People for Portland reflect on influence after years of ‘Schmidt Show’ billboards
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.
Oregon drivers are among the worst in the nation, Forbes says
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.
"The DA has incredible power, incredible authority, particularly in public safety," Lavey said. "But a lot of the times, district attorneys aren't that well known, so we wanted to make people aware of who Mike Schmidt is and hold him accountable. By virtue of focusing on him, we also thought we'd be sending a message to other elected officials about the priority of safety."
Oregon Sen. Wyden introduces 'sweeping' Supreme Court reform bill
Later on, People for Portland added Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson to the roster. These campaigns were aggressive and pointed, voicing opinions that favored a camping ban and rolling back Measure 110 to recriminalize drugs in Oregon — both of which eventually happened.
Lavey said he believes People for Portland had a part in these changes, but as Portland evolves to a new structure of city government in 2025, the work isn't done.
"We haven't solved the problems yet in Portland. Big problems remain: homelessness, crime, drugs, garbage, trash, graffiti," Lavey said. "But at least we've got people debating and fighting over pragmatic solutions to solve them now. If you look at the candidates running for office ... you've got a choice. Voters have a choice now between a pragmatic option or a more ideological option. We think that's an accomplishment."
