Portland City Council Candidate Jo Ann Hardesty Rolls Out Endorsement From House Speaker Tina Kotek, Other Top Democrats

Hardesty faces County Commissioner Loretta Smith in a runoff election this November.

(Sam Gehrke)
By Rachel Monahan

Portland City Council candidate Jo Ann Hardesty rolled out endorsements from top Democratic leaders on Tuesday, including Speaker Tina Kotek, former Gov. Ted Kulongoski, Rep. Alyssa Keny-Guyer and Sen. Michael Dembrow.

Kotek, Keny-Guyer and Dembrow are all Portland legislators, considered left-wing even for Portland.

"Having worked with Jo Ann on Voter Owned Elections a dozen years ago to more recent work on affordable housing, clean energy and racial equity, I am impressed by her boldness, tenacity and commitment to social justice," says Keny-Guyer.

Hardesty faces County Commissioner Loretta Smith in the November election. In the nonpartisan primary, Hardesty won 46 percent of the vote to Smith's 21 percent.

The two faced off in a heated forum last week at the Crystal Ballroom.

"This growing support is crucial not only to my campaign, but also to the future collaborations between the City Council and the rest of the state," says Hardesty in a statement.

Willamette Week’s reporting has concrete impacts that change laws, force action from civic leaders, and drive compromised politicians from public office. Support WW's journalism today.