PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) — Oregon’s primary election is inching closer, and Eye on Northwest Politics is continuing to interview the candidates running in some of the state’s top races.
Multnomah County voters will see several commissioner positions on the ballot, including Multnomah County Commissioner Position 1, which is currently occupied by Dr. Sharon Meiran, who is term-limited.
Kevin Fitts, executive director of the Oregon Mental Health Consumer’s Association, is running for that position and says his experience in the mental health arena and lived experiences, including having a mental health breakdown at the age of 19 while serving in the U.S. Army, has prepared him to run for this office.
“For the last 10 years, I’ve been putting forth solutions for this microcosm of people who are on Medicaid who receive behavioral health services by the state of Oregon,” he said. “I’ve created jobs at the top of Multnomah County, I’ve created service projects for people who are in psychiatric crisis and I have been a stalwart promoter of individuals in leadership with lived experience across our behavioral health system.”