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Vadim Mozyrsky, who’s vying to unseat Portland City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty in the May election, on Thursday secured the endorsement of two prominent Black leaders: Portland Public Schools board members Gary Hollands and Herman Greene.
Mozyrsky, a disability law judge, serves on the Charter Review Commission, the Portland Police Citizen Review Committee and a number of other boards and oversight committees. He announced his decision to run last September, telling WW at the time: “I’m concerned about public safety and the murder rate and that not enough is being done to help the most vulnerable....In the conversations I have, there’s a palpable sense that Portland is heading in the wrong direction.”
Both Hardesty and Mozyrsky have secured several endorsements in the early months of the campaign. (Rene Gonzalez, a business lawyer, is a third contender for the seat.) But the endorsements of Hollands and Greene are especially significant because they are Black officials and community leaders who are endorsing the challenger to the first Black woman to serve on the Portland City Council.
“There is urgency for Portlanders to work together, leaders who will help and serve the people,” Hollands said in a statement. “I believe Vadim is the right leader at this right time. Vadim can get us closer to the Portland of the future.”
Mozyrsky told WW in a statement: “From day one, my campaign has focused on inclusiveness rather than divisiveness. Having the early support of Gary Hollands and Pastor Herman Greene shows that Portlanders are eager to roll up their sleeves and work together to solve the challenges currently facing our great city. Together we will succeed.”