PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) – Three years ago, People for Portland was formed during a tough time in the city, putting up giant billboards that placed a spotlight on what they said was failed leadership in the City of Portland and Multnomah County.
But after announcing their intention to step down from their role that pushed leaders to take action, co-founders Dan Lavey and Kevin Looper joined KOIN 6 News’ Eye on Northwest Politics to discuss how they moved the needle on politics in Portland.
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Back in 2021, People for Portland was formed as a way to “pierce the veil of denial” on elected officials, according to Looper. It included showing elected officials that they were “vastly out of step with 80% of the people in this city.”
“We wanted to first conduct a campaign that made them feel like, every day, they were being held accountable for actually doing something, not just saying something,” Looper said.
The group was extremely critical of Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt — erecting billboards saying “ Portland is a Schmidt Show ” before Schmidt ended up losing to DA-elect Nathan Vasquez.