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Another left-leaning political action committee today announced it is taking aim at former state Sen. Betsy Johnson, the onetime Democrat from Scappoose who is running for governor unaffiliated with any party.
That committee, Our Portland, kicked off its 2022 activities Monday by turning its attention to Johnson in a fundraising email that called her a “former Democrat who has chosen to align with far-right and fascist sympathizers, the gun lobby, and the fossil fuel industry.”
A spokesman for the group, Greg McKelvey, says Our Portland takes exception to Johnson’s using the city’s struggles for political gain.
“We believe that Portland is a beautiful and wonderful city full of potential and driven by progressive ideals,” McKelvey says. “While we have not always risen to our potential, we believe that Portland should not be used as a punching bag by outsiders for political gain, especially when it’s real solutions and leadership Portland so desperately needs.”
Another PAC called Oregonians for Ethics, which has raised nearly $200,000, most of it from the Democratic Governors Association and Oregon public employee unions, began targeting Johnson before the May 17 primary.
Both committees appear to be trying to keep Democrats from straying from the party’s nominee, former House Speaker Tina Kotek (D-Portland).
The Oregon Republican Party has also trained its sights on Johnson, most recently calling her a “career politician with a newfound penchant for flip-flopping on the issues.”
The Our Portland Committee was originally formed in 2020 to support then-Portland mayoral candidate Sarah Iannarone. Although Iannarone lost narrowly to incumbent Ted Wheeler, she built a large social media presence, and the committee’s email and social media reach likely includes a broad swath of Portland progressives.
Johnson’s spokeswoman, Jennifer Sitton, says Our Portland’s concerns are misguided.
“Yes, it’s their Portland and they’re ruining it for all the rest of us,” Sitton says. “We need a governor who will get things back on track. As Betsy has said, if Portland fails, so does Oregon, and it’s failing under the far left.”