by Julio Castilleja

Betsy Johnson is likely to be an Independent candidate for Oregon governor this November. Over the weekend, she made a surprise appearance in front of the crowd at TEDx in Portland, and, when pressed on gun reform by the audience, said that “the style of the gun doesn’t dictate the legality.” She said this four days after Uvalde, Texas, where 19 children were killed with an AR-15. Some of these kids needed to be identified by DNA as their wounds left them unrecognizable. 

If the stakes of the midterm election aren’t clear, Betsy Johnson’s stance on guns should concern every parent and citizen in Oregon. Time and time again, Betsy has failed to protect Oregonians from gun violence. She has voted against background checks for private gun sales, red flag legislation and a law preventing domestic abusers from possessing guns. In 2018, she received an “A” rating from the NRA. 

If we value our children’s right to life more than guns, we must all work together to elect pro-safety Democrats at every single level of government. Learn more about the Democrats who will be on your November ballot, including the Democratic Party candidate Tina Kotek, and find ways to support them during this important election year. Together, we will win this fight. 

Julio Castilleja is Chair of the Democratic Party of Multnomah County (aka MultDems).