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Rene Gonzalez (politician)

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Rene Gonzalez
Portland City Commissioner
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 1, 2023
Preceded byJo Ann Hardesty
Personal details
Political partyDemocratic
Children3
Residence(s)Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Alma materWillamette University (BA, JD)
OccupationAttorney, entrepreneur
WebsiteOfficial website
Campaign website

Rene Gonzalez is an American businessman, politician, and former lawyer. He has held a seat on the Portland, Oregon City Council since January 2023. He challenged incumbent commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty in the 2022 election,[1] running on a platform that emphasized law and order and livability.[2]

During 2024, Gonzalez faced a controversy over spending of public funds to redress his Wikipedia page.[3] In late October, the city auditor’s office found that spending had violated campaign finance law.[4]

In the November 2024 elections, Gonzalez was a candidate for the position of mayor of Portland.[5] During the campaign, the first under Portland's newly instituted ranked-choice voting system, Gonzalez was the subject of an effort to convince voters not to rank him regardless of the voter's other preferred candidates. Despite winning 25 percent of first-choice votes in the election, many other ballots did not rank Gonzalez, resulting in him finishing the election in third place behind winner Keith Wilson and Carmen Rubio.[6] He will no longer be serving on the Portland City Council.

Early life and career

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Gonzalez was raised in Anchorage, Alaska, where his father worked as a trial judge and federal prosecutor.[7] In 1993, Gonzalez moved to Salem, Oregon, to attend Willamette University, where he was president of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity and played varsity soccer.[8] After obtaining a bachelor's degree, he continued at the Willamette University College of Law where he obtained a Juris Doctor.[8]

Gonzalez then worked as an attorney at Stoel Rives, a regional law firm.[9] He moved to KinderCare Learning Centers in 2005, where he served in legal advising and corporate strategy roles.[10] In 2012 Gonzalez founded Eastbank, a legal services company. In 2019 he purchased Artifex, a technology consulting company that primarily sells Microsoft software services, merging it to create Eastbank Artifex.[11][12][13][7]

In October 2020, Gonzalez founded ED300, a political action committee to support school board candidates that were focused on reopening public schools in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Teachers and many parents objected to returning to school before a vaccine had even been created. Six months after the vaccines were available, ED300 objected to the evidence-based, Oregon Health Authority requirement that schoolteachers be vaccinated.[7][14] Many parents also objected to ED300 for endorsing predominantly conservative candidates, including anti-LGBTQ and anti-abortion groups and those who wished to limit the teaching of Critical Race Theory or LGBTQ+ topics in Oregon public schools. Many of these candidates objected to comprehensive sex education or the implementation of Oregon's Menstrual Equity law. When questioned, Gonzalez indicated that he was "ecstatic" with the candidates.[15][7][16][17][18]

Portland City Council

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Council race

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Gonzalez ran for the Portland City Commissioner seat in 2022 against incumbent Hardesty. He won the race with 52.6% of the vote and took office in January 2023.[1][19]

Gonzalez ran a campaign largely focused on combating homelessness and crime and investing in the revitalization of downtown Portland. In particular, he and Hardesty advocated for different approaches to policing and homelessness.[19][20] Gonzalez was endorsed by the editorial boards of The Oregonian, Willamette Week, and the Portland Tribune, as well as by the Portland Police Association, the Portland Firefighters Union, and the Portland Chamber of Commerce.[20][21] During the race, his campaign was fined by the city's elections program for allegedly accepting discounted office space, but the fine was later overturned in court for lacking proof that the rent was actually below market rate.[22][23]

Though both candidates were registered Democrats,[13] during the campaign Hardesty attacked Gonzalez for positions she claimed were right-leaning and for his alleged ties to Republican political consultants and conservative school board candidates.[22]

Council term

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Gonzalez's two-year term as a Portland City Council member began on January 1, 2023.[19] The transition was headed by Tom Miller, who had been a chief of staff for former mayor Sam Adams.[24] Gonzalez was assigned management of Portland Fire & Rescue and other emergency services, excluding the police department.[25][26] In 2024, Mayor Ted Wheeler appointed Gonzalez as Portland City Council's representative on the Steering Committee Overseeing the Joint Office of Homeless Services.[27] Gonzalez first proposed an amendment to Mayor Wheeler's camping ban that included up to a year in jail for rule-breakers, before transitioning to a proposal that removed the suggested criminal penalty for violating the camping ban but still included large fines. The amendment failed and the criminal penalty was imposed.[28] In January 2024, Gonzalez announced the creation of a new drug overdose treatment response team pilot program to help address the city's drug crisis.[29]

