Council President Elana Pirtle-Guiney lives in Portland’s Vernon neighborhood with her wife and their two kids — a place they’ve proudly called home for over fifteen years. For them, Portland isn’t just where they live — it’s where they’ve built a life, rooted in community and care.
Over the years, Elana has held many different roles, but her focus has always stayed the same: bringing people together to listen, collaborate, and make real progress. She’s worked to raise Oregon’s minimum wage, led the charge on creating our State’s paid family-leave laws, and helped build a team of organizers who increased voter turnout and lifted up the voices of young union members.
Elana has spent her career standing up for working families — as a union organizer, a policy expert, and a fierce advocate for fair wages and strong workforce programs. She helped shape initiatives that prepare Oregonians for good-paying jobs and served on Governor Kate Brown’s executive team, where she worked to build forward-thinking policies that support both people and the planet. From pushing for energy-efficient housing codes to expanding training opportunities, Elana’s work has always centered equity and justice. In 2022, she led the grassroots effort to pass Measure 114, Oregon’s gun violence prevention initiative.
In 2024, Elana ran for City Council to bring that same spirit of collaboration and action to local government. She was elected as District 2 Councilor in November, and as of January 2, 2025, she’s serving as our Council President — ready to keep working for a Portland where everyone has a voice, where our communities are heard, supported, and respected as we build a better future for Portland.