Cover Story
Black mayors in Oregon encourage the next generation to take their place
Right now, there are three Black mayors in Oregon. By January 2027, there may be none. With midterm elections coming up in November, many are focused on the bigger picture: specifically, U.S. Senate races and the opportunities they represent to shift the federal government’s balance of power. In that context, the state of Black leadership…
The Portland area’s battle against homelessness is only getting harder. Here’s how the leader of Multnomah County’s homelessness agency is taking on the challenges.
Nathaniel VerGow stepped into one of the region’s hardest jobs when he was approved to lead Multnomah County’s homelessness agency in April. Then it kept getting harder. Just weeks after the ascendant former social worker started the job in May, he got a letter from a senior Trump administration official at the U.S. Department of…
