Rene Gonzalez (politician): Difference between revisions

Rene Gonzalez
Rene Gonzalez
Portland City Commissioner
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; January 1, 2023
Preceded by	Jo Ann Hardesty
Personal details
Political party	Democratic
Children	3
Residence(s)	Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Alma mater	Willamette University (BA, JD)
Occupation	Attorney, entrepreneur
Website	Official website; Campaign website

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Rene Gabriel Gonzalez is an American businessman, politician, and former lawyer. He has held a seat on the Portland, Oregon City Council since January 2023. He challenged incumbent commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty in the 2022 election,^[1] running on a platform that emphasized law and order and livability.^[2] In December 2023, Gonzalez announced his plans to run for Mayor of Portland.^[3]

Early life and career

Gonzalez was raised in Anchorage, Alaska, where his father worked as a trial judge and federal prosecutor.^[4] In 1993, Gonzalez moved to Salem, Oregon, to attend Willamette University, where he was president of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity and played varsity soccer.^[5] After obtaining a bachelor's degree, he continued at Willamette's law school to obtain a Juris Doctor.^[5]

Gonzalez then worked as an attorney at Stoel Rives, a regional law firm.^[6] After Stoel Rives, he moved to KinderCare Learning Centers,^[when?] where he served in legal advising and corporate strategy roles. As of 2022, he no longer holds a license to practice law.^[7] Following KinderCare,^[when?] Gonzalez founded a technology consulting company called Eastbank Artifex that primarily sells Microsoft software services.^[8]^[4]

Prior to running for office, Gonzalez founded United PDX, a youth soccer club in the city of Portland, and ED300, a political action committee to support school board candidates that were focused on reopening public schools in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.^[4]

Portland City Council

Council race

Gonzalez ran for the Portland City Commissioner seat in 2022 against incumbent Hardesty. He won the race with 52.6% of the vote and took office in January 2023.^[1]^[9]

Gonzalez ran a campaign largely focused on combating homelessness and crime, and investing in revitalization of downtown Portland. In particular, he and Hardesty advocated different approaches to policing and how to address homelessness.^[9]^[10] Gonzalez was endorsed by the editorial boards of The Oregonian, Willamette Week, and the Portland Tribune, as well as the Portland Police Association, Portland Firefighters Union, and the Portland Chamber of Commerce.^[11]^[10] During the race, his campaign was fined by the city's elections program for allegedly accepting discounted office space, but the fine was later overturned in court for lacking proof that the rent was actually below market rate.^[12]^[13]

Though both candidates were registered Democrats,^[8] during the campaign Hardesty attacked Gonzalez as being allegedly right-leaning and having ties to Republican political consultants and conservative school board candidates supported by the political action committee he organized.^[12]

Council term

Gonzalez's two-year term as a member of the City Council began on January 1, 2023.^[9] The transition was headed by Tom Miller, a former chief of staff for former mayor Sam Adams.^[14] Gonzalez was assigned management of Portland Fire & Rescue and other emergency services, excluding the police department.^[15]^[16] According to a 2024 interview with Oregon Public Broadcasting, Gonzalez stated that he considers it a "success" that he banned fire bureau and Portland Street Response staff from distributing tents and tarps.^[17] Mayor Ted Wheeler appointed Gonzalez to be Portland City Council's representative on the Steering Committee Overseeing the Joint Office of Homeless Services.^[18] Gonzalez first proposed an amendment to Mayor Wheeler's camping ban that included up to a year in jail for rule-breakers, before transitioning to a proposal that removed the proposed criminal penalty for violating the camping ban, but still proposing large fines. The amendment failed and the criminal penalty was imposed.^[19] In January 2024, Gonzalez announced the creation of a new drug overdose treatment response team pilot program to help address the city's drug crisis.^[20]

Personal life

Gonzalez is married to a woman named Angie, whom he met in college and who currently works as an office manager.^[5] Together they have three children^[5] and lives in the Eastmoreland neighborhood of Portland.^[21] He identifies as half-Latino,^[5] as his father is Mexican-American and his mother is white.^[4]

Controversies

He ordered staff with the Portland Street Response to stop distributing tents to the homeless and instead encouraged them to seek out shelters. There were, at the time, over 5,000 unhoused individuals with 2000 shelter beds available.^[22] Gonzalez went on to attempt to drastically cut funding for the popular Portland Street Response program started by his predecessor and, after criticism, eventually agreed to move the program out of his portfolio.^[23]^[24]^[25]

