David B. Smith: Tampons, China and Lawyers

In a Republican primary already underway, David Brock Smith’s sudden announcement on March 3, 2026, that he is running for the U.S. Senate seat held by Democrat Jeff Merkley represents one of the most cynical late entries in recent Oregon political memory.

Smith, the state senator from Port Orford, waited until the campaign was well advanced before jumping in—after other Republicans, including the only veteran (Marines) in the race, Russ McAlmond, had already been working for months to earn the support of GOP voters.

Instead of offering fresh ideas or uniting the party, Smith’s entry has been accompanied by a wave of personal attacks from his supporters aimed squarely at McAlmond: name-calling, online smears, and attempts to diminish the record of the sole veteran seeking the nomination.

Oregon Republicans deserve better. They deserve the truth—and the truth is that David Brock Smith is not the conservative his sales pitch promotes. Nominating him would be a catastrophic mistake.

Start with the record that earned Smith the nickname “Tampon Dave.” As a state legislator, Smith voted for the Menstrual Dignity Act, a bill that explicitly directed public schools to stock tampons and other menstrual products in boys’ restrooms. This was not an oversight or a procedural vote; it was a deliberate choice to prioritize ideology over common sense and the privacy and safety of Oregon’s schoolchildren.

That single vote alone should disqualify him from any claim to represent traditional Republican values. Yet Smith has never disavowed it. He has never explained why he stood with Democrats on an issue that most Oregon parents find absurd and inappropriate. Republicans who value parental rights, biological reality, and fiscal responsibility cannot pretend this vote does not exist.

Smith’s pattern of aligning with Democrats goes far beyond bathrooms. He has posed for photographs with Democratic Governor Tina Kotek—images that proudly circulate on his own social media and campaign materials. In his own words, he has justified crossing the aisle to vote with Democrats in order to “get money for his district.”

This is not principled bipartisanship; it is the classic behavior of a career politician who puts local pork ahead of conservative principles. Oregon Republicans have watched too many “moderates” in Salem trade away core values for earmarks and photo-ops. Smith’s record shows he is comfortable doing exactly that.Even more troubling are Smith’s extensive ties to the Oregon China Council and the Southern Oregon China Connection, organizations that actively promote closer economic and cultural relations with the Chinese Communist Party.

Smith served as chair of the Southern Oregon China Connection and traveled to China to promote trade between Oregon and the People’s Republic. These are not benign business deals. They are engagements with a regime that is actively undermining American interests, stealing technology, flooding markets with subsidized goods, and building military capabilities aimed squarely at the United States and its allies.

When concerned Republicans began highlighting these connections—calling Smith “Made in China” in reference to his documented associations—Smith’s lawyer responded with a formal “Cease and Desist” letter demanding they stop. Not a policy rebuttal. Not a transparent accounting of his activities. A legal threat against fellow Republicans.

That alone reveals a candidate more interested in silencing criticism than in defending his record. None of this is rumor or innuendo. Every claim above is publicly documented: the legislative vote on the Menstrual Dignity Act, the photographs with Governor Kotek, Smith’s own statements about voting for district funding, his leadership roles with the Oregon China Council and Southern Oregon China Connection, his travel to China, and the cease-and-desist letter sent to GOP critics.

Oregon Republicans can verify all of it in minutes.

Contrast that record with the only veteran running in the Republican U.S. Senate primary: Russ McAlmond. A proud U.S. Marine who served his country honorably, McAlmond brings real-world experience, personal sacrifice, and a lifetime of proven character to the race. He has no China Council memberships. He has never voted to place tampons in boys’ restrooms. He has never needed to send lawyers after fellow Republicans for pointing out uncomfortable facts.

McAlmond is campaigning on common-sense conservatism, strong national defense, fiscal responsibility, and putting Oregon families first—without the baggage of compromise votes or foreign entanglements.

David Brock Smith’s late entry and the attacks on McAlmond are not signs of strength; they are signs of weakness. A confident conservative candidate does not need to smear a decorated veteran or hide behind attorneys.

Oregon Republicans now face a clear choice. They can rally behind a candidate who has stood with Democrats on bathroom policy, courted Chinese Communist Party-linked trade groups, and threatened fellow Republicans—or they can unite around Russ McAlmond, the only veteran in the race, a man with a clean conservative record and no need to explain away compromising votes or overseas junkets.

The stakes could not be higher.

The U.S. Senate seat in Oregon is winnable only if Republicans nominate someone who can energize the base, appeal to independents, and draw a sharp contrast with the radical policies coming out of Washington and Salem. David Brock Smith cannot do that. His record is too compromised, his late entry too opportunistic, and his tactics too divisive.

It is time for Oregon Republicans to reject “Tampon Dave” Smith and rally around Russ McAlmond—the veteran, the principled conservative, and the candidate who actually puts the American people above politics. The future of the party and the country depends on it.