Personal life

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Gonzalez and his wife Angie, whom he met in college, have three children[8] and live in the Eastmoreland neighborhood of Portland.[30] Gonzalez identifies as half-Latino,[8] as his father is Mexican-American and his mother is white.[7]

Gonzalez founded United PDX, a youth soccer club in the city of Portland.[7]

In September 2024, Willamette Week reported that Gonzalez received seven speeding tickets between 1998 and 2013, which resulted in his driver's license being suspended twice.[31]

Controversies

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In February 2023, Gonzalez ordered Portland Street Response (PSR) and the fire bureau to stop distributing tents to the homeless and instead encouraged them to seek out shelters.[32] Portland Street Response personnel complained they were never consulted about budget and policy decisions. Gonzalez described PSR as being "police abolitionists" on a political mission and described the tent ban as a success.[33]

In January 2024, an unoccupied Honda Accord belonging to Gonzalez's family was lit on fire in front of the family's home. No one was injured in the incident, but the Multnomah County DA Mike Schmidt believes it to be politically motivated.[30]

In February 2024, Gonzalez moved to significantly cut funding for the Portland Street Response program.[34][35] After criticism, Gonzalez agreed to move the program out of his portfolio in the following month.[36]

Gonzalez announced in a February 2024 social media video that he would no longer use public transit, claiming that a Black woman accosted him while he rode the MAX light rail on his way to work.[6][37] Released TriMet security footage showed that a fellow passenger walking through the aisle brushed shoulders with him as he sat in an aisle seat.[6][38]

During a Portland City Council meeting in July 2024, Gonzalez proposed limiting public testimony on police brutality.[39]

In August 2024, The Oregonian reported that Gonzalez spent $6,400 of city taxpayer dollars to hire a contractor, WhiteHatWiki, to make edit requests for his Wikipedia page in an effort to remove references to his 2022 interaction with Patriot Prayer.[6][3][40] The requests were submitted to Wikipedia by Gonzalez' policy advisor Harrison Kass, who ran unsuccessfully for Portland City Commissioner for District 3 in 2024.[41][42] The Portland City Elections Division opened an investigation into the spending after receiving a campaign finance complaint.[43] The auditor's office initially concluded there was "insufficient evidence" to suggest a campaign finance rule violation, however it has later ruled that the Rene for Portland campaign use of $6,400 on Wikipedia editing related matters violated campaign law; an edit involved ensuring his page stated he was a Democrat, which was not necessary for his office, but only for his candidacy.[40][44] Since one of the eight edits was to solidify his party affiliation, the City Auditor valued the edit at $800 (1/8th of $6400), and assessed a fine of $2,400 against the campaign as a result. The fine was raised because Gonzalez interfered in the investigation and attempted to mislead the Auditor's Office on evidence. The fine will be returned to the city's general funds. Once touted as the law and order candidate, Gonzalez was the only mayoral candidate cited for breaking the law during the 2024 election cycle. [44][45]

On November 13, 2024, the City of Portland's auditor's office fined Gonzalez an additional $9,180 after determining that Gonzalez failed to expediently refund $3,060 in illegally retained excess campaign funds across at least 17 different occasions, a violation of city campaign finance laws.[46]