Gonzalez announced in a February 2024 video on social media that he would no longer use public transit because he claimed he faced "deliberate, unwanted physical contact" while riding the MAX light rail on his way to work.^[26] TriMet video obtained by The Oregonian shows that any contact by the passenger on the train was likely unintentional and was followed by a short conversation about Gonzalez's policy positions.^[27]^[28]

In August 2024, The Oregonian reported that Gonzalez spent $6,400 of city taxpayer dollars to hire a contractor, WhiteHatWiki, to make edit requests for his Wikipedia page in an effort to "spruce up his profile" as part of his mayoral bid.^[29] The Portland City Elections Division later opened an investigation into the spending after receiving a campaign finance complaint.^[30]

References

^ ^a ^b Kavanaugh, Shane Dixon (November 9, 2022). "Rene Gonzalez, with law-and-order focus, ousts Portland Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty in contentious City Council race". OregonLive. Oregonian Media Group. Archived from the original on November 10, 2022. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
^ Kavanaugh, Shane Dixon (October 19, 2022). "Only Portland City Council race on fall ballot features Rene Gonzalez and Jo Ann Hardesty, stark opposites on multiple dimensions". OregonLive. Oregonian Media Group. Archived from the original on November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
^ "Rene Gonzalez announces run for Portland mayor next year". Portland, Ore.: KGW. December 7, 2023. Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Peel, Sophie (October 12, 2022). "Rene Gonzalez Would Return Portland to a Simpler Time: 2019. To Many Voters, That's an Appealing Offer". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on November 9, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Ellis, Rebecca (October 20, 2022). "Portland City Council candidate Rene Gonzalez pledges 'tough love' in bet voters are moving to the center". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Archived from the original on November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
^ Boddie, Ken (February 3, 2022). "Business lawyer Gonzalez challenges Hardesty for spot on city council". Portland, Ore.: KOIN. Archived from the original on November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
^ "Portland City Council candidate Rene Gonzalez answers OPB's questions". Oregon Public Broadcasting. October 20, 2022. Archived from the original on November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
^ ^a ^b Hernandez, Rolando (October 13, 2022). "REBROADCAST: Portland City Council Debate: Incumbent Jo Ann Hardesty and Rene Gonzalez". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Archived from the original on November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c Peel, Sophie (November 9, 2022). "City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty Concedes to Rene Gonzalez". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on November 10, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
^ ^a ^b Ellis, Rebecca (November 8, 2022). "Gonzalez takes early lead over Hardesty in Portland City Council race". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Archived from the original on November 10, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
^ "Editorial endorsement November 2022: Rene Gonzalez is voters' best choice for Portland City Council". OregonLive. Oregonian Media Group. October 9, 2022. Archived from the original on November 19, 2022. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
^ ^a ^b Peel, Sophie (November 6, 2022). "City Council Race Gets Even More Hostile as Election Day Approaches". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on November 10, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
^ "OAH Case No. 2022-ABC-05629" (PDF). State of Oregon Office of Administrative Hearings. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 7, 2022. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
^ Maus, Jonathan (November 15, 2022). "Tom Miller hired as transition team leader for Rene Gonzalez". Bike Portland. Archived from the original on November 16, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2024.^{[self-published source]}
^ Peel, Sophie (January 11, 2023). "We Asked City Commissioner Rene Gonzalez How He'll Handle the Crises Facing the Fire Bureau". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on January 13, 2023. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
^ "Portfolios, Liaison Responsibilities, and Bureau Directors | Portland.gov". www.portland.gov. Archived from the original on January 13, 2023. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
^ Zielinski, Alex (March 12, 2024). "Rene Gonzalez's first year: On the offensive, but not always on target". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
^ Peel, Sophie (July 22, 2024). "Mayor Selects Rene Gonzalez to Serve on Steering Committee Overseeing Joint Office of Homeless Services". Willamette Week. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
^ Kavanaugh, Shane Dixon (April 25, 2024). "After City Hall showdown, Portland leaders advance mayor's scaled-back homeless camping ban". OregonLive. Oregonian Media Group. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
^ Ferrara, John Ross (January 3, 2024). "Mayoral candidate Rene Gonzalez announces creation of 'Overdose Response Team'". KOIN. Portland, Ore. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
^ "Portland police investigating car fire in front of Commissioner Gonzalez's house". opb. Archived from the original on August 23, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
^ Zielinski, Alex (February 15, 2023). "New Commissioner Rene Gonzalez bans Portland Street Response from distributing tents". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Archived from the original on August 23, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
^ Best, Blair (February 5, 2024). "$3M could potentially be cut from Portland Street Response". Portland, Ore.: KGW. Archived from the original on August 23, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
^ Vaughn, Courtney (January 11, 2024). "Commissioner Gonzalez Shows Little Interest in Heeding Auditor's Recommendations for Portland Street Response". Portland Mercury. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
^ Kavanaugh, Shane Dixon (March 1, 2024). "Commissioner Rene Gonzalez looks to dump Portland Street Response from his City Hall portfolio". OregonLive. Oregonian Media Group. Archived from the original on August 23, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
^ "Commissioner Rene Gonzalez says he was 'accosted' on TriMet MAX train". Fox 12 Oregon. KPTV. February 5, 2024. Archived from the original on August 7, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
^ Kavanaugh, Shane Dixon (February 12, 2024). "Portland Commissioner Rene Gonzalez says he faced 'deliberate, unwanted physical contact' aboard a MAX train. Here's what video shows". OregonLive. Oregonian Media Group. Archived from the original on August 7, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
^ Rawlings, Matt (February 12, 2024). "Video shows moment Rene Gonzalez claims he was 'accosted' on MAX train". Portland, Ore.: KOIN. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
^ Kavanaugh, Shane Dixon (August 7, 2024). "Portland Commissioner Rene Gonzalez spent thousands in city funds to polish Wikipedia page". OregonLive. Oregonian Media Group. Archived from the original on August 8, 2024. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
^ Foran, Andrew; Jones, Joelle (August 21, 2024). "Rene Gonzalez's office under investigation following Wikipedia spending". KOIN. Portland, Oregon. Retrieved August 29, 2024.

