| Sameer Kanal | |
| Office: | Member-elect of the Portland City Council from District 2 |
| Term Start: | January 1, 2025 |
| Succeeding: | office established |
| Party: | Democratic |
| Alma Mater: | Clark College (AA) University of Washington (BA) New York University (MS) |
| Alongside: | Dan Ryan and Elana Pirtle-Guiney |
Sameer Kanal is an American politician who is currently member-elect of the Portland City Council from District 2 after being elected along with Dan Ryan and Elana Pirtle-Guiney in the 2024 election.[1] [2] Kanal is one of the twelve inaugural members of Portland's new expanded city council after switching from a city commission government to a mayor–council government.[3] He will be the first Asian American (along with fellow council member-elect Tiffany Koyama Lane) and first South Asian American to serve on Portland City Council.[4]
Kanal was born in Portland, Oregon at the Bess Kaiser Hospital that is now part of the Adidas America headquarters.[5] He grew up in the Overlook neighborhood. His parents immigrated from India. His father was a small business owner and his mother worked for the State of Oregon helping new refugees.[6]
Kanal attended Clark College and received his Associate's degree in international relations and political science. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science and economics from the University of Washington before getting his Master of Science degree in global affairs from New York University.[7] [8]
On May 28, 2024, Kanal announced his intention to run for a seat on the newly expanded city council in the 2024 election.[9]
Kanal, along with Dan Ryan and Elana Pirtle-Guiney, won the race to represent District 2, which covers North and most of Northeast Portland.
Kanal lives in the Portsmouth neighborhood.[10]
He is a drummer, and in high school frequently performed at the Portland Saturday Market. He is a fan of the Portland Trail Blazers and is a season ticket holder for the Portland Timbers and Portland Thorns FC.[11]