Jo Ann Hardesty Biography, Age, Career, Marital Status, Salary, and Net Worth.

Who is Jo Ann Hardesty?

Jo Ann A. Hardesty nee Bowman is an American well-known Democratic politician in the U.S. state of Oregon who is currently a Portland City Commissioner having taken office in January 2019 on the Portland City Council.

From 1995 until 2001, she previously served in the Oregon House of Representatives. Moreover, she is the first African American woman to serve on Portland’s city council. Controversy over her 911 call over a Lyft driver in November 2020, who refused to roll a window up drew national attention.

How Old Is Jo Ann Hardesty?

She is 64 years old as of May 2022, having been born on October 15, 1957, in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. Ann shares her birthdate with celebrities such as; Malu Trevejo, Daniel Gizmo, Bailee Madison, AllAroundAudrey, Sophia Birlem, and many more.

Jo Ann Hardesty Family

Who are Jo Ann Hardesty’s Parents?

According to news on the internet, it shows that her father was a longshoreman while her mother stayed at home with them. However, there is no news showing their names and identity on the internet.

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Does Jo Ann Hardesty have Siblings?

According to news on the internet, it shows that she is one of ten children of her parents. However, there is no news regarding her siblings’ names and whereabouts on the internet.

Jo Ann Hardesty Education

She received her high school education at Edmondson-Westside High School. And her college education at Baltimore City Community College. Where she earned an Associate of Arts degree in business and accounting.

Jo Ann Hardesty Marital Status

She is currently single. However, she was married to Roger David Hardesty in 2011 but divorced in 2016.

Jo Ann Hardesty Kids

It is unclear whether she has kids or not. In case of news regarding this matter, we will update it here as soon as possible.

Jo Ann Hardesty Career

She joined the United States Navy after graduating from high school. In the Navy, she served six years and was stationed in the Philipines. After leaving the Navy, she settles in Portland, Oregon where she was elected in 1994 to the Oregon House a position she held until 2001. When she resigned to unsuccessfully run for chair of the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners. Later she served as executive director of Oregon Action and became president of the Portland chapter of the NAACP in January 2015. In 2007, she began hosting “Voices from the Edge”, a progressive talk radio program on KBOO, a community radio station in Portland.

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A Career in Portland City Commissioner 2018 race

In 2018, Ann ran for Portland City Council for the vacant seat vacated by border Dan Saltzman. Willamette Week endorsed her by stating she was the “best person for the job”. Moreover, she was endorsed by AFSCME Local 189, the local branch of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees. During the race, she called her two running mates “idiots” for their suggestion the unused Wapato Corrections Facility be utilized to house homeless residents. Currently, it is used as a homeless shelter. Finally, she won the race against Multnomah County Commissioner Loretta Smith; the final tally showed that she received 61.8% of the votes.

A Career at Portland City Commissioner

On January 2, 2019, she was sworn in as a city commissioner. Therefore, she is the first Black woman and first woman of color to serve on the council. She voted to cut $18 million in funding from the Portland Police Bureau budget in 2020. The vote failed 3-2. In August 2021, she as acting Fire Commissioner was criticized for her month-long vacation which coincides with peak fire season in the region. This, therefore, became the first time in over twenty years that a city commissioner took a full month away from the position.

A Portland City Commissioner 2022 race

Ann is running for reelection to City Council on the 2022 ballot. Thus her campaign is being managed by Joseph Santos-Lyons. Moreover, she was the first of the three frontrunners for the position who hit her limit on fundraising caps. As of April 2022, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported that over a dozen “union and left-leaning advocacy groups” had endorsed Ann as well as politicos Earl Blumenauer, Jeff Merkley, and Mike Schmidt. For the second time, Ann was endorsed by Willamette Week stating was met with “frustration and scorn” from readers and respondents.

However, the union that represents Portland’s firefighters, The Portland Fire Fighters’ Association declined to endorse Ann. The Oregonian chose not to endorse Ann but instead endorsed her rival running mate Rene Gonzalez, stating reasons that Ann should not be re-elected including her “erratic and counterproductive at times” leadership on police accountability. Due to these reasons, her endorsements have declined since her last ran with a declining union endorsement and “labor support peeling away”. Therefore she received less than 50% of the vote, meaning she will advance to a runoff in the November 2022 general election.