[Kavanaugh_2022a-1] Kavanaugh, Shane Dixon (November 9, 2022). "Rene Gonzalez, with law-and-order focus, ousts Portland Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty in contentious City Council race". OregonLive. Oregonian Media Group. Archived from the original on November 10, 2022. Retrieved November 10, 2022.

[Kavanaugh_2022b-2] Kavanaugh, Shane Dixon (October 19, 2022). "Only Portland City Council race on fall ballot features Rene Gonzalez and Jo Ann Hardesty, stark opposites on multiple dimensions". OregonLive. Oregonian Media Group. Archived from the original on November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.

[KGW_2023-3] "Rene Gonzalez announces run for Portland mayor next year". Portland, Ore.: KGW. December 7, 2023. Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.

[Peel_2022b-4] Peel, Sophie (October 12, 2022). "Rene Gonzalez Would Return Portland to a Simpler Time: 2019. To Many Voters, That's an Appealing Offer". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on November 9, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2024.

[Ellis_2022-5] Ellis, Rebecca (October 20, 2022). "Portland City Council candidate Rene Gonzalez pledges 'tough love' in bet voters are moving to the center". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Archived from the original on November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.

[Boddie_2022-6] Boddie, Ken (February 3, 2022). "Business lawyer Gonzalez challenges Hardesty for spot on city council". Portland, Ore.: KOIN. Archived from the original on November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.

[OPB_2022-7] "Portland City Council candidate Rene Gonzalez answers OPB's questions". Oregon Public Broadcasting. October 20, 2022. Archived from the original on November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.

[Hernandez_2022-8] Hernandez, Rolando (October 13, 2022). "REBROADCAST: Portland City Council Debate: Incumbent Jo Ann Hardesty and Rene Gonzalez". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Archived from the original on November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.

[Peel_2022a-9] Peel, Sophie (November 9, 2022). "City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty Concedes to Rene Gonzalez". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on November 10, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2024.

[Ellis_2022b-10] Ellis, Rebecca (November 8, 2022). "Gonzalez takes early lead over Hardesty in Portland City Council race". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Archived from the original on November 10, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2024.

[Editorial_Board_2022-11] "Editorial endorsement November 2022: Rene Gonzalez is voters' best choice for Portland City Council". OregonLive. Oregonian Media Group. October 9, 2022. Archived from the original on November 19, 2022. Retrieved November 19, 2022.

[Peel_2022c-12] Peel, Sophie (November 6, 2022). "City Council Race Gets Even More Hostile as Election Day Approaches". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on November 10, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2024.

