Oregon Public Broadcasting

Wednesday, 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.