Portland council ends months-long deadlock; Jamie Dunphy elected council president after marathon debate

PORTLAND — After a marathon recessed meeting on Jan. 14, the Portland City Council elected Councilor Jamie Dunphy as council president, ending repeated rounds of deadlocked voting that had stalled the council’s agenda.

Councilor Dunphy won the final round with nine votes. After the outcome was announced, Dunphy pledged to "earn the trust" of his colleagues and to use the presidency to facilitate shared leadership and to focus on core city priorities. "I will earn the the dignity of this office," he said after being sworn in.

The vote capped a heated session that began with a procedural dispute over whether a late code amendment proposed by Councilor Ryan — which would have altered council tie‑breaking rules — could be added to the agenda. Councilors first voted to uphold the chair’s ruling that the motion required additional procedure; a subsequent motion to suspend the rules and add the ordinance failed on a 6–6 vote.

Debate on the council presidency was lengthy and at times…