Charles McGee Mulls Portland City Council Bid

He declined to say whether he's interested in the seat belonging to Commissioner Amanda Fritz or Commissioner Steve Novick, who are both up for re-election in 2016. Fritz has already announced she's running for a third term. Novick says he also plans to run again.

If elected, McGee would be only the third black city commissioner in Portland history. McGee, who was born in Liberia but grew up in Northeast Portland, says Portland government must make strides to represent the whole city.

"Do the folks currently around the table represent the community?" McGee, 29, asks. "There are parts of our community where the answer is 'no.'"

This wouldn't be his first political foray. McGee ran for the Portland School Board in 2005 as a freshly minted graduate of Franklin High School. He also serves on the state's Early Learning Council.