References

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  1. ^ a b Kavanaugh, Shane Dixon (November 9, 2022). "Rene Gonzalez, with law-and-order focus, ousts Portland Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty in contentious City Council race". OregonLive. Oregonian Media Group. Archived from the original on November 10, 2022. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
  2. ^ Kavanaugh, Shane Dixon (October 19, 2022). "Only Portland City Council race on fall ballot features Rene Gonzalez and Jo Ann Hardesty, stark opposites on multiple dimensions". OregonLive. Oregonian Media Group. Archived from the original on November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  3. ^ a b Kavanaugh, Shane Dixon (August 7, 2024). "Portland Commissioner Rene Gonzalez spent thousands in city funds to polish Wikipedia page". OregonLive. Oregonian Media Group. Archived from the original on August 8, 2024. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  4. ^ Doyle, Bruce (October 21, 2024). "Portland mayor candidate Rene Gonzalez violated rules by using public funds on Wikipedia page, auditor finds". OPB (Oregon Public Broadcasting). Retrieved 2024-11-06.
  5. ^ "Election night 2024: Wilson leads Portland mayoral race". KOIN.com. 2024-11-05. Retrieved 2024-11-06.
  6. ^ a b c d Kavanaugh, Shane Dixon (November 6, 2024). "Keith Wilson, businessman and political outsider, elected mayor of Portland". The Oregonian. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Peel, Sophie (October 12, 2022). "Rene Gonzalez Would Return Portland to a Simpler Time: 2019. To Many Voters, That's an Appealing Offer". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on November 9, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d Ellis, Rebecca (October 20, 2022). "Portland City Council candidate Rene Gonzalez pledges 'tough love' in bet voters are moving to the center". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Archived from the original on November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  9. ^ Boddie, Ken (February 3, 2022). "Business lawyer Gonzalez challenges Hardesty for spot on city council". Portland, Ore.: KOIN. Archived from the original on November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  10. ^ "Oregon State Bar Bulletin". osbar.org. August 2009. Archived from the original on 2 October 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2024. Gonzalez has been with KLC since 2005, serving in several roles.
  11. ^ Rebecca Ellis (20 October 2022). "Portland City Council candidate Rene Gonzalez pledges 'tough love' in bet voters are moving to the center". opb. Archived from the original on 9 November 2022. Retrieved 17 September 2024. Ten years ago, he started his own legal firm called Eastbank and later bought up a small Texas-based tech firm called Artifex Partners.
  12. ^ Ty Trumbull (14 November 2019). "Microsoft Dynamics Partner Acquired: Eastbank Buys Artifex -". ChannelE2E. Archived from the original on 17 September 2024. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
  13. ^ a b Hernandez, Rolando (October 13, 2022). "REBROADCAST: Portland City Council Debate: Incumbent Jo Ann Hardesty and Rene Gonzalez". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Archived from the original on November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  14. ^ Christine Pitawanich (11 October 2020). "Oregon parents form coalition calling for in-person learning options". kgw.com. Archived from the original on 27 September 2024. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
  15. ^ "2021 Oregon school board races draw candidates, money, and national attention". Archived from the original on 2022-12-03. Retrieved 2024-09-26.
  16. ^ Shane Dixon Kavanaugh (18 October 2022). "Portland Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty supporters skewer challenger Rene Gonzalez over his group's conservative ties". oregonlive. Archived from the original on 17 September 2024. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
  17. ^ "Parents and Leading Advocates in Oregon Denounce Portland City Council Candidate: "Rene Gonzalez Traded Our Children's Futures for His Own Agenda."". The Skanner News. 18 October 2022. Archived from the original on 7 August 2024. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
  18. ^ Vaughn, Courtney (21 October 2022). "Rene Gonzalez's campaign defends candidate after rally, outcry". PortlandTribune.com. Archived from the original on 27 September 2024. Retrieved 17 September 2024. A majority of the candidates the ED300 PAC endorsed were also backed by conservative and sometimes far-right groups with anti-LGBTQ and anti-abortion agendas like Parents Rights in Education, Oregon Right to Life and Oregon Family Council. Parents Rights in Education opposes Oregon's inclusion of gender identity and sexual orientation in comprehensive sexual health education and advocates for censoring history in school curriculum.
  19. ^ a b c Peel, Sophie (November 9, 2022). "City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty Concedes to Rene Gonzalez". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on November 10, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  20. ^ a b Ellis, Rebecca (November 8, 2022). "Gonzalez takes early lead over Hardesty in Portland City Council race". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Archived from the original on November 10, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  21. ^ "Editorial endorsement November 2022: Rene Gonzalez is voters' best choice for Portland City Council". OregonLive. Oregonian Media Group. October 9, 2022. Archived from the original on November 19, 2022. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  22. ^ a b Peel, Sophie (November 6, 2022). "City Council Race Gets Even More Hostile as Election Day Approaches". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on November 10, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  23. ^ "OAH Case No. 2022-ABC-05629" (PDF). State of Oregon Office of Administrative Hearings. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 7, 2022. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  24. ^ Maus, Jonathan (November 15, 2022). "Tom Miller hired as transition team leader for Rene Gonzalez". Bike Portland. Archived from the original on November 16, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2024.[self-published source]
