Washington, D.C. — Today, the Center for American Progress Action Fund released a new fact sheet showing that violent crime in Oregon is increasingly fueled by gun violence. While FBI data show that Oregon experienced a drop in violent crime in 2021, in Portland, the state’s largest city, the share of murders committed with guns has surged 25 percent in recent years, and overall shooting incidents have tripled since 2019. Gubernatorial candidates Christine Drazan (R) and Betsy Johnson (I) routinely misrepresent Oregon’s gun violence problem and, if elected governor, have promised to oppose any legislation that would reduce gun crime in the state. In contrast, Tina Kotek, Democratic gubernatorial candidate and former Oregon House speaker, has a record of working to reduce gun violence through her support of community violence prevention and implementing background checks on gun purchases, a policy that 87 percent of Oregonians support.
“While politicians like Drazan and Johnson may lie about what’s causing violent crime in Oregon, the data don’t,” said Jerry Parshall, senior director of CAP Action’s Safety and Justice Campaign. “Violent crime in Oregon is increasingly fueled by gun violence—and, unlike Drazan and Johnson, Tina Kotek is serious about fighting it.”
Click here to read: “The Truth About Violent Crime in Oregon”
For additional state fact sheets, see “Dangerous Guns Laws Increase Violent Crime: A State-By-State Analysis”
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Colin Seeberger at [email protected].