Born and raised in northern England, Portland, Oregon City Commissioner Amanda Fritz came to America after her family escaped the London Blitz in World War II. Her immigration to the United States instilled in her a powerful love for the country and a fascination of ordinary people who can help others when they need it most.  A nurse for 27 years, Fritz became involved in politics when a subdivision near her house was being constructed. She helped fight for “green spaces” and became interested in other environmental causes as a result. She sought a seat on the City Council in 2005, but came up short. Undaunted, she decided to run again in 2008 when she became the first non-incumbent to win a Portland City Council race using the city’s Voter-Owned Elections system.  “I'm proud of that accomplishment. Citizens shouldn't have to wonder or worry about the motivation of their elected officials. Neighbors should be able to expect that their government leaders will consider their concerns, needs, and requests as carefully as those of people with lots of money,” said Fritz. Portland’s Voter-Owned Elections program is modeled on the successful Clean Elections programs that have sprung up around the country. In 2008, Fritz was the first candidate to collect 1000 donations of $5 to qualify for public financing. Fritz and her all-volunteer team collected contributions in 91 of the city's 95 neighborhoods covering a population of about 550,000 people. When she discussed the Voter-Owned Election system to potential voters as she campaigned, she found that “most people believe that there should be a way to run and win without raising huge sums.”  As the only woman among the five qualifiers for the Voter-Owned Election program, Fritz joined a very select group of City Commissioners when she won her race. In the 157-year history of the City Council, she became only the seventh woman elected to the council. “I think the program appeals to a number of kinds of people, women (and others) who might not have the time to ask for money, being some of them,” she said.  If she did not use the Voter-Owned Elections program, Fritz would have had to “spend several hours every day making phone calls asking for donations.” But asking affluent people for large sums of money wasn’t a ‘skill’ [she] wanted to develop.”  She ran for office “to serve the people of Portland.” With no influence from campaign contributors, Fritz is beholden only to the people of Portland.   Now in office, Fritz is focused on using the budget wisely, supporting local schools, and improving the local economy to protect and create jobs. Fritz is helping provide solutions to the problems her constituents face. In doing so, she is bringing accountability to City Hall.  “I'll be there at City Council sessions asking the questions you want answered. Questions like, ‘How much does it cost?’ ‘Who is going to pay for it?’ ‘Who benefits from this?’ and ‘What won't get done if we spend this money on this big-ticket item?’ When you don’t have to worry about campaign contributors, you only have to worry about doing what’s right,” said Commissioner Fritz. Since being elected, Fritz has continued to fight for investment in education and Portland's economic development projects that are directly and measurably tied to creating family wage jobs for Portland residents.  This, she says, will help retain the employment base and bring further growth. She has fought for the City Council to hold economic development projects more accountable for results, particularly when tax subsidies are provided. “I want to help citizens all over Portland get a fair deal from our City government.  I'm a voice for hardworking citizens on the Council,” said Fritz. When qualifying and campaigning, she explained, “all you do is talk to constituents and that prepared me to be a better city commissioner.” And while Commissioner Fritz never viewed the Portland City Council as corrupt, she does note that the Voter-Owned Elections program diminishes the perception of bias. “I think giving people, regular people, an option to get campaign financing would be a good thing, for all levels of government,” she said.