1. He misappropriated public funds for his mayoral campaign. Earlier this year, we learned Gonzalez used more than $6,000 in taxpayer funds to update his Wikipedia page to improve his image for his Mayoral campaign.

2. He lied about being assaulted on the MAX. In February, Gonzalez released a statement that he was getting private security and no longer going to ride the MAX light rail because a passenger assaulted him. A reporter requested the video from TriMet, and we learned he was lying. A woman barely grazed his shoulder as she walked toward her seat. There is little to no interaction between them. See for yourself here.

3. He misused the 911 system to falsely accuse a Black woman of assaulting him on the MAX. After the incident referenced above, Gonzalez dug deeper into his lie and called 911 to report this “assault,” saying a Black woman assaulted him. The video shows otherwise. The Oregonian merged the 911 audio file with the TriMet video incident. It’s critical to note that 911 wait times remained far above the national average under his supervision of the Emergency Management team.

4. Supported anti-LBGTQ+ youth school board candidates. Gonzalez founded ED300, a nonprofit that sought to reopen schools during the COVID-19 pandemic before vaccines were widely available. The ED300 political action committee endorsed anti-LGBTQ school board candidates during the same time as the Republican Party was running a coordinated effort to elect racist and homophobic school board candidates across the country. This effort was done with extremist groups Moms for Liberty and Parents Rights in Education. He said he would “do it again in a heartbeat.”

5. He is connected to right-wing fringe groups. Gonzalez has become the candidate of right-wing fringe groups, including conspiracy theorist and provocateur Andy Ngo, Ben Edtl, of “Free Oregon” and members of Patriot Prayer, a MAGA hate group being tracked by the Southern Poverty Law Center. On X/Twitter, Gonzalez has uplifted conspiracy theorist Ngo and called the city’s consideration of impacts on low-income communities and communities of color in planning “permanent racial grievance.”

6. He undermined public safety by gutting Portland Street Response. While Portland is grappling with drug and mental health crises, Gonzalez cut funding and forced out management staff for Portland Street Response, our city’s most effective team of trained professionals helping people struggling with mental and behavioral issues. Before he was elected, the City Council voted unanimously to expand Portland Street Response to 24 hours a day and seven days a week, recognizing how vital this program is to the health and public safety of our city. Mayor Ted Wheeler and Commissioner Carmen Rubio worked to restore PSRs to the previous year's funding levels. 

7. He banned Portland Street Response from providing lifesaving supplies to homeless people during a winter storm. In February 2023, he banned Portland Street Response from providing tents, tarps and other supplies to people forced to live outside during a brutal winter storm. Distributing supplies to unhoused people is central to Portland Street Response’s outreach work. While some calls may require immediate medical care or de-escalation tactics, others address clients’ unmet basic needs, such as bus tickets to a doctor’s appointment or food boxes. That work can also include offering unsheltered clients a tent or sleeping bag. Portland would need close to 6,000 additional shelter beds to help all the people forced to live outside in our city.

8. Beholden to large corporations and CEOs. Special interests are funding a big chunk of his campaign, according to Willamette Week. His campaign has received large donations and independent support from millionaires, investors, and CEOs—the same funders who bankrolled People for Portland, which created a cynical and divisive campaign that tore Portland down during the last few years.

9. Seeks to undo climate resilience investments. A surcharge on corporations funds the Portland Clean Energy Fund. Gonzalez has floated proposals to undo voter-approved climate resilience investments that fund local small businesses in weatherizing homes and businesses of seniors, people with disabilities, and people with lower incomes. Voters approved the Portland Clean Energy Fund because we know our city must become more climate resilient, and we want to help seniors, people with low incomes, and BIPOC communities.

10. OPB profile called him “more talk than accomplishment. While the city continues to struggle with homelessness, drug use, and the cost of living, an OPB profile said Gonzalez has “made himself scarce in City Hall.” The Willamette Week has noted that Gonzalez is “more talk than accomplishment.”

11. Tried to overturn voter-approved charter reforms. After 57 percent of Portland voters approved reforms to the city’s government structure called Charter Reform, Gonzalez proposed amending the reforms 18 months before they were implemented. These charter reforms were led by a broad coalition of community groups and after a two-year public process. The rest of the city council didn’t back Gonzalez’s efforts after hundreds of voters protested and voiced their concerns at a City Council meeting. In addition to charter reforms, Gonzalez has publicly stated his desire to overturn voter-approved measures on climate resilience and police accountability. Portland Metro Chamber and other wealthy interests strongly opposed charter reform. 

12. Gonzalez was investigated twice for campaign finance violations. Related to the Wikipedia page updates, the City investigated whether Gonzalez broke campaign regulations by not reporting the campaign expenses as required by law. The city ruled it was a “very close call,”" and believed they didn’t have enough information. They referred the issue to the Secretary of State’s Office. This is the second time he has been investigated for possible campaign finance violations. During his first campaign for commissioner, Gonzalez received dramatically discounted rent from donor millionaire Jordan Schnitzer. Other tenants would have been asked to pay $6,900 per month for the over 3,000 square feet of downtown office space located at 1010 SW 11th Ave. Gonzalez’s campaign only had to pay $250 per month for the space, which also included two parking spots. (Two monthly downtown parking spaces alone would usually cost about double that, the letter notes.) He was initially fined. A judge later rescinded the fine.

13. 911 wait times remain far worse than the national average on his watch. Gonzalez has made public safety his priority, yet 911 wait times remained far worse than the national average under Gonzalez’s supervision of the city’s Emergency Management team, putting Portlander’s lives at risk.

14. Portland Firefighter overtime skyrocketed under his supervision, costing the city millions. His answer to this financial crisis was to try dismantling another valuable public safety program, Portland Street Response, against the better judgment of other council members. Gonzalez has been endorsed twice by the Firefighter’s Union.

15. Shown disregard for many union workers. In a city where labor unions are valued and highly regarded, Gonzalez has refused to meet with the thousands of mental health workers,  janitors, hospital and nursing home workers, security guards, home care workers, and employees in and around the city of Portland, saying, “I don’t feel that’s a ring I want to kiss” he said in an Oregonian article on Sept. 22, 2024.

16. Played politics with the homeless response plan. While an estimated 6,000 Portlanders are forced to live outside because we don’t have enough shelter space or affordable housing, Gonzalez held the region’s Homeless Response Plan hostage until the County stopped purchasing tarps, tents, and other supplies for people who are forced to live outside.

Portland Mercury’s team developed a timeline of all of Rene Gonzalez scandals It’s a worthwhile resource.