Schmidt, Vasquez Spar Over Crimes and Misdemeanors

We asked Vasquez to be more specific about what Schmidt-era policies contributed to lawlessness.

Mike Schmidt and Nathan Vasquez
By Aaron Mesh

Imagine Portland held an election to decide if you would replace your boss. That might make office relations a little chilly, no?

Now, imagine campaigning on the platform that your boss’s policies were responsible for Portland’s wave of murders.

That’s the scenario playing out at the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, where longtime prosecutor Nathan Vasquez is seeking to unseat incumbent DA Mike Schmidt. Vasquez has not disguised his distaste for Schmidt’s oversight of the office. Indeed, he says Schmidt’s policies have resulted in a city where crime is “out of control.” (Crime rates fell last year, across the board but have not returned to historical lows after a surge in 2020.)

Relations on the campaign trail between the two men are unsurprisingly frosty. When Schmidt and Vasquez came to our offices this week, we asked Vasquez to be more specific about what Schmidt-era policies contributed to lawlessness.

Vasquez had a couple examples on hand. He began by discussing the issuance rate for misdemeanor charges. See his claim in the video below, along with Schmidt’s response.

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