ELECTION RESULTS
Duson, Yusuf Win Democratic Primaries June 2024
State Senator Jill Duson (D) defeated challenger Ken Capron securing about 87% of the vote in the June 11th Democratic primaries.
Duson represents Portland’s Senate District 8 which covers western parts of the city and part of Westbrook. In the city’s other contested primary, State Representative D118, Yusuf Yusuf with 56% of the vote defeated Herb Adams (32%). Given the electoral makeup of their districts, Duson and Yusuf should have a clear path to victory in November.
Voters Approve Portland School Budget
Also in June, Portland voters resoundingly approved the Portland Public Schools’ budget for fiscal year 2025. The FY25 school budget totals $161.4 million and is made up of $154 million in local funds and about $7 million in non-local funds.
The budget includes strategic funding for increased student mental health, reading support, special education, and school climate, as well as increased rigor in the classroom, while maintaining funding for athletics, extracurriculars, and class sizes. This budget also includes sizable reductions and strategic restructuring to address the fiscal shortfall.
The budget was approved by a wide margin. The vote to validate the budget was 3,464 or 70.1% in favor and 1,423 or 28.8% opposed. Learn more about the budget on the PPS website: https://www.portlandschools.org/department/finance/fy-2025-budget.
