PORTLAND, Ore. (TND) — The people of Portland, Oregon are opting for change. This week they voted out their progressive District Attorney Mike Schmidt in favor of a tougher-on-crime, Republican turned Independent, Nathan Vasquez.
Vasquez tells voters he's, "committed to restoring that idea that is ok to hold people accountable and doing it in a compassionate manner."
Portland joins a growing trend of liberal cities ousting progressive DAs, many of which came to power in the last few years with the help of George Soros-backed organizations.
The first domino to fall was San Francisco's progressive prosecutor Chesa Boudin who voters booted from office via a recall in 2022.
At least we’re seeing the public pushing back," said Sgt. Betsy Smith (Ret.), spokesman of the National Police Association. "They are starting to have their everyday life affected by these bad policies."That same summer, Baltimore’s Marilyn Mosby lost her primary. Chicago’s Kim Foxx then opted not to run for re-election.
Los Angeles criminal justice reformer George Gascon is in the middle of a tough re-election race. Gason survived a previous recall attempt. His opponent this November, Nathan Hochman is slamming crime rates under Gascon’s leadership.
In Oakland, California, DA Pamela Price is facing a recall just halfway into her term. Voters will decide if she stays or goes in November.
"Even some of these progressive prosecutors are starting to realize that frankly if you’re going to protect your community and protect your county, criminals are going to need to be punished," Sgt. Smith added,
The movement towards tougher-on-crime prosecutors hasn’t hit every big city. Prominent progressive DAs like Philadelphia’s Larry Krasner and New York’s Alvin Bragg still appear to remain on strong footing.
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