Portland City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty has shaped much of the council’s agenda on various forms of policing and conservatives and liberal opportunists believe they see an opportunity to unseat her. Hardesty is a successful activist having worked on civil and human rights issues. The policing issue has made her a go-to adviser, especially after the racialized rebellion against police brutality and murder. The 2020 protests called for defunding the police (or strategic redirecting of funds into nonviolent, non-militaristic options). Hardesty has made it her mission to listen to the people. Portland power brokers however are planning to spend close to one million dollars to defeat her.
A political committee has been created to do the task. Hardesty will have people claiming to be similar in her politics looking to win over her or side with her opponent. Many of the political funders are supporting her opponent Vadim Mozyrsky. The funds that are in the fray are from realtors, business groups, and unions.
The forming coalition is looking at homelessness, crime and livability. They are not stating clearly that they are working to appeal to progressives who are really center and right of center voters. There seems to be a wink and nod towards the issue of policing where Commissioner Hardesty has made good strides. She is not just talking about changing policing but actually seeing success with the new street response team units that include mental health professionals.
Commissioner Hardesty will be joined by her supporters to take out a powerful group forming to control Portland politicians and causes. The new voter-enacted campaign finance rules impose strict limits on the contributions candidates can raise and from whom. The public will be able to see who is giving to which campaign and causes. Still independent groups are allowed to spend unlimited funds in Portland elections as long as they don’t directly coordinate with any candidate.
Commissioner Hardesty is facing two challengers for her re-election. Mozyrsky, mentioned above is a disability law judge, and lawyer and technology business owner Rene Gonzalez.
