OnlyYouPNW

I ran for Governor of Oregon at just 36 years old. The moment I announced, my own Republican Party joined forces with the media to smear me as a J6 insurrectionist—even though the truth about my time at J6 is well known (non-violent, unknowingly trespassed, wasn’t there to stop the certification). Throughout the campaign, the old Republican establishment and rival gubernatorial candidates spread disinformation about me, my family, and my character. We even caught them secretly messaging people at my church with lies about me. Two major candidates used political proxies to paint me as inexperienced, unqualified, and too young. The irony? I had more political experience than two of the four leading candidates and owned a highly successful business. They weaponized ageism against me while accusing younger generations of doing the same to them. I was kept off debate stages while the Republican machine propped up its four preferred candidates. Yet I still beat one of them—and did it while running a clean campaign without attacking my opponents. But my experience exposed something far bigger than one gubernatorial race. Maybe this is exactly why younger people don’t get involved in politics. When a handful of entrenched political insiders view politics as a career rather than a calling, they have little incentive to cultivate new leadership, expand their party’s influence, or challenge the status quo. They’re perfectly content to lose cycle after cycle as long as they retain their positions, careers, and little pockets of political influence. Meanwhile, talented, principled people are discouraged from stepping forward. A party that punishes new leadership and protects political insiders over winning elections will eventually run out of people willing to fight for it. This needs to change. In Oregon and across America. We need new blood. We need leaders who stand on principle, put the people first, and are willing to fight for something greater than their own political careers. It’s time to stop protecting the political establishment and start building a movement that actually wins. To the old Republican guard here in Oregon (you know who you are), you are not my enemy, and I hope we can all work together one day. Oregon needs you too and I forgive you whether you like me or not.