One of the left-wing bastions of the left coast held a primary election this week that revealed two things: many in the state want out, and those who are willing to stay want a return to sanity.
Oregon voted, and as even left-wing Politico noted, “The left took it on the chin in Oregon on Tuesday.”
One headline, for those who want to stay, was that a leftist prosecutor backed by radical billionaire George Soros went down in flames.
Read: County In Oregon Could Send Its Soros-Backed DA Packing After Crime Surge
Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt, who is responsible for prosecuting crimes in progressive Portland — or perhaps not prosecuting them — conceded to challenger Nathan Vasquez on Wednesday. He gave up after initial results showed him trailing 54-45.
Vazquez is one of Schmidt’s subordinates.
Schmidt won in 2020 with 77% of the vote.
Elected just before George Floyd’s death, Schmidt ran on a platform to promote a slew of “equity” policies in a county that had not voted for a Republican presidential candidate since 1960.
As the Tampa Free Press reported, Schmidt’s loss means he has now become one of the highest-profile casualties of a backlash to liberal DAs across the country after a vicious election battle against one of his own prosecutors.
Read: Greater Idaho Wins 12th County In A Row In Eastern Oregon
He decided not to prosecute rioters unless evidence existed of ‘deliberate property damage, theft, or threat of force. Police referred 550 cases to his office for prosecution, and only 47 went to trial.
More than 2,600 businesses left Portland within 2 1/2 years of Schmidt’s election as violence and shoplifting surged. Murders in Portland nearly doubled and set a new record in Schmidt’s first two years in office.
Schmidt’s record of not fighting crime is so bad that Vazquez said, “He set the bar incredibly low for me, and when I come into office, it will literally be me trying not to trip over that bar.”
In another telling vote in Oregon, some residents signaled that they just want out of the entire state.
Residents in Crook County, in the heart of Oregon, voted to secede from the state and become part of “Greater Idaho.” The secession measure passed with 53% of the vote.
Crook County is the 13th county in a state of 36 to seek to flee and join neighboring, Republican-run Idaho.
Read: Florida Rep. Greg Steube: Our Entire Country Is Under Siege, The DC Establishment Doesn’t Care
A look at the map indicates that those counties cover at least half the land area of Oregon, although only about 10% of its population.
“The voters of eastern Oregon have spoken loudly and clearly about their desire to see border talks move forward,” Matt McCaw, executive director of the Greater Idaho movement, said. “With this latest result in Crook County, there’s no excuse left for the Legislature and Governor to continue to ignore the people’s wishes.”
The President of the movement, Mike McCarter, agreed. “For the last three years we’ve been going directly to voters and asking them what they want for their state government. What they’re telling us through these votes is that they want their leaders to move the border. In our system, the people are the ones in charge, and it’s time for the leaders representing them to follow through,” he said.
The secession plan must be approved by the legislatures of both states as well as Congress.
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