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. Perkins is a supporter of the QAnon conspiracy theory.[1]

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.[2][3] Perkins attended accounting and financial planning classes at Golden West College and the University of Portland.[3] She has resided in Albany, Oregon since 1975.[4]

Career

Perkins served as chairwoman of the Linn County, Oregon Republican Party.[5] She previously worked as a financial advisor.[6] Perkins also volunteered at the Northwest Art and Air Festival for many years, where she helped run air ballooning, relying on a class she took at Linn–Benton Community College.[4]

Perkins has experienced financial and legal issues. A 2010 article in the Albany Democrat-Herald stated that Perkins had filed for personal bankruptcy twice, and she was fired in 2008 from her sales position at an investment company for violating its policy.[7] She first filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy along with her husband in 1997, although the records about that filing were destroyed in a fire. Perkins again filed for bankruptcy to settle $335,000 in debt in 2009, for which she was stripped of her Certified Financial Planner title in 2010 by that organization's board.[8]

A 2013 article in The Oregonian noted that Perkins was arrested in December 2005 on charges of harassment and hindering prosecution. She was allegedly covering up for her son who had evaded law enforcement after they stopped him for speeding. Perkins later pleaded no contest to the charges.[5]

Political campaigns

Perkins ran unsuccessful campaigns for Albany city council in 1994 and for mayor of that city in 2010.[9][10] She ran unsuccessful campaigns for U.S. Senate in 2014 and U.S. House in 2016 and 2018, respectively. Perkins won the Republican senatorial primary in May 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] Perkins said she joined in large part out of concern regarding erosion of states' rights.[2] Perkins' campaign expressed dissatisfaction after she was not invited to a January debate between the two front-runners 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] Perkins lost, coming in fourth place with 3% of the vote.[14]

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 finished in second place in the Republican primary behind Art Robinson. She received 32% of the vote.[15]

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

Perkins was a candidate in 2018, running again in Oregon's 4th congressional district, but she lost to Robinson in the Republican primary.[6]

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 incumbent Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley's focus on "sham impeachment trials."[6][16] 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.[16]

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.[17][18] During Perkins'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.[19][20] 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."[21] 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.[22] Perkins has participated in the QAnon conspiracy theory since at least 2018.[23][24][1] Larry McDonald, Perkins’s campaign manager, stated in May that Perkins only believed in facets of QAnon.[25] In June, she took a 'digital soldier oath' inspired by QAnon promoter Michael Flynn.[26][27]

Perkins is running an underdog campaign to unseat Merkley, though her effort is supported by party leaders.[28][29]

Political positions

Perkins identifies as pro-life. She supports accepting permanent residency for undocumented immigrants as long as further measures are taken to secure the Mexico–United States border.[30] Perkins advocates for the DREAM Act.[31] Perkins supports repealing the Affordable Care Act and abolishing the Federal Reserve. She supports replacing federal income taxes with federal consumption taxes. Perkins supports privatizing Medicare and Social Security.[30] Perkins advocates for zero-based budgeting in federal executive departments. She supports federal term limits at 12 years each in the House and Senate.[31]

References
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. "Jo Rae Perkins' Biography". Vote Smart. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  4. "An early riser — once a year". Albany Democrat-Herald. August 25, 2005. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  5. 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.
  6. Bailey, Kyle (January 22, 2020). "Joe Rae Perkins enters race for U.S. Senate". KQEN News Radio. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  7. Hering, Hasso (October 21, 2010). "Candidate explains "rough times"". Albany Democrat-Herald. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  8. Lambert, Hannah Ray (July 15, 2020). "Jo Rae Perkins touts financial chops in senate bid. What we found". KOIN 6. Retrieved August 12, 2020.
  9. Mapes, Jeff (May 3, 2014). "Jason Conger and Monica Wehby: On the issues". The Oregonian. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  10. "Candidate Information". Oregon Secretary of State. September 18, 2013. Retrieved August 12, 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. Mapes, Jeff (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. "May 20, 2014 Primary Election Abstract of Votes: United States Senator" (PDF). Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved July 3, 2014.
  15. "Perkins, Jo Rae". Our Campaigns. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  16. Goforth, Claire (May 20, 2020). "QAnon conspiracy believer wins Republican primary for Senate". The Daily Dot. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  17. Ross, Jamie (May 20, 2020). "Oregon Republican Senate Primary Winner Jo Rae Perkins Thanks QAnon for Victory". The 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.”
  18. "Jo Rae Perkins wins Republican Senate primary in Oregon". The Associated Press. May 19, 2020. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  19. Burns, Katelyn (May 20, 2020). "A QAnon supporter just won a Republican primary for US Senate". Vox. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  20. 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.
  21. Greve, Joan E. (May 21, 2020). "Republican QAnon conspiracy promoter picked to run for US Senate". The Guardian. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  22. 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.
  23. 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.
  24. Goforth, Claire (May 21, 2020). "QAnon-supporting Republican claims the media is lying about her support of QAnon". The Daily Dot. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  25. 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.”
  26. Sommer, Will (July 1, 2020). "Michael Flynn Finally Embraces His Q Cult Following". The Daily Beast. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  27. Chapman, Matthew (June 27, 2020). "GOP Senate candidate films herself taking QAnon 'digital soldier oath'". The Raw Story. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  28. Lerer, Lisa (June 18, 2020). "The QAnon Caucus". The New York Times. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  29. Phillips, Amber (June 13, 2020). "Why QAnon supporters are winning congressional primaries". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  30. Mapes, Jeff (January 26, 2014). "Oregon Republican Senate candidates show differences on abortion and environment". The Oregonian. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  31. Hutchman, Gerald (April 10, 2020). "Jo Rae Perkins US Senate Candidate Gerald Hutchman One Source Web". KGAL. Retrieved July 14, 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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