Oregon Progressive Party Endorses Jo Ann Hardesty for Portland City Council

Her work in Portland began as a community organizer for the Black United Fund, and continued as president of the NAACP Portland Branch, the Albina Ministerial Alliance, and the director of Oregon Action (now Unite Oregon). She served three terms as the Representative for North/Northeast Portland in the Oregon Legislature.

Jo Ann has a strong progressive record of substantive, impactful changes, including:

Portland Street Response, which provides unarmed teams of health professionals to respond to persons in crisis

new standards of transparency and accountability via police reform measures

major policy changes including zoning changes to encourage the building of new affordable housing (duplexes, triplexes and fouplexes) for all

being among the first elected officials to endorse the Portland Campaign Finance Reform charter amendment measure in 2018 (approved by 87% of Portland voters), which limits campaign contributions and requires that big spenders name their sources of funds in their political ads

support for establishing a new public land trust to support affordable housing.

Jo Ann is running as a clean money candidate by funding her campaign with the City of Portland Small Donor Elections program. She will take no special interest money and no contributions except from individuals in amounts of $250 or less per person. She will be our candidate and our commissioner.

Jo Ann recently sent this message to her supporters and the OR Progressive Party to ask that you support her campaign:

“Heading into the General Election, we're still facing a tough fight. Our goal is to #MaxtheMatch, and I'm hoping you would consider helping out by joining our Small Donor Squad. Squad members will be supported with materials and graphics to reach out to their friends & family with a target of raising five $20 donations. Portland donors will be matched 9-to-1, meaning $20 generates a $180 match, for a total of $200. Five $20 donations generates $1,000!

“Would you have capacity to join our Small Donor Squad? You can signup for the Squad by clicking here.”

Under Portland’s Open and Accountable Elections program, the candidate is banned from taking any contributions, except up to $250 from an individual or a "small donor organization" that itself is funded by contributions of $250 or less per donor per year.

Also, your contribution also earns for you the Oregon political income tax credit. Whatever you contribute, you get it all back on your 2022 Oregon state income tax return, up to $50 per person or $100 per couple (unless your 2022 "adjusted gross income" is over $75,000 (or over $150,000 for a couple).