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Former Portland City Council candidate Vadim Mozyrsky endorsed Rene Gonzalez over sitting Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty on Tuesday morning. He delivered the news to his former opponent by phone.
Gonzalez narrowly bested Mozyrsky in the spring primary to make it to the runoff against Hardesty.
Many of Mozyrsky’s endorsers have now pivoted to endorsing Gonzalez, who more closely follows Mozyrsky’s policy stances than Hardesty both on policing and homelessness.
Mozyrsky says his decision was rooted in who he thought would address the city’s most pressing issues head on.
”I think that City Hall’s lack of direction over the past three years has resulted in increased crime, homicides, homelessness, overdose deaths, and increased cost of living. We don’t just need a new direction, we need someone to actually provide direction,” Mozyrsky tells WW. “I believe Rene is that individual.”
Mozyrsky says he met with both Hardesty and Gonzalez since the primary to discuss the future of Portland. He says Gonzalez asked for his endorsement and Hardesty did not.
Mozyrsky was critical of Hardesty not publicly saying how she would vote on the charter reform measure until just last week, when she told The Oregonian she was planning to vote for it.
“It’s very easy to go along with the same organizations that endorsed you and be a follower, and I think Hardesty in this respect followed special interests that have helped her and her campaign,” Mozyrsky says. “But then you look at Rene, and I came to understand that he’s leading actually based on what he thinks is best for the city, and not what’s best for the special interests.”
Gonzalez says as it stands now, he will not vote for the November ballot measure. He told e effort to support Commissioner Mingus Mapps’ alternative measure, which Mapps publicly released Monday morning.
Gonzalez says as it now stands, he will not vote for the November ballot measure. He told WW last week he was curious to see Mapps’ alternative plan.