Voter’s Guide for 2020
My endorsements for federal, state, and local elections for Oregon’s 3rd Congressional District.
President/Vice President: Dario Hunter/Dawn Neptune Adams (Progressive Party)
I met Dario online during his bid for the Green Party nomination for President. As members of the clergy with hands-on experience in our local school districts, we hit it off right away. We are both children of the 80’s, raised in a generation that grew up with an increasing awareness of corruption in government and skepticism of their actions.
Of the candidates for President, Dario, as a Black anti-capitalist rabbi, is the direct opposite of the power-hungry fascism of Trump while also being a moral counterweight to the hawkish neoliberalism of Biden.
Dario is a viable alternative to Green Party nominee Howie Hawkins. Hawkins lacks charisma and the Greens missed a great opportunity with Dario. The Hawkins campaign’s greatest strength is in his charismatic choice for VP, Angela Walker. (Hopefully we haven’t seen the last of her.)
While I admire the tenacity of the Libertarian Party, their platform insists on capitalism and invests too much faith in a manmade god called “the free market.” Jo Jorgensen is committed to ending our illegal wars, but her dedication to privatizing social services is like the Republican Party in high gear.
Dario is the only Presidential candidate of color on the Oregon ballot, something I believe matters during this era of awakening and racial justice, and he is the best person for the job.
United States Senate: Ibrahim Taher (Green/Progressive)
I’ve come to really appreciate Ibra as a kindred spirit this campaign season. He is up against Jeff Merkley, who has been a vocal proponent in the battle against ICE and the detention of children.
Ibra is committed not just to defending human rights, but that of the environment and in disseminating information that is not often discussed in mainstream circles.
Secretary of State: Nathalie Paravicini (Green/Progressive)
Nathalie is a committed Green and feminist who strongly supports electoral integrity.
Oregon Attorney General: Ellen Rosenblum (Democrat)
My choice for AG is the Democratic incumbent. No third party is running, and the Republican candidate favors the President’s suggestions for the state to violently quash protests.
It’s an easy choice, but a testament to the drastic polarity of the two-party system. Rosenblum has my endorsement by virtue of what she isn’t, not who she is.
We need more third party candidates to enter major statewide races.
State Treasurer: Chris Henry (Green/Progressive)
Chris Henry is a Teamster and a self-declared Marxist. My kind of guy. He’s an experienced policy wonk who is committed to racial and economic justice in the workplace and our communities.
His campaign is pushing for the creation of a State Bank. This would help the state process and disperse cannabis revenue,
Mayor of Portland: Sarah Iannarone (nonpartisan)
Portland City Council Position 4: Chloe Eudaly (nonpartisan)
Ballot Measures:
Measure 107: YES to campaign finance reform. This measure would allow limits on campaign contributions and expenditures, require their disclosure, and for political advertisements to name their donors. 💸
Measure 108: YES to tax e-cigarette products and add taxes on cigarettes, cigars, and other nicotine products. 🚭
Measure 109: YES to legalize psilocybin and authorize the Oregon Health Authority to create psilocybin service centers where patients can receive supervised doses. 🍄
Measure 110: YES to reclassify possession of a controlled substance from a Class A Misdemeanor to a Class E Violation, resulting in a $100 fine. This measure, if passed, could decrease drug convictions by up to 90%. Drug offenses disproportionately affect BIPOC, Latinx, and working class communities. Support for this measure is a vote against the prison-industrial complex. 💊
