The city of Portland, Oregon, known for its progressive and woke values, made a surprising decision on Tuesday, voting to remove District Attorney Mike Schmidt from office after just one year and replacing him with tough-on-crime challenger Nathan Vasquez. Despite still counting votes, the outcome was clear with Vasquez leading by a significant margin of 54-45 percent and Schmidt conceding the race.
Schmidt, who was elected in May 2020, quickly made his mark by implementing "equity"-based policies that ultimately led to a deterioration of the city's quality of life. During his tenure, Portland saw an increase in homelessness, open-air drug markets, homicides, and retail theft which caused over 2,600 businesses to flee the city. However, Schmidt's biggest controversy came when he vowed not to prosecute rioters unless there was clear evidence of property damage, theft, or force, leading to further chaos and destruction in the city.
The defeat of Schmidt is a sign that even in one of the most liberal cities in the country, people are fed up with the lawlessness and destruction that has plagued their streets for the past year. Schmidt's reputation was further damaged by his decision to cut $15 million from the police budget in response to the "defund the police" movement, which only served to worsen the situation.
BREAKING: Portland voters fire Soros DA Mike Schmidt by a landslide 15% margin.
He infamously declined to prosecute the BLM and Antifa riots & allowed crime to flourish in Multanomah County.
Soros DA Chesa Boudin (San Fran): Out
Soros DA Kim Gardner (St. Louis): Out
Soros DA… pic.twitter.com/B66eDsn9oV— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) May 22, 2024
However, Schmidt is not the only district attorney who has come under fire for their policies. Cities across the country, such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago, have seen a rise in crime and homelessness under the leadership of other "woke" district attorneys who have shown little compassion for victims and have gone soft on criminals. It is a trend that has been attributed to the influence of billionaire financier George Soros, who has backed many of these candidates.
In Portland, Schmidt's challenger Nathan Vasquez promised to bring back a sense of law and order to the city, and his victory shows that the people are ready for a change. Vasquez, who ran on a tough-on-crime platform, is expected to take a drastically different approach to his predecessor, with a focus on prosecuting criminals and providing support for victims.
Portland is a "Schmidt Show." But not if law & order candidate Nathan Vasquez wins. Schmidt is being blamed for all the Antifa madness and no consequence culture of allowing rampant crime to flourish in the city. https://t.co/bJDTXsWTUV pic.twitter.com/nrJPTKiBZz
— Jonathan Choe (@choeshow) May 22, 2024
The defeat of Schmidt also serves as a blow to the push for criminal justice reform, as Schmidt's policies, which favored criminals and neglected victims, have been linked to an increase in crime and drug use in the city. His role in Oregon becoming the first state to decriminalize possession of all hard drugs in 2020, months before it was implemented statewide, has been heavily criticized. The surge in fatal opioid overdoses during his tenure has only reinforced the belief that his approach was not effective.
Ultimately, the people of Portland have sent a clear message by rejecting Schmidt's "woke" policies and giving a chance to a candidate who promises to prioritize the safety and well-being of the community. The city's reputation as one of the most progressive and accepting places in the country has taken a hit in recent years, and the election results show that the residents are ready for a change. Only time will tell if Vasquez can deliver on his promises and restore Portland's status as a thriving and safe city. For now, the city can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that the door has closed on Schmidt's destructive policies, without the fear of it hitting them on the way out.