weighed in. The Mercury called her "the establishment pick to help turn Council back to the status quo" [17]. Willamette Week, which ranked her third, said her "policy ideas" were not "terribly original" [12]. There is a fair defense: she takes public matching funds and no direct PAC money [10], and she supports a 24/7 Portland Street Response and rent assistance [7][11]. But the Chamber is asking voters to rank her instead of both District 3 progressives, and on climate money for police, the arena and resident budgeting she took the other side from both [1][7][5].
United for Portland tells D3 voters to rank Torres first and Novick second and "not rank any other candidates," which leaves out both incumbents Koyama Lane and Morillo. Go Portland Go, funded by Partnership for Progress and Tim Boyle, also endorsed her.
United for Portland; Portland MercuryAsked yes or no whether she would vote for an initiative rerouting 25% of PCEF clean-energy revenue to hire about 400 police, Torres said "Yes." Novick, Morillo, Koyama Lane, Leon and Sollitt all said no (from the City Club debate video; her answer is at 38:20, and the round of answers runs 38:14-38:27).
City Club of Portland D3 debate videoAt the Oct 7 City Club debate she said "I am not sure" about the Fair Share tax and "I could support it based on the small business support. I would really want to know more" (from the City Club debate video, 40:34-41:13). Six days later, North Tabor NA recorded her answer as No. The proposal would raise about $72M a year from just over 400 large corporations and cut taxes for about 18,000 small businesses (KPTV).
City Club debate video; North Tabor Neighborhood Association; KPTVHer recorded answer was Yes on supporting "the current term sheet for public financing of Moda Center renovation." Council adopted it 8-4 on Aug 12, 2026: $120M up front and up to $275M for maintenance over a 20-year lease, which includes $3.2M a year in rent.
North Tabor Neighborhood Association; OPBUnity PAC, whose members include the Portland Police Association and the Chamber's United for Portland, recommends ranking only Novick and Torres in D3. Its named contributors include the police union's PAC.
Willamette WeekPortland Civic Lab found no answer in her pamphlet, campaign site or questionnaire on new revenue, camp-removal funding, Moda Center public money or a 24/7 Portland Street Response. Her priorities page doesn't mention sweeps, taxes, the arena or Zenith.
Portland Civic Lab; kellietorresforportland.comHer platform would fill the police positions already funded, then consider more officers "based on workload, response times and investigative needs." It sets no police-accountability or oversight goals; the metrics it tracks are vacancies, hiring and response times.
kellietorresforportland.comHer recorded answer was No on the participatory budgeting charter amendment, under which residents would make binding decisions on at least 2% of discretionary General Fund spending (about $16.4M in FY 2027-28). Mayor Wilson, her endorser, is part of organized opposition to the measure.
North Tabor Neighborhood Association; Multnomah County; WWeekWhile she was his chief of staff, Ryan co-authored with Mayor Wheeler the Nov 2022 plan for sanctioned camps of up to 250 people and a phased ban on street camping, and voted for the 2023 daytime camping ban, enforceable by fines up to $100 or 30 days in jail. These are Ryan's votes, not hers; no source shows her own role.
OPB; Willamette WeekShe was chief of staff to Commissioner Dan Ryan in his first term (Mercury). Her campaign endorsements page lists Ryan, former Commissioner Mingus Mapps and Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards as endorsers; the Mercury lists Chamber President Andrew Hoan and Ryan as donors.
kellietorresforportland.com (endorsements); Portland MercuryThe Mercury declined to rank her, calling her "the establishment pick to help turn Council back to the status quo" and saying Wilson "may as well be her campaign manager."
Portland MercuryWWeek ranked her behind Novick and Koyama Lane: "We didn't find her all that inspiring, nor were her policy ideas terribly original." It still called her "a common-sense vote to safeguard the city's basic services."
Willamette WeekHer platform says "Portland should use every available resource before asking taxpayers to carry the full cost," with a funding strategy for major projects that "identifies potential grants, philanthropy, sponsorships, volunteer support and other outside investment," paired with a reimagined Waterfront Bowl. Civic Lab notes that private support does not establish stable operating revenue.
kellietorresforportland.com; Portland Civic LabThe Chamber's PAC, a police-union-and-labor PAC, and a PAC funded by Partnership for Progress and Tim Boyle all back her, as do Mayor Wilson and Dan Ryan.
Unsure at the debate, then recorded No, on the Fair Share corporate tax; recorded No on resident budgeting; leans on philanthropy over revenue.
Backs the Moda arena deal and opposes letting residents decide 2% of the budget.
Her plan is about staffing and response times, with no oversight goals; her old office fought police cuts.
No position on sweeps funding; the office she ran co-wrote Portland's camping ban.
She alone among D3 debaters said yes to moving 25% of PCEF revenue into police hiring, though her platform backs PCEF for eligible climate work.
Portland deserves practical, progressive leaders who deliver results.How she describes her candidacy · kellietorresforportland.com, accessed 2026-10-17
I think that it's not the smart approach to have a narrow constituency.On seeking voters across the spectrum instead of a base; OPB describes her as sharing Novick's more moderate politics · OPB, 2026-09-25
Every Portlander deserves to feel safe in their community and in our public spaces.Public safety section of her campaign site · kellietorresforportland.com, accessed 2026-10-17
from moderate to progressivesHer campaign's description of her coalition of endorsers, as quoted by OPB · OPB, 2026-10-07
Fill the police positions Portland already funds.Public safety plan; then "consider additional officers based on workload, response times and investigative needs" · kellietorresforportland.com, accessed 2026-10-17
Portland should use every available resource before asking taxpayers to carry the full cost.Her funding approach for parks and major projects · kellietorresforportland.com, accessed 2026-10-17
City government should set clear goals, measure results and be transparent about what is working and what isn't.Portland Tribune D3 candidate profile (the article identifies her as "Torres") · Portland Tribune, 2026-10-13
Yes.Asked whether she would vote for an initiative rerouting 25% of PCEF revenue to hire about 400 police; every other D3 debater said no (from the City Club debate video, 38:20) · City Club of Portland D3 debate video, 2026-10-07
I think that I could support it based on the small business support. I would really want to know more.On the Fair Share tax, after saying "I am not sure" and raising grocery prices (from the City Club debate video, 40:34-41:13) · City Club of Portland D3 debate video, 2026-10-07
we need to not be taxing them and charging them exorbitant fees.On small businesses (from the City Club debate video, 39:44) · City Club of Portland D3 debate video, 2026-10-07
Torres is in the Small Donor Elections program; Civic Lab's reading of her filings shows $0 in direct PAC or labor-committee money and a $500 largest business gift, and independent committees can back her without her consent. She has 21 years in public service and support from former Gov. Barbara Roberts, firefighters and the building trades. At the North Tabor forum she said Yes to expanding Portland Street Response and CHAT to 24/7 and to using PCEF to restore TriMet service, and her platform backs rent assistance, eviction prevention and legal aid (Civic Lab; North Tabor NA; campaign site). On the Fair Share tax she said at the debate she "could support it" for its small-business relief and wanted to know more, and she cites helping build Safe Rest Villages as shelter work. Ryan's votes as commissioner were his, not hers. Novick, whom many progressives rank, also answered Yes on the Moda term sheet.