God and Politics - Integrity Over Manipulation

In America, faith has always played a vital role in public life. From the Founding Fathers who invoked divine providence in our founding documents to modern leaders who end speeches with “God bless America,” belief in a higher power is woven into the fabric of our republic.

Conservatives and Republicans, in particular, cherish the Judeo-Christian values that built this nation—values of personal responsibility, moral clarity, and humility before God.

Yet there is a profound difference between quietly living one’s faith and publicly wielding it as a political weapon. Russ McAlmond believes that when candidates cross that line, they do a disservice to both their fellow believers and the democratic process itself.

Consider the case of Jo Rae Perkins, a perennial candidate for the U.S. Senate in Oregon who has once again told voters in a 2026 public interview that she audibly heard the voice of God instructing her to run. Perkins has made this claim before—repeatedly. She has lost race after race by staggering margins: for U.S. Senate, for Congress, and in multiple cycles stretching back more than a decade.

Each time, the verdict from Oregon voters has been decisive. Yet she persists, offering the same divine mandate as her central qualification. Even if one accepts her personal experience at face value—and Russ McAlmond, a man of genuine faith, does not question anyone’s private relationship with God—the decision to broadcast it in campaign interviews, videos, and public appearances raises serious concerns.

When a candidate with no other compelling record of achievement or policy depth repeatedly leans on “God told me to run,” it ceases to be testimony and becomes strategy.

This approach is manipulative, plain and simple. It preys on sincere Christian voters who want leaders who share their values. Many faithful Republicans feel an instinctive pull to support someone who claims a direct call from the Almighty, fearing they might be opposing God’s will if they choose otherwise. The tactic creates a false moral hierarchy: vote for the candidate God supposedly chose, even if other qualified, equally devout conservatives offer superior experience, fresh ideas, and a proven track record.

It asks voters to set aside judgment of results—electoral losses, lack of legislative achievements, and a platform thin on substance—in favor of an unverifiable spiritual claim.

That is not honest conservatism. It is spiritual leverage in pursuit of votes from people who deserve better. Russ McAlmond will never play that game.

As a proud U.S. Marine veteran, husband, father, and lifelong conservative, McAlmond deeply believes in God. He reads Scripture and prays for guidance—just as millions of Oregonians do. But he also believes that a personal calling from the Lord is exactly that: personal. It belongs between the believer and their Creator, not on the campaign trail or in media soundbites designed to sway a Republican primary.

McAlmond refuses to manipulate Christian voters with claims of divine endorsement. He will not ask anyone to choose him because “God said so.”

Instead, he offers something far more tangible and accountable: his education, his professional expertise as a financial professional with advanced degrees (MBA, MSFS, CFP), his service to our nation in uniform, and a clear-eyed vision for Oregon’s future.

In the 2026 Republican primary, Oregon conservatives deserve a fresh voice—one grounded in reality, not rhetoric; one focused on winning in November against entrenched liberal Sen. Jeff Merkley rather than recycling the same unelectable name year after year.

McAlmond brings common-sense conservatism, a commitment to fiscal responsibility, strong national defense, and protecting the freedoms that make America exceptional. He will earn your vote the old-fashioned way—by demonstrating competence, character, and results—not by invoking God as a campaign slogan.

True faith does not need political validation. It stands on its own.

The voters of Oregon are wise enough to discern between a candidate who respects their intelligence and one who seeks to shortcut it with spiritual storytelling. Russ McAlmond trusts God, trusts Oregonians, and trusts the process.

He asks only for the opportunity to serve based on what he can prove: his readiness, his record, and his resolve to fight for a better Oregon.This primary is a choice between manipulation and merit.

Choose merit. Choose experience. Choose a fresh, conservative voice who will actually defeat Jeff Merkley in November. Choose Russ McAlmond for U.S. Senate in the May primary election for the Republican nomination.