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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 Gabriel 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] In December 2023, Gonzalez announced his plans to run for Mayor of Portland.[3]

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.[4] 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.[5] After obtaining a bachelor's degree, he continued at the Willamette University College of Law where he obtained a Juris Doctor.[5]

Gonzalez then worked as an attorney at Stoel Rives, a regional law firm.[6] He moved to KinderCare Learning Centers in 2005, where he served in legal advising and corporate strategy roles.[7] As of 2022, he no longer holds a license to practice law.[Citation needed] 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.[4][8][9][10][4]

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 objected to returning to school before a vaccine had even been created. Six months after the vaccines were available, ED300 objected to the Oregon Health Authority requirement that schoolteachers be vaccinated.[4][11] Some parents also objected to ED300 for endorsing predominantly conservative candidates, including anti-LGBTQ groups.[4][12][13][14]

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][15]

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.[15][16] 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.[16][17] 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.[18][19]

Though both candidates were registered Democrats,[10] 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.[18]

Council term

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Gonzalez's two-year term as a Portland City Council member began on January 1, 2023.[15] The transition was headed by Tom Miller, who had been a chief of staff for former mayor Sam Adams.[20] Gonzalez was assigned management of Portland Fire & Rescue and other emergency services, excluding the police department.[21][22] In 2024, Mayor Ted Wheeler appointed Gonzalez as Portland City Council's representative on the Steering Committee Overseeing the Joint Office of Homeless Services.[23] 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.[24] 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.[25]

Personal life

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Gonzalez and his wife Angie, whom he met in college, have three children[5] and live in the Eastmoreland neighborhood of Portland.[26] Gonzalez identifies as half-Latino,[5] as his father is Mexican-American and his mother is white.[4]

Gonzalez founded United PDX, a youth soccer club in the city of Portland.[4]

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. There were, at the time, over 5,200 unhoused individuals with 2000 shelter beds available.[27] Portland Street Response personnel complained they were never consulted about budget and policy decisions. Gonzalez described PSR as being "police abolitionists" and on a political mission, and described the tent ban as a success.[28]

In February 2024, Gonzalez moved to significantly cut funding for the Portland Street Response program.[29][30] After criticism, agreed to move the program out of his portfolio in the following month.[31]

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 police investigated the fire as arson, suspecting a political motivation.[32][33]

Gonzalez announced in a February 2024 social media video that he would no longer use public transit, claiming that he faced "deliberate, unwanted physical contact" while riding the MAX light rail on his way to work.[34] Released TriMet security footage shows brief contact with a passenger followed by a short conversation about Gonzalez's policy positions.[35][36]

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 "spruce up his profile," possibly as part of his mayoral bid.[37] The Portland City Elections Division opened an investigation into the spending after receiving a campaign finance complaint.[38] In September 2024, the City of Portland Auditor's Office announced "insufficient" evidence of campaign finance law violation while calling its decision "an exceedingly close call" and referring the issue to the Oregon Secretary of State's Office for a "fuller investigation". The primary motivation for Gonzalez's edits appeared to be to remove mention of his Twitter thanks to supporters that tagged Quincy Franklin, a member of the far-right-wing group Patriot Prayer. The audit also revealed that Gonzalez himself was the Wikipedia editor.[39][40]

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.[41]

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. ^ "Rene Gonzalez announces run for Portland mayor next year". Portland, Ore.: KGW. December 7, 2023. Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g 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.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ "Oregon State Bar Bulletin". osbar.org. August 2009. Retrieved 17 September 2024. Gonzalez has been with KLC since 2005, serving in several roles.
  8. ^ Rebecca Ellis (20 October 2022). "Portland City Council candidate Rene Gonzalez pledges 'tough love' in bet voters are moving to the center". opb. 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.
  9. ^ Ty Trumbull (14 November 2019). "Microsoft Dynamics Partner Acquired: Eastbank Buys Artifex -". ChannelE2E. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ Christine Pitawanich (11 October 2020). "Oregon parents form coalition calling for in-person learning options". kgw.com. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
  12. ^ Shane Dixon Kavanaugh (18 October 2022). "Portland Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty supporters skewer challenger Rene Gonzalez over his group's conservative ties". oregonlive. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
  13. ^ "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. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
  14. ^ Vaughn, Courtney (21 October 2022). "Rene Gonzalez's campaign defends candidate after rally, outcry". PortlandTribune.com. 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.
  15. ^ 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.
  16. ^ 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.
  17. ^ "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.
  18. ^ 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.
  19. ^ "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.
  20. ^ 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]
  21. ^ 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.
  22. ^ "Portfolios, Liaison Responsibilities, and Bureau Directors | Portland.gov". www.portland.gov. Archived from the original on January 13, 2023. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
  23. ^ Peel, Sophie (July 22, 2024). "Mayor Selects Rene Gonzalez to Serve on Steering Committee Overseeing Joint Office of Homeless Services". Willamette Week. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  24. ^ Kavanaugh, Shane Dixon (April 25, 2024). "After City Hall showdown, Portland leaders advance mayor's scaled-back homeless camping ban". OregonLive. Oregonian Media Group. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  25. ^ Ferrara, John Ross (January 3, 2024). "Mayoral candidate Rene Gonzalez announces creation of 'Overdose Response Team'". KOIN. Portland, Ore. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  26. ^ "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.
  27. ^ 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.
  28. ^ Zielinski, Alex (March 12, 2024). "Rene Gonzalez's first year: On the offensive, but not always on target". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  29. ^ 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.
  30. ^ Vaughn, Courtney (January 11, 2024). "Commissioner Gonzalez Shows Little Interest in Heeding Auditor's Recommendations for Portland Street Response". Portland Mercury. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  31. ^ 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.
  32. ^ "Portland police investigating car fire in front of Commissioner Gonzalez's house". opb. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
  33. ^ Redden, Jim (2024-01-12). "MultCo DA says Gonzalez arson could be politically motivated". PortlandTribune.com. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
  34. ^ "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.
  35. ^ Kavanaugh, Shane Dixon (February 12, 2024). "Portland Commissioner Rene Gonzalez says he faced 'deliberate, unwanted physical contact' aboard a MAX train. Here's what video shows". OregonLive. Oregonian Media Group. Archived from the original on August 7, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  36. ^ Rawlings, Matt (February 12, 2024). "Video shows moment Rene Gonzalez claims he was 'accosted' on MAX train". Portland, Ore.: KOIN. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  37. ^ 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.
  38. ^ Foran, Andrew; Jones, Joelle (August 21, 2024). "Rene Gonzalez's office under investigation following Wikipedia spending". KOIN. Portland, Oregon. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  39. ^ "Portland Commissioner Rene Gonzalez's Wikipedia edits not in violation of campaign finance law, audit finds". kgw.com. 2024-09-16. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
  40. ^ Courtney Vaughn (16 September 2024). "Auditors Determine Insufficient Evidence that Rene Gonzalez Violated Campaign Finance Laws". Portland Mercury. Retrieved 17 September 2024. Investigators noted the primary motivation for the edits was to remove a 2022 Mercury morning news roundup that referenced Gonzalez's tweet thanking a member of far-right group Patriot Prayer for his "support" of Gonzalez.
  41. ^ 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. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
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