A Speech for All Oregonians

Ladies and Gentlemen, fellow Oregonians, friends, and neighbors—thank you for being here today. My name is Russ McAlmond, and I'm running for the United States Senate because I believe Oregon deserves better.

We deserve a senator who listens to all of us, not just the extremes. For too long, our state has been represented by voices that divide us rather than unite us. Jeff Merkley, our current senator, has aligned himself with the Democratic Socialists, pushing policies that are out of step with the hardworking families, farmers, small business owners, and everyday folks who make Oregon the incredible place it is.

I'm here to offer a different path—one rooted in common sense, individual freedom, and equality for every American not only special groups. 

Let me start with a hard truth: In Oregon, Republicans are a minority party. We know that. The numbers don't lie - there are a lot more Democrats than Republicans registered in the state of Oregon. Independents and non-affiliated voters, or NAVs as we call them, make up almost 40% of our electorate.

They're the independents who think for themselves, the folks who've grown tired of party labels and just want results. Without their support, we simply can't win a statewide election. That's why this campaign isn't just for Republicans. It's for everyone who believes in fiscal responsibility, strong borders, energy independence, legal immigration and protecting our natural resources without crippling our economy.

Jeff Merkley? He's not that senator - and hasn't been for years. 

He's extreme—voting in lockstep with the far-left agenda that prioritizes socialist experiments over Oregon's real needs. Whether it's his support for dehumanizing the police, open borders without vetting that strain our communities, men competing against women, collectivism, or massive government deficit spending that fuels inflation and hurts working families, Merkley is out of touch with the majority of Oregonians.

He cozies up to the Democratic Socialists in New York, but what about the loggers in rural Oregon, the tech workers in Portland, or the families in Bend struggling with high costs? They want practical solutions, not ideological extremism. That's why our message should appeal broadly—to Republicans, yes, but also to moderate voters and even conservative Democrats who feel abandoned by their own party.

If you're a Democrat who desires Voter ID, strong borders, pro-Second Amendment, or just plain fed up with the extreme shift left and hate in your party, I want your vote. If you're an independent who's seen enough of the status quo, join us. We're talking about lower taxes to keep more money in your pocket, better schools without indoctrination, and treating you as the unique individual you are. 

We're about securing our elections, supporting our veterans, and ensuring that Oregon's beauty—from the coast to the Cascades—is preserved for generations without extreme environmental mandates that kill jobs and restrict who can enjoy our beautiful state. 

But to win, we Republicans must do something different this time. We can't keep fighting the same battles the same way. Every election, Democrats attack us on human equality and rights, painting us as the villains. It's a tired, hateful and false script - and it's time we reclaim our true heritage.

The Republican Party is the party of Abraham Lincoln—the man who freed the slaves and preserved the Union. We were the anti-slavery party when Democrats were the pro-slavery party. It was Republicans who pushed through the 13th Amendment to end slavery, the 14th to guarantee equal protection under the law, and the 15th to secure voting rights for all men, regardless of race with almost zero support from Democrats. 

The Republican Party was founded as a human rights party with the best track record for equality and human rights of any political party in the nation. 

Meanwhile, Democrats were enacting Jim Crow laws, enforcing segregation, forming the KKK, and resisting civil rights at every turn. This is the truth about the Democratic Party's history on Civil Rights that they never want to talk about. 

The United States was founded on the idea that every person has God-given rights—life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness—that no state or collective can take away. That is what made the USA unique from most other nations - it is the true definition of Americanism. This also why the Republican Party was the party opposed to slavery. 

Collectivism by Democrats? That's a European import, a left-wing ideology that led to the horrors of the Soviet Union, where the state crushed the individual for the so-called greater good. In leftist systems, individual rights are always subordinate to the state—your freedoms sacrificed on the altar of equity or the collective will. This is what Jeff Merkley supports and wants Oregon to become - collectivist. 

As Republicans, we stand for the individual as our founders did: your right to speak freely, worship as you choose, own private property, and defend yourself. We fight for the unborn child's right to life, for parents' rights in education, and for workers' rights to keep what they earn without excessive government interference by higher taxation and regulations. 

Jeff Merkley and his allies talk a big game on rights, but their vision is collectivist—group identities over personal merit, government mandates over personal choice. That's not equality; that's control and authoritariarnism - that is European-style collective leftism. 

And it's not what Oregon needs - or wants. 

Imagine an Oregon where we prioritize individual opportunity: scholarships based on need and merit, not race or group; criminal justice that protects victims while reforming fairly; and immigration policies that welcome legal newcomers who contribute and are self-sufficient. Legal immigration extended only to those who agree with our founding values of individual freedom. 

That's the human rights agenda we offer—one that lifts everyone by empowering the individual, not dividing us into collectives and pitting us against each other. 

Friends, this election is about more than party lines. It's about reclaiming Oregon's spirit of independence, innovation, and fairness. Jeff Merkley represents an extreme minority - a senator who's more at home in socialist circles than in our timber towns, fishing communities or even the Portland suburbs. 

I represent you: the everyday Oregonian who wants a government that serves, not dictates. So, I ask you today: Whether you're Republican, independent, NAV, or a disillusioned Democrat, stand with me. Volunteer, donate, talk to your neighbors. Together, we can send a message to Washington that Oregon is ready for change. Let's elect a senator who fights for individual rights, unites our state, and puts Oregon first.

Thank you, God bless you, and God bless the great state of Oregon!