Portland, Oregon continues to make headlines, and many are from the city’s current or wannabe future mayor. The latest example comes as a mayoral candidate, leading by double digits in recent polls, was photographed wearing a skirt featuring photos of communist leaders. That’s right, pictures of Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong and Che Guevara wrapped all the way around the knee-length skirt.
Sarah Iannarone, the leading candidate for the Portland mayoral race, is unaffiliated with a political party, as are all other candidates in the race. Iannarone, a Portland State University educator, paired the “faces of communism” skirt with a campaign shirt bearing her first name.
The progressive candidate has been outspoken in her support for defunding the police, telling local newspaper Willamette Week last month, “We’re asking police to do too much. The same officers we watch brutalizing protesters are not appropriate first responders for those experiencing houselessness or in mental health crisis. We need to provide real help for everyone who calls in a way that reflects our values.”
According to the latest survey from Willamette Week, published Monday, Iannarone is beating incumbent mayor Ted Wheeler by 11 points.
Portland, meanwhile, has been struggling through more than 100 nights of rioting and protests in the wake of the George Floyd death on May 25. The majority of the violence has been carried out by self-described “anti-fascists” who are known as Antifa. Iannarone has expressed her support for the group in the past and has even referred to herself as the “Antifa Mayor.”
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