[13] "OAH Case No. 2022-ABC-05629" (PDF). State of Oregon Office of Administrative Hearings. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 7, 2022. Retrieved August 6, 2023.

[Maus_2022-14] Maus, Jonathan (November 15, 2022). "Tom Miller hired as transition team leader for Rene Gonzalez". Bike Portland. Archived from the original on November 16, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2024.^{[self-published source]}

[Peel_2023-15] Peel, Sophie (January 11, 2023). "We Asked City Commissioner Rene Gonzalez How He'll Handle the Crises Facing the Fire Bureau". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on January 13, 2023. Retrieved January 13, 2023.

[16] "Portfolios, Liaison Responsibilities, and Bureau Directors | Portland.gov". www.portland.gov. Archived from the original on January 13, 2023. Retrieved January 13, 2023.

[Zielinski_2024-17] Zielinski, Alex (March 12, 2024). "Rene Gonzalez's first year: On the offensive, but not always on target". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Retrieved August 9, 2024.

[Peel_2024-18] Peel, Sophie (July 22, 2024). "Mayor Selects Rene Gonzalez to Serve on Steering Committee Overseeing Joint Office of Homeless Services". Willamette Week. Retrieved August 9, 2024.

[Kavanaugh_2024c-19] Kavanaugh, Shane Dixon (April 25, 2024). "After City Hall showdown, Portland leaders advance mayor's scaled-back homeless camping ban". OregonLive. Oregonian Media Group. Retrieved August 9, 2024.

[Ferrara_2024-20] Ferrara, John Ross (January 3, 2024). "Mayoral candidate Rene Gonzalez announces creation of 'Overdose Response Team'". KOIN. Portland, Ore. Retrieved August 9, 2024.

[21] "Portland police investigating car fire in front of Commissioner Gonzalez's house". opb. Archived from the original on August 23, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.

[Zielinski_2023-22] Zielinski, Alex (February 15, 2023). "New Commissioner Rene Gonzalez bans Portland Street Response from distributing tents". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Archived from the original on August 23, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.

[Best_2024-23] Best, Blair (February 5, 2024). "$3M could potentially be cut from Portland Street Response". Portland, Ore.: KGW. Archived from the original on August 23, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.

[Vaughn_2024-24] Vaughn, Courtney (January 11, 2024). "Commissioner Gonzalez Shows Little Interest in Heeding Auditor's Recommendations for Portland Street Response". Portland Mercury. Retrieved August 9, 2024.

[Kavanaugh_2024a-25] Kavanaugh, Shane Dixon (March 1, 2024). "Commissioner Rene Gonzalez looks to dump Portland Street Response from his City Hall portfolio". OregonLive. Oregonian Media Group. Archived from the original on August 23, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.

[KPTV_2024-26] "Commissioner Rene Gonzalez says he was 'accosted' on TriMet MAX train". Fox 12 Oregon. KPTV. February 5, 2024. Archived from the original on August 7, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.

[Kavanaugh_2024b-27] Kavanaugh, Shane Dixon (February 12, 2024). "Portland Commissioner Rene Gonzalez says he faced 'deliberate, unwanted physical contact' aboard a MAX train. Here's what video shows". OregonLive. Oregonian Media Group. Archived from the original on August 7, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.

[Rawlings_2024-28] Rawlings, Matt (February 12, 2024). "Video shows moment Rene Gonzalez claims he was 'accosted' on MAX train". Portland, Ore.: KOIN. Retrieved August 9, 2024.

[Kavanaugh_2024-29] Kavanaugh, Shane Dixon (August 7, 2024). "Portland Commissioner Rene Gonzalez spent thousands in city funds to polish Wikipedia page". OregonLive. Oregonian Media Group. Archived from the original on August 8, 2024. Retrieved August 7, 2024.

[30] Foran, Andrew; Jones, Joelle (August 21, 2024). "Rene Gonzalez's office under investigation following Wikipedia spending". KOIN. Portland, Oregon. Retrieved August 29, 2024.

