Deputy DA announces he’s running for Mike Schmidt’s job

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - Senior Multnomah County prosecutor Nathan Vasquez declared his candidacy for district attorney against Mike Schmidt on Wednesday.

Vasquez is the only candidate to date to take on Schmidt, who declared his intention to fight for reelection next year.

Oregon Public Broadcasting reported, that Schmidt on Wednesday said he was proud of his record.

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“Voters elected me in 2020 because they knew our justice system needed major reform,” Schmidt told OPB.

Vasquez’s official registration for the race was originally reported by The Oregonian.

“We can have both safety and compassion in this community, but you need a practical prosecutor,” Vasquez said during an interview Wednesday morning. “You need someone with real experience to do that. Mike Schmidt, I can tell you, he has made Portland unsafe and unrecognizable.”

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Measure 110 and state legislation that eliminated required bail for some offenses are the main targets of Vasquez’s policy criticisms.

Vasquez declared he would oppose reintroducing criminal penalties for drug possession if he were elected. Instead, he advocated for giving judges the authority to order rehabilitation.

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