Democrats are so vulnerable to losing midterm elections that they’re even expected to surrender on their long-time strongholds as well.
Oregon is one such state which remained historically blue for a long period of time; rising crimes and homelessness in the state are urging voters to vote for Republicans in next month’s elections.
Deep Blue State to Turn Red
Voters in Oregon are already insisting the rising crimes in their cities will impact their voting decisions. One voter, Amanda Horne, who is also a local business owner, claimed every morning, she worries if someone has broken into her business or home.
Horne noted she faced multiple crimes in the last two years, as burglars destroyed her shop in Portland.
Furthermore, Horne indicated other small business owners are also suffering from the same kind of misery since policing is extremely inefficient in Portland.
As per Horne, it is easier to make a list of those people who do not break into others’ properties, instead of listing down the names of those who do, as only a few people are peaceful in the city.
Even die-hard Oregon liberals have gotten fed up with spiking crime, rampant homelessness and increased drug use, writes Columnist Ingrid Jacques for @usatodayopinion. https://t.co/syfxlA4IMc
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) October 22, 2022
Oregon in Crisis
Portland became the hub of crimes and homelessness in America after the murder of George Floyd. Many violent protesters attacked local businesses in Portland after Floyd’s death, when anti-police protests were at their peak.
In order to tame the angry protesters, the Portland city administration defunded the police so much that a new wave of crime emerged. Eventually, the Portland administration ended up increasing the budget for police again.
Despite the increase in the police budget, the lawlessness in Portland is still making the lives of the locals miserable, which is forcing people to vote for Republicans.
How crime and homelessness could flip Oregon red for the first time in decades https://t.co/Zr3LJ50dLc
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) October 23, 2022
Victor G. Atiyeh was the last Republican governor in Oregon, who served from 1979 to 1987. However, seasoned Democrats are predicting Democrats’ winning streak in Oregon can end in a couple of weeks.
Gerald McAleese, a local business owner, said rising homelessness in Portland completely changed the nature of his business for the first time in nearly 30 years.
Similarly, McAleese asserted the homelessness crisis in the city is turning out to be a catastrophe. George Floyd murder protests and COVID restrictions completely destroyed local businesses, McAleese continued, as he was forced to downsize his business from 62 employees to 12.
The issue of surging crime was also raised in the final gubernatorial debate in Oregon. The moderator asked Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tina Kotek, GOP nominee Christine Drazan, and Independent candidate Betsy Johnson about rising anti-police sentiments in Oregon.
Both Drazan and Johnson insisted Kotek backed the rioters in 2020 protests when they were vandalizing properties, which urged other protesters to make violent attacks as well.
A poll sponsored by Kotek’s campaign found the Democratic candidate is only leading over the Republican with a margin of 2% in the deep blue state.