  25. ^ Peel, Sophie (January 11, 2023). "We Asked City Commissioner Rene Gonzalez How He'll Handle the Crises Facing the Fire Bureau". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on January 13, 2023. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
  26. ^ "Portfolios, Liaison Responsibilities, and Bureau Directors | Portland.gov". www.portland.gov. Archived from the original on January 13, 2023. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
  27. ^ Peel, Sophie (July 22, 2024). "Mayor Selects Rene Gonzalez to Serve on Steering Committee Overseeing Joint Office of Homeless Services". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on September 27, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  28. ^ Kavanaugh, Shane Dixon (April 25, 2024). "After City Hall showdown, Portland leaders advance mayor's scaled-back homeless camping ban". OregonLive. Oregonian Media Group. Archived from the original on September 27, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  29. ^ Ferrara, John Ross (January 3, 2024). "Mayoral candidate Rene Gonzalez announces creation of 'Overdose Response Team'". KOIN. Portland, Ore. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  30. ^ a b "Portland police investigating car fire in front of Commissioner Gonzalez's house". opb. Archived from the original on August 23, 2024. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
  31. ^ Jaquiss, Nigel (September 9, 2024). "Records Show Rene Gonzalez Frequently Ticketed for Speeding, Often Failed to Show up in Court and Twice Had License Suspended". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on September 10, 2024. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  32. ^ Zielinski, Alex (February 15, 2023). "New Commissioner Rene Gonzalez bans Portland Street Response from distributing tents". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Archived from the original on August 23, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  33. ^ Zielinski, Alex (March 12, 2024). "Rene Gonzalez's first year: On the offensive, but not always on target". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Archived from the original on September 27, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  34. ^ Best, Blair (February 5, 2024). "$3M could potentially be cut from Portland Street Response". Portland, Ore.: KGW. Archived from the original on August 23, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  35. ^ Vaughn, Courtney (January 11, 2024). "Commissioner Gonzalez Shows Little Interest in Heeding Auditor's Recommendations for Portland Street Response". Portland Mercury. Archived from the original on September 27, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  36. ^ Kavanaugh, Shane Dixon (March 1, 2024). "Commissioner Rene Gonzalez looks to dump Portland Street Response from his City Hall portfolio". OregonLive. Oregonian Media Group. Archived from the original on August 23, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  37. ^ "Commissioner Rene Gonzalez says he was 'accosted' on TriMet MAX train". Fox 12 Oregon. KPTV. February 5, 2024. Archived from the original on August 7, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  38. ^ KGW News (2024-02-12). Rene Gonzalez addresses release of TriMet video where he alleged he was ‘accosted’. Retrieved 2024-10-18 – via YouTube.
  39. ^ Vaughn, Courtney. "Commissioner Rene Gonzalez Wants City to Rein in Public Comments Criticizing Police During Council Meetings". Portland Mercury. Retrieved 2024-10-18.
  40. ^ a b Goldberg, Jamie (October 2, 2024). "Portland auditor to reconsider whether mayoral candidate Rene Gonzalez's Wikipedia edits broke campaign finance rules". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2024-10-21.
  41. ^ Sparling, Zane (2024-09-16). "'Exceedingly close call' of illegality in Gonzalez's Wikipedia edits, Portland auditor says; calls for state investigation". oregonlive. Archived from the original on 2024-09-21. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
  42. ^ Staff, KATU (2024-10-16). "Know Your Candidates 2024: Harrison Kass, Portland City Council, District 3". KATU. Retrieved 2024-10-18.
  43. ^ Foran, Andrew; Jones, Joelle (August 21, 2024). "Rene Gonzalez's office under investigation following Wikipedia spending". KOIN. Portland, Oregon. Archived from the original on August 26, 2024. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  44. ^ a b Staff, KATU (2024-10-21). "Mayor candidate Gonzalez broke campaign law by using City funds for Wikipedia edits: Audit". KATU. Retrieved 2024-10-21.
  45. ^ Jamie Goldberg (21 October 2024). "Portland mayoral candidate Rene Gonzalez broke law by using taxpayer money to edit Wikipedia page, auditor finds". oregonlive. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  46. ^ Kavanaugh, Shane Dixon (November 14, 2024). "Portland mayoral candidate Rene Gonzalez fined $9,000 for new set of campaign finance violations". The Oregonian. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
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