In Oregon, a centrist district attorney candidate has unseated the incumbent progressive DA after campaigning on a tough-on-crime platform.
Nathan Vasquez, who formerly served as a deputy prosecutor under Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt, emerged victorious in Tuesday’s nonpartisan primary election with over 50% of the vote.
Breaking: After hoping that the last-minute flood of Portland mail-in ballots would secure a follow-up election or victory for him, Soros-funded @DAMikeSchmidt has finally conceded to his centrist challenger Nathan Vasquez @VoteVasquez24.
Portland got the Schmidt kicked out of… pic.twitter.com/vCjDfsBb8f
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) May 23, 2024
Endorsed by several police groups, Vasquez announced that the Soros-backed Schmidt conceded the election during a phone call on Wednesday. Vasquez, a veteran prosecutor with over 20 years in the DA’s office, expressed his gratitude on his campaign Facebook page, saying,
“I want to thank him for his professionalism and service to our community. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the DA’s office, with community partners, and with the public to help build a safer Multnomah County for all of us,” he posted on Facebook.
Nathan Vasquez, a career Multnomah County prosecutor, has defeated one-term incumbent District Attorney Mike Schmidt.https://t.co/5XMiHo1TpU pic.twitter.com/IL9im1BLQ8
— The Oregonian (@Oregonian) May 22, 2024
Schmidt assumed office just before the police killing of George Floyd in Minnesota, which sparked widespread racial justice protests, including in Portland. During his tenure, Schmidt and other progressive DAs in cities like San Francisco and Seattle faced backlash over crime concerns. These DAs often advocated for alternatives to imprisonment and chose not to prosecute low-level crimes to reduce incarceration rates and address social inequities in the criminal justice system. Critics argued these policies compromised public safety.
Following his election, Schmidt declined to prosecute protesters involved in the racial justice demonstrations in Portland unless they engaged in deliberate property damage, theft, or violence. His office specifically opted not to pursue cases involving interference with police officers, disorderly conduct, and criminal trespass.
Vasquez criticized Schmidt’s policies, particularly his support for a 2020 voter-approved measure decriminalizing possession of small amounts of drugs. Earlier this year, state lawmakers reversed the law, reinstating criminal penalties for “personal use” possession in response to a significant increase in overdose deaths, a move Schmidt supported.
Vasquez emphasized his commitment to combatting open-air drug dealing and use, connecting individuals to treatment, rebuilding trust between the DA’s office and the community, and prioritizing victims.
