Jo Rae Perkins

Jo Rae Perkins (born May 9, 1956) is an American perennial candidate and the Republican nominee for the 2020 United States Senate election in Oregon.[1] Perkins is a supporter of the QAnon conspiracy theory.[2][3]

Jo Rae Perkins
Personal details
Born (1956-05-09) May 9, 1956
Portsmouth, Virginia, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
EducationLinn–Benton Community College (AS)
Oregon State University (BA)

Personal life

Perkins was born in Portsmouth, Virginia. She graduated with an Associate of Science in business management from Linn–Benton Community College in 1998 and a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Oregon State University in 2013.[4][5] Perkins attended accounting and financial planning classes at Golden West College and the University of Portland.[5]

Career

Perkins has been an Albany, Oregon resident since 1975.[6] Perkins served as chairwoman of the Linn County, Oregon Republican Party.[7] She previously worked as a financial advisor.[8] She also volunteered at the Northwest Art and Air Festival for many years, where she helped run the air ballooning, relying on a class she took at Linn–Benton Community College.[6]

Perkins has experienced financial and legal issues. A 2010 article in the Albany Democrat-Herald said that Perkins had made two filings for personal bankruptcy, and she was fired in 2008 from her sales position at an investment company for violating its policy.[9] A 2013 article in The Oregonian noted that Perkins was arrested in December 2005 on charges of hindering prosecution and harassment of police who were searching for her son for allegedly evading them after they stopped him for allegedly speeding.[7] Perkins later pleaded no contest to the charges.[7]

Political campaigns

Perkins ran unsuccessful campaigns for Albany mayor in 2010[9] and for city council.[10] She ran unsuccessful campaigns for Senate in 2014 and 2018. She won the Republican senatorial primary in March 2020.

2014 U.S. Senate Election
Main article: 2014 United States Senate election in Oregon

Perkins was the first Republican challenger to enter the 2014 Oregon Republican primary, joining on August 16 in her first federal election attempt.[11] She said she joined in large part out of concern regarding erosion of states' rights.[4] Her campaign expressed dissatisfaction after she was not invited to a January debate between the two frontrunners at the Dorchester Conference.[12] As of February 2014, she had raised just under $4,600 in campaign funding for the year, the least out of the four eventual Republican candidates.[13] She lost, coming in fourth place with 3% of the vote.

2016 U.S. House of Representatives election

Main Article: 2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Oregon

In 2016, Perkins ran for Oregon's 4th congressional district and came in 2nd place in the Republican primary behind Art Robinson. She received 32% of the vote.[14]

2018 U.S. House of Representatives election
Main article: 2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Oregon

Perkins was a Congressional candidate in 2018, running again in the 4th district, but she lost to Robinson in the Republican primary.[8]

2020 U.S. Senate election
Main article: 2020 United States Senate election in Oregon

Perkins entered the Oregon Republican Senate primary on January 17, 2020, saying she was inspired by what she described as Senator Jeff Merkley's focus on "sham impeachment trials."[8][15] Between entering the race and March 2020, Perkins raised over $25,000 in publicly declared campaign funds, with many donations on WinRed, the official Republican National Convention fundraising platform.[15]

Perkins won the primary on May 19, 2020, and will oppose the Democratic incumbent Senator Jeff Merkley in November for the general election. She finished with nearly fifty percent of the vote, well ahead of her three challengers. Perkins is a supporter of the QAnon conspiracy theory.[16] During Perkin's victory speech, she repeatedly invoked a catchphrase associated with the QAnon conspiracy theory and expressed appreciation for the QAnon supporters whom she met during her campaign.[17][18] In a victory video that was subsequently deleted, Perkins said, "I stand with President Trump. I stand with Q and the team. Thank you Anons, and thank you patriots. And together, we can save our republic."[19] In an interview with Oregon Public Broadcasting a few days after the video was taken down, Perkins said she had removed the video under advice from a campaign consultant, that she regretted the removal, and that she continues to view the QAnon forums as one source of information among many that she values.[20] She has participated in the QAnon conspiracy theory since at least 2018.[21] Larry McDonald, Perkins’ campaign manager, said Perkins only believes in facets of QAnon.[22]

Perkins is deemed unlikely to win against incumbent Democrat Senator Jeff Merkley, though her campaign has been backed by party leaders.[23][24]

