PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) – Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt was elected in 2020 during a volatile time in Portland’s history.
Voters overwhelmingly elected Schmidt to replace Rod Underhill as the George Floyd Black Lives Matter protests put Portland in the national spotlight.
Touting “progressive values,” Schmidt is running for re-election against one of his own senior deputies, with a focus on auto and retail theft prosecutions, and advocating for changes to drug crimes as the Oregon legislature considers changes to voter-approved Measure 110.
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After creating two task forces to combat auto and retail theft , Schmidt says he hopes to see an emphasis on addressing these crimes for at least the next several years.
“What we’re doing is being responsive to some of the things that we’ve seen really impact our community. I’ve been talking to business leaders both small and large and hearing about how theft has impacted what they’re doing, and also hearing from their employees and how that makes them feel and how they feel at risk,” Schmidt said. “Same thing with automobile theft, I talk to victims and families who tell me about how when their car is stolen that’s their lifeline. They might not be able to get to work or take their kids to school.”