2020 General Election Endorsements
Portland City Council: our endorsements relied heavily on this candidate questionnaire (that we helped draft), and what we’ve seen from candidates in their pursuit of justice and police accountability.
Portland Mayor: Sarah Iannarone. Sarah consistently shows up for community actions, listens to the demands of the community, and has detailed policies to craft a more equitable and progressive Portland. Her public safety platform has many of the same components as ours and she’s committed to making Commissioner Hardesty the Police Commissioner on Day 1 of her administration. Ted Wheeler on the other hand has a long list of broken promises, repeated unwillingness to listen to activists, and finished off his first term by waging indiscriminate warfare against the people of Portland. THIS CANNOT STAND. Portlanders must send Wheeler packing and deliver a decisive message to current and future elected officials. We are aware of the active campaign to write in Teressa Raiford, an activist we know well and respect deeply. All indications are that this race is extremely close as the hundreds of thousands of Portlanders who have not been gassed in the streets are far less likely to feel the same urgency getting this timber-baron, war criminal out of office. Sarah is a progressive champion and the best chance we have to be rid of Ted Wheeler.
Portland City Council Position 4: Chloe Eudaly. Chloe has done more for renters than any other local elected. In 2016 she ran as a Tenants Rights advocate and helped show what tenants’ rights could look like in City Hall. She and her staff designed the Relocation Ordinance which helps curb rent increases and applies pressure to keep people in their homes. We haven’t always agreed with Chloe’s votes, but overall she has been an ally on criminal justice and police accountability issues and an outspoken advocate for increasing the power of the historically disempowered. In contrast, in addition to terrible NIMBY policies, her opponent Mingus Mapps is endorsed by the Portland Police Association which tells us exactly which side of this race to be on.
Ballot Measures
Here are 5 measures that we are excited to vote YES on.
26–217 Real Police Accountability. Several of our members helped develop this policy which revamps and reimagines community oversight of police. It answers the call of local Black and faith leaders who have been calling for real accountability for over 30 years. When fully implemented this oversight system will be the strongest in the country with the powers to conduct truly independent investigations and discipline officers. It is smart policy that puts just the most important parts in the city charter (the city’s “constitution”) with a community driven process to occur in 2021 that will iron out many of the details. It WILL end up in court as the police shamelessly fight any and all accountability, but even if some parts of the measure are struck down, this system will be vastly better than what we have today.
26–214 Universal Preschool. Huge shout out to our friends and comrades at @PortlandDSA for putting the most inspirational measure on this year’s ballot. We can build a better world and guaranteeing preschool to kids in Multnomah County is an excellent way to start. Studies show many *lifelong* benefits accrue for kids in preschool, this is another measure where our region can be a national example rejecting austerity measures and truly investing in our community.
Measure 110 — Decriminalize Drug Possession. Here’s an opportunity for our state to lead on drug policy by finally beginning to treat addiction like a public health problem that can be addressed with services instead of mass incarceration. 110 is a complex measure and we’re sure it’s not perfect, but it’s a step in the right direction. We are firm believers that incarceration and the lifetime of barriers it erects in housing, employment, and other aspects of life will never be an effective treatment to addiction.
Measure 109 — Psilocybin therapy. We should be legalizing and regulating psycho-active mushrooms, but we’ll settle for this first step of legalizing them for medical therapy. 2020 America: where big drug companies are allowed to overcharge the public millions of dollars for undertested chemicals with little understood side effects, but it’s illegal to ingest naturally occuring mushrooms that have been used for thousands of years. 🙃
Measure 107 — Beginning of the End for Big Money in Oregon Politics. Updates Oregon’s constitution to make it explicit that Oregonians can enact reasonable limits on campaign contributions and can require disclosure of campaign donors. Oregon is extremely lax compared to other states on allowing big money into our elections. This measure is a necessary step towards putting limits on the corrupting influence of big money and making sure that everyone’s voice can be heard in our democracy.