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@@ Line 27: / Line 27: @@
 | website             = [https://www.portland.gov/gonzalez Official website]<br/>[https://reneforportland.com Campaign website]
 }}
-'''Rene Gabriel Gonzalez''' is an American businessman, politician, and former lawyer. He has held a seat on the [[Portland, Oregon City Council]] since January 2023. He challenged incumbent commissioner [[Jo Ann Hardesty]] in the [[2022 Portland, Oregon City Commission election|2022 election]],<ref name="Kavanaugh 2022a"/> running on a platform that emphasized [[Law and order (politics)|law and order]] and [[livability]].<ref name="Kavanaugh 2022b">{{Cite news |last=Kavanaugh |first=Shane Dixon |date=October 19, 2022 |title=Only Portland City Council race on fall ballot features Rene Gonzalez and Jo Ann Hardesty, stark opposites on multiple dimensions |url=https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2022/10/only-portland-city-council-race-on-fall-ballot-features-rene-gonzalez-and-jo-ann-hardesty-stark-opposites-on-multiple-dimensions.html |access-date=November 9, 2022 |website=OregonLive |publisher=Oregonian Media Group |language=en |archive-date=November 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221109172356/https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2022/10/only-portland-city-council-race-on-fall-ballot-features-rene-gonzalez-and-jo-ann-hardesty-stark-opposites-on-multiple-dimensions.html |url-status=live}}</ref> In December 2023, Gonzalez announced his plans to run for [[Mayor of Portland, Oregon|Mayor of Portland]].<ref name="KGW 2023">{{cite news |author1=<!--Staff author(s)--> |title=Rene Gonzalez announces run for Portland mayor next year |url=https://www.kgw.com/article/news/politics/elections/portland-city-commissioner-rene-gonzalez-mayor-2024/283-f8901c1b-ecd3-491c-819f-6136a1be71c0 |access-date=August 9, 2024 |publisher=KGW |date=December 7, 2023 |location=Portland, Ore. |archive-date=April 5, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240405200031/https://www.kgw.com/article/news/politics/elections/portland-city-commissioner-rene-gonzalez-mayor-2024/283-f8901c1b-ecd3-491c-819f-6136a1be71c0 |url-status=live }}</ref> In August 2024, Gonzalez's office was under investigation by Portland City Elections Division following a complaint that Gonzalez used public funds to hire a marketing agency to "edit his Wikipedia page," potentially violating city campaign finance regulations. <ref>https://www.koin.com/news/portland/rene-gonzalezs-office-under-investigation-following-wikipedia-spending/</ref>
+'''Rene Gabriel Gonzalez''' is an American businessman, politician, and former lawyer. He has held a seat on the [[Portland, Oregon City Council]] since January 2023. He challenged incumbent commissioner [[Jo Ann Hardesty]] in the [[2022 Portland, Oregon City Commission election|2022 election]],<ref name="Kavanaugh 2022a"/> running on a platform that emphasized [[Law and order (politics)|law and order]] and [[livability]].<ref name="Kavanaugh 2022b">{{Cite news |last=Kavanaugh |first=Shane Dixon |date=October 19, 2022 |title=Only Portland City Council race on fall ballot features Rene Gonzalez and Jo Ann Hardesty, stark opposites on multiple dimensions |url=https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2022/10/only-portland-city-council-race-on-fall-ballot-features-rene-gonzalez-and-jo-ann-hardesty-stark-opposites-on-multiple-dimensions.html |access-date=November 9, 2022 |website=OregonLive |publisher=Oregonian Media Group |language=en |archive-date=November 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221109172356/https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2022/10/only-portland-city-council-race-on-fall-ballot-features-rene-gonzalez-and-jo-ann-hardesty-stark-opposites-on-multiple-dimensions.html |url-status=live}}</ref> In December 2023, Gonzalez announced his plans to run for [[Mayor of Portland, Oregon|Mayor of Portland]].<ref name="KGW 2023">{{cite news |author1=<!--Staff author(s)--> |title=Rene Gonzalez announces run for Portland mayor next year |url=https://www.kgw.com/article/news/politics/elections/portland-city-commissioner-rene-gonzalez-mayor-2024/283-f8901c1b-ecd3-491c-819f-6136a1be71c0 |access-date=August 9, 2024 |publisher=KGW |date=December 7, 2023 |location=Portland, Ore. |archive-date=April 5, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240405200031/https://www.kgw.com/article/news/politics/elections/portland-city-commissioner-rene-gonzalez-mayor-2024/283-f8901c1b-ecd3-491c-819f-6136a1be71c0 |url-status=live }}</ref>
 ==Early life and career==
@@ Line 56: / Line 56: @@
