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Robin Ye, a progressive candidate vying for a seat on the Portland City Council representing inner Southeast Portland, dropped out of the race May 16, almost nine months after declaring his run. He announced the decision in an email to supporters, saying he did not foresee the impact running for office would have on his family.
“Today I am ending my campaign for City Council,” the letter reads. “I have much learning and growing to do and a campaign period is not the space and time to do it well.”
Ye in his letter emphasized that he was excited for the new city charter and the new 12-member City Council that will be seated Jan. 1, 2025—sweeping changes Ye helped craft, and which Portland voters approved in November 2022.
Ye was one of 17 people so far vying to represent District 3, which encompasses inner Southeast Portland and a small part of Northeast. Other progressive candidates running saw Ye as a strong contender for one of the three seats up for grabs in that district.
He most recently served as chief of staff to state Rep. Khanh Pham (D-Portland), one of the most left-leaning members of the Oregon Legislature, and was also a member of the Portland Charter Commission responsible for crafting the new system of government that Portlanders approved in 2022.
Ye, 30, was the first member of the Charter Commission to declare his candidacy back in August 2023.
Ye’s campaign received at least $40,000 in matching funds from the city’s Small Donor Elections program, which matches small contributions with taxpayer dollars by up to 9 to 1 to help even the playing field when it comes to campaign spending. While Ye did not elaborate on why he chose to drop out of the race, he tells WW that he will return all the matching funds to the elections program.