Portland Commissioner Erik Sten Steps Down
Portland, OR April 2, 2008 1:09 p.m.
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downloadWednesday, Portland says goodbye to someone who's very young, but who's already a key regional leader. City Commissioner Erik Sten.
To understand what Erik Sten means to Portland, it's helpful to think about another politician -- Ohio's Congressman Dennis Kucinich. Like Kucinich, Sten started very young, and made a big splash.
Sten began as a fresh-faced staffer for then-commissioner Gretchen Kafoury in 1991, and won his own place on council five years later.
Like Kucinich, he carved out a reputation as a fighter on social issues, at a time when they weren't particularly fashionable. And like Kucinich, he wasn't afraid to take on big utilities.
He also developed a reputation as someone who could broker compromises on controversial issues behind the scene.
Sten announcement that he'd retire this year surprised a lot of people.
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