 Gonzalez announced in a February 2024 video on social media that he would no longer use public transit because he claimed he faced "deliberate, unwanted physical contact" while riding the [[MAX Light Rail|MAX light rail]] on his way to work.<ref name="KPTV 2024">{{cite news |author1=<!--anonymous author(s)--> |title=Commissioner Rene Gonzalez says he was ‘accosted’ on TriMet MAX train |url=https://www.kptv.com/video/2024/02/05/commissioner-rene-gonzalez-says-he-was-accosted-trimet-max-train/ |access-date=August 9, 2024 |work=Fox 12 Oregon |publisher=KPTV |date=February 5, 2024 |archive-date=August 7, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240807190230/https://www.kptv.com/video/2024/02/05/commissioner-rene-gonzalez-says-he-was-accosted-trimet-max-train/ |url-status=live }}</ref> TriMet video obtained by [[The Oregonian|''The Oregonian'']] shows that any contact by the passenger on the train was likely unintentional and was followed by a short conversation about Gonzalez's policy positions.<ref name="Kavanaugh 2024b">{{cite news |last1=Kavanaugh |first1=Shane Dixon |title=Portland Commissioner Rene Gonzalez says he faced ‘deliberate, unwanted physical contact’ aboard a MAX train. Here’s what video shows |url=https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2024/02/portland-commissioner-rene-gonzalez-says-he-faced-deliberate-unwanted-physical-contact-aboard-a-max-train-heres-what-video-shows.html |access-date=August 9, 2024 |work=OregonLive |publisher=Oregonian Media Group |date=February 12, 2024 |archive-date=August 7, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240807190229/https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2024/02/portland-commissioner-rene-gonzalez-says-he-faced-deliberate-unwanted-physical-contact-aboard-a-max-train-heres-what-video-shows.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Rawlings 2024">{{cite news |last1=Rawlings |first1=Matt |title=Video shows moment Rene Gonzalez claims he was ‘accosted’ on MAX train |url=https://www.koin.com/news/portland/video-shows-moment-rene-gonzalez-claims-he-was-accosted-on-max-train/ |access-date=August 9, 2024 |publisher=KOIN |date=February 12, 2024 |location=Portland, Ore.}}</ref>
-In August 2024, ''The Oregonian'' reported that Gonzalez spent $6,400 of city taxpayer dollars to hire a contractor, WhiteHatWiki, to make edit requests for his Wikipedia page in an effort to "spruce up his profile" as part of his mayoral bid.<ref name="Kavanaugh 2024">{{cite news |last1=Kavanaugh |first1=Shane Dixon |title=Portland Commissioner Rene Gonzalez spent thousands in city funds to polish Wikipedia page |url=https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2024/08/portland-commissioner-rene-gonzalez-spent-thousands-in-city-funds-to-polish-wikipedia-page.html |archive-date=August 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240808232508/https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2024/08/portland-commissioner-rene-gonzalez-spent-thousands-in-city-funds-to-polish-wikipedia-page.html?outputType=amp |url-status=live |website=OregonLive |publisher=Oregonian Media Group |access-date=August 7, 2024 |date=August 7, 2024 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>
+In August 2024, ''The Oregonian'' reported that Gonzalez spent $6,400 of city taxpayer dollars to hire a contractor, WhiteHatWiki, to make edit requests for his Wikipedia page in an effort to "spruce up his profile" as part of his mayoral bid.<ref name="Kavanaugh 2024">{{cite news |last1=Kavanaugh |first1=Shane Dixon |title=Portland Commissioner Rene Gonzalez spent thousands in city funds to polish Wikipedia page |url=https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2024/08/portland-commissioner-rene-gonzalez-spent-thousands-in-city-funds-to-polish-wikipedia-page.html |archive-date=August 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240808232508/https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2024/08/portland-commissioner-rene-gonzalez-spent-thousands-in-city-funds-to-polish-wikipedia-page.html?outputType=amp |url-status=live |website=OregonLive |publisher=Oregonian Media Group |access-date=August 7, 2024 |date=August 7, 2024 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> The Portland City Elections Division later opened an investigation into the spending after receiving a campaign finance complaint.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Foran|first1=Andrew|last2=Jones|first2=Joelle|date=August 21, 2024|title=Rene Gonzalez’s office under investigation following Wikipedia spending|url=https://www.koin.com/news/portland/rene-gonzalezs-office-under-investigation-following-wikipedia-spending/|work=KOIN|location=Portland, Oregon|access-date=August 29, 2024}}</ref>
 ==References==