(IntegrityTimes.com) – The results of the vote in Portland, Oregon for District Attorney on Wednesday 22 indicate that progressive Soros-funded Mike Schmidt will not be returning for a second term.
While originally very popular in the city, years of riots, rising crime and drug overdoses seem to have made Portland ready for a change. Fentanyl-related deaths soared so high that on January 30, Democrat Oregon Governor Tina Kotek declared a state of emergency due to fentanyl use. Portland’s homicide count outpaced Seattle and San Francisco in the first three months of 2024. Challenger Nathan Vasquez’s focus on public safety may have been the deciding factor.
As a far-left progressive, Schmidt was apparently a perfect fit for Portland. Like many of his constituents he believes in total reform of the criminal justice system. He opposes prison if any other alternative may be found, doesn’t support trying minors as adults in any circumstances, and believes law enforcement needs more accountability. He was integral in the creation of the Justice Integrity Unit, whose purpose is to review possible wrongful convictions and reduce or dismiss sentences in those cases. Schmidt also supported the decriminalization of all drugs in small amounts in Oregon.
However, the tide has turned on many of the progressive stances Schmidt has espoused. Even he joined in the efforts to recriminalize some drugs after several years of disastrous outcomes. Violent crime, while slightly lower in 2023, still remains higher than it was before Schmidt’s stint as District Attorney. Businesses have fled the city, and residents report feeling less safe. Vasquez, the Deputy District Attorney, ran a campaign that highlighted Schmidt’s soft on crime stances and promised to take lawless behavior seriously.
While Vasquez has previously been affiliated with the Republican party, he is now registered as an Independent. The District Attorney’s position is nonpartisan, though, so voting did not seem to come down to party loyalty. While Schmidt did support the partial reversal on the drug decriminalization effort and highlighted the progress the city had made during 2023 it is apparent that for voters that was too little too late. Vasquez is set to take office after the incumbent steps down on January 1, 2025.
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