Kellie Torres sitting on a park bench surrounded by blooming trees.

Moving Portland Forward

I’m an Indigenous Mexican woman whose parents were union workers and managed the apartment complex where we lived.

I learned early that leadership starts with showing up for your neighbors, solving problems, and serving your community. Those lessons have guided me throughout my career.

For 21 years, I've served this city — not from the sidelines, but inside the rooms where problems get solved. As a nonprofit leader, a strategic planner, and a trusted partner inside City Hall, I've spent my career building coalitions, delivering results, and showing up when it matters.

I'm running for City Council because District 3 deserves representation that's truly focused on what matters to you — real solutions, real progress, and a voice that stays grounded in our community's needs.

Portland deserves practical, progressive leaders who deliver results.

I'm running for City Council because District 3 deserves representation that's truly focused on what matters to you — real solutions, real progress, and a voice that stays grounded in our community's needs.

What I’ll Fight For

Kellie Torres for Portland

A Career Built on Results

I started at Portland Parks & Recreation in 2005 as a volunteer coordinator, where I saw firsthand the extraordinary commitment Portlanders bring to their neighborhoods and public spaces. That spirit — alongside the dedication of our skilled parks workers and the investment of Portland voters — built one of the best parks systems in the country.

Since then, I've led strategic planning for a nonprofit advancing educational equity across six school districts. I served inside City Hall during some of the most challenging moments Portland has faced, helping navigate complex problems and deliver outcomes that mattered. Today, I'm back at Portland Parks & Recreation, building creative partnerships that strengthen our parks, our community programs, our natural ecosystems, and our local economy.