Jo Ann Hardesty
Jo Ann A. Hardesty (formerly Bowman, born October 15, 1957) is an American Democratic politician in the U.S. state of Oregon who served as a Portland City commissioner from 2019 to 2022. She previously served in the Oregon House of Representatives from 1995 until 2001.
Jo Ann Hardesty | |
|---|---|
| Portland City Commissioner | |
| In office January 1, 2019 – December 31, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Dan Saltzman |
| Succeeded by | Rene Gonzalez |
| Member of the Oregon House of Representatives from the 19th district | |
| In office January 1995 – February 2001 | |
| Preceded by | Avel Gordly |
| Succeeded by | Jackie Dingfelder |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 15, 1957 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Residence(s) | Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
| Education | Baltimore City Community College (AA) |
| Signature | |
| Website | Joann for Portland |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Navy |
Hardesty was the first African American woman and first minority women to serve on the council. A longtime activist for racial justice and other progressive policy issues, she is well known as an advocate for police reform and defunding. In 2021, Portland Police Bureau's internal investigation concluded their officers leaked a false accusation that she was responsible for a hit and run in an act of retaliation. Hardesty faced several controversies during her tenure in office, such as her handling of personal credit card debt, vacation time, and placing a call to 9-1-1 over a dispute with a Lyft driver.
Hardesty stood for the November 2022 election runoff to serve a second term, but lost the seat to challenger Rene Gonzalez.