PortlandNot a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Portland Mayor & Board of Mayor and Aldermen Election 2026

4 of 7 council seats are on the ballot, with 6 candidates running. Updated Oct 5, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check

Not sure who to vote for? Answer one question and see which candidates agree with you, and why.

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Nov 3Election Day

How to vote · 11 days left

Find where to voteCheck your registration
Last day to request and mail an absentee ballot (Oct 24): the election office's notice

These links go to official state and county election sites. Hours and rules differ by state; your election office has the final word.

Your houseWhat does your Portland house pay?A Portland house at the typical market value ($454,002) pays about $8,400 a year. Enter your address for your own number: property tax from the county's record, water, trash and energy, and the money dates ahead.

The candidates

Listed alphabetically by last name. Every position links to its source.

Portland's mayor and three of its seven aldermen are on the ballot. Mayor Mike Callis is the only mayoral candidate; five candidates are running for three alderman seats.

Last day to request and mail an absentee ballot · Oct 24

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Also on your Nov 3 ballot

We research city races only. For these races, go to the state's official guide or a nonpartisan one.

  • Governor
    15 candidates on the ballot
    • Marsha Blackburn · Republican
    • Jerri Green · Democratic
    • Misam Abidi · Independent
    • Dean Brewer · Independent
    • Ray Brown · Independent
    • David Hatley · Independent
    • Wendell Jackson · Independent
    • Charles Van Morgan · Independent
    • Eddie Lee Murphy · Independent
    • Lauren Pinkston · Independent
    • Victor L. Scoggin · Independent
    • Dave Seeman · Independent
    • Karl Knox Smithson · Independent
    • L. Webb Taylor · Independent
    • Robert C. Vick · Independent
    Official candidate list, in its order
  • U.S. Senate
    10 candidates on the ballot
    • Bill Hagerty · Republican
    • Marquita Bradshaw · Democratic
    • Tharon Chandler · Independent
    • Andrew Gerena · Independent
    • Jeremy Dean Hearn · Independent
    • Robert Jones · Independent
    • James William Macon III · Independent
    • Yoshi D. Matthews · Independent
    • David Sutman, Jr. · Independent
    • Catherine Barcel "Barcy" Whitson · Independent
    Official candidate list, in its order
  • U.S. HouseDistrict 7
  • Tennessee House of RepresentativesDistrict 44
  • Statewide measures3 on the ballot: the state's official explanations
Official voter lookupState voter guideVote411 (League of Women Voters)

Districts come from 2020 Census blocks and the district maps for this election. Your address decides your districts.

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

What the next council decides

01Growth, annexation and rezoning4 sourced facts

Where it standsOn Aug. 17, 2026 the council passed on second reading a rezoning of 120 Old Westmoreland Road to RM-1 PUD and annexed the 23-acre property.

What's on the tableWhich rezonings, annexations and development agreements the council approves as the city grows.

02Zoning ordinance review3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council asked the Planning Commission to review conditional uses in the zoning ordinance and report back.

What's on the tableWhether to change which uses are allowed in industrial districts and how rules such as animal fostering are handled.

03Water and utility infrastructure3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe mayor reported three ARPA water projects in progress and a newly installed raw water intake.

What's on the tableHow the city pays for and prioritizes water, gas and sewer upgrades.

04Budget and city costs3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council passed an amendment to the FY2026-27 budget ordinance on first reading in August 2026.

What's on the tableThe city budget, including shared services and compliance mandates.

05Request for a homelessness study3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council discussed a request for a study on homelessness on Aug. 17, 2026 and did not move forward.

What's on the tableWhether the city funds or partners on work addressing homelessness.

1 note on these statements

Vote records on this guide come from draft minutes attached to later agenda packets, which list how each member voted on motions recorded as voice votes. Portland Board of Mayor and Aldermen draft minutes, Aug. 17, 2026 (in Sept. 21 agenda packet) · Aug 17, 2026

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Who matches you?

Answer any of these questions. We compare your answers with each person's sourced record, and nothing is stored. Questions where no one has a sourced record yet are left out. Tap a selected answer again to skip it.

  1. 1. Should the zoning ordinance allow fewer conditional uses in industrial districts?

Seat the councilSeat the Council →Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.On the recordHow the council voted4 council decisions, each member's vote side by side, with a link to the minutes.New · How Portland is runWho runs Portland, and what it costsWho the city manager is, council pay, whether the city is in the red, and where your property tax goes.Your houseA Portland house at the typical market value ($454,002) pays about $8,400 a yearProperty tax, water, trash and energy, line by line for your address, plus the savings most owners miss.

Key dates

The seat math

4 stay (not up this year): Charles Cole, Vince Ellis, Jody McDowell, Brian Woodall4 on this ballot

7 council seats plus a mayor who doesn't vote on council items. The council decides by a 4-vote majority.

Every claim here links to its source and was checked against it before publishing. How this guide works

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