Jesse Cornett Expects To Get Public Financing And Other City Council Election News

First piece of city election news today in Portland: Jesse Cornett, one of the seven candidates running against City Commissioner Dan Saltzman, says he expects to qualify for $150,000 in public financing for the May primary.

That achievement, which requires 1,000 signatures and $5 matching donations, would make Cornett the only candidate to qualify for that financing this election season in Portland . And it vaults him into the position (at least until one of the other candidates shows the ability to raise the kind of private cash needed to take on an incumbent) of being Saltzman's main challenger.

Second piece of election news: There's a new, fourth challenger in the mix to Commissioner Nick Fish in the primary. He's printing press operator Tim Youker, and he expects to spend less than $300 on his run.