Political positions

Perkins is anti-abortion. She supports accepting permanent residency for undocumented immigrants as long as further measures are taken to secure the Mexico–United States border and illegal residents in the United States return to their home country. She supports the abolition of the Federal Reserve and repeal of the Affordable Care Act. She has advocated for the elimination of the federal income tax in favor of a consumption tax. She has also supported the privatization of Social Security and Medicare.[25]

References
  1. Press, Associated. "Jo Rae Perkins wins Republican Senate primary in Oregon". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  2. "Against Jo Rae Perkins". National Review. May 23, 2020. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  3. Baker, Mike (May 20, 2020). "G.O.P. Voters Back QAnon Conspiracy Promoter for U.S. Senate". The New York Times. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  4. Reynolds, Scott; Evoniuk, Joanna (January 8, 2014). "U.S. Senate Candidate Profile: Jo Rae Perkins". Archived from the original on April 28, 2014. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  5. "Jo Rae Perkins' Biography". Vote Smart. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  6. "An early riser — once a year". Albany Democrat Herald. August 25, 2005. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  7. Mapes, Jeff (November 7, 2013). "Jo Rae Perkins, U.S. Senate candidate from Albany, faced charges after dispute with police". The Oregonian. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  8. Bailey, Kyle (January 22, 2020). "Joe Rae Perkins enters race for U.S. Senate". KQEN News Radio. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  9. Hering, Hasso (October 21, 2010). "Candidate explains "rough times"". Albany Democrat Herald. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  10. Mapes, Jeff (May 3, 2014). "Jason Conger and Monica Wehby: On the issues". The Oregonian. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  11. Gaston, Christian (August 16, 2013). "Former Linn County GOP chairwoman announces bid against Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley". The Oregonian. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  12. Mapes, Jeff (February 26, 2014). "Jason Conger and Monica Wehby invited to two-candidate GOP Senate debate at Dorchester; Conger accepts, Wehby unsure". The Oregonian. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  13. Oregonian/OregonLive, Jeff Mapes (February 11, 2014). "How Jeff Merkley, Monica Wehby and Jason Conger stack up in fundraising for Oregon's Senate race". The Oregonian. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  14. "Perkins, Jo Rae". Our Campaigns. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  15. Goforth, Claire (May 20, 2020). "QAnon conspiracy believer wins Republican primary for Senate". The Daily Dot. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  16. Ross, Jamie. "Oregon Republican Senate Primary Winner Jo Rae Perkins Thanks QAnon for Victory". Daily Beast. Retrieved May 20, 2020. Jo Rae Perkins won the Republican Senate primary in Oregon late Tuesday—and one of her first acts following her victory was to thank QAnon conspiracy theorists. “Hi, my name is Jo Rae Perkins, candidate for the U.S. Senate in Oregon,” Perkins said in a celebratory video. “Where we go one, we go all. I stand with President Trump, I stand with Q and the team. Thank you Anons, and thank you patriots. Together, we can save our republic.”
  17. Burns, Katelyn (May 20, 2020). "A QAnon supporter just won a Republican primary for US Senate". Vox. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  18. Baker, Mike (May 20, 2020). "G.O.P. Voters Back QAnon Conspiracy Promoter for U.S. Senate". The New York Times. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  19. Greve, Joan E. (May 21, 2020). "Republican QAnon conspiracy promoter picked to run for US Senate". The Guardian. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  20. Mapes, Jeff (May 22, 2020). "Jo Rae Perkins, Oregon Republican Nominee For US Senate, Defends Her Interest in QAnon". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  21. Rambo, K. (May 28, 2020). "Republican backers largely stand with Senate nominee Jo Rae Perkins, despite 'QAnon' controversy". The Oregonian. MSN. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
  22. Rambo, K. (May 27, 2020). "Republican backers largely stand with Senate nominee Jo Rae Perkins, despite 'QAnon' controversy". The Oregonian. Oregonlive.com. Retrieved June 9, 2020. “She certainly does not believe in the child sex trafficking ring or whatever that nonsense is,” McDonald said. “That’s just crazy. As far as the deep state, well, it exists.”
  23. Lerer, Lisa (June 18, 2020). "The QAnon Caucus". The New York Times.
  24. Phillips, Amber (June 13, 2020). "Why QAnon supporters are winning congressional primaries". The Washington Post.
  25. Mapes, Jeff (January 26, 2014). "Oregon Republican Senate candidates show differences on abortion and environment". The Oregonian. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
Party political offices
Preceded by
Monica Wehby		 Republican nominee for U.S. Senator from Oregon
(Class 2)
2020		 Most recent
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