Republican Candidate for Oregon's 2nd Congressional District
Access to Affordable, Quality Healthcare
In Eastern and Southern Oregon, the shortage of medical specialists forces families, mine included, to make nearly a 600-mile round trip just to receive basic and specialty care. This isn't a rare hardship story. This is everyday life for thousands of people across our district.
Rural clinics are understaffed, specialists are concentrated in the Willamette Valley, and too many communities are left with long wait times, limited appointment availability, and unreasonable travel burdens. Families should not have to choose between a tank of gas, two day's pay, or their health. No one should be driving across the state just to see a cardiologist, pediatric specialist or oncologist. This is unacceptable.
I will work to increase federal investment in rural health clinics, community health centers, and telehealth infrastructure. This includes incentives for specialists to practice in underserved regions and programs that support recruitment and retention of primary-care providers in rural Oregon.
No one should have to skip medications because they can't afford them. I will advocate for transparent pricing, expanded generic and biosimilar competition, and protections that keep life-saving prescriptions affordable for seniors, families, singles, and veterans.
Health insurance premiums, deductibles, and out-of-pocket costs have climbed beyond what many families can manage. I will support policies that help working people access care without sacrificing financial stability, including strengthening rural insurance networks and expanding access to preventative care.
Rural Oregonians deserve the same standard of medical expertise and timely treatment that urban communities receive. I will push for federal programs that support modernized equipment, emergency services, specialist outreach, and telemedicine partnerships that bring advanced care directly into our communities.
The bottom line is this: Healthcare is not a luxury reserved for people who live near major hospitals or for those with wealth. It is a basic right for every resident, no matter our income, zip code, or circumstance.
Balancing
Wolves
& Work
Wolves are a real challenge for ranchers in Eastern and Southern Oregon. They can attack cattle, sheep, other livestock, and more recently, humans, causing financial losses and significant stress for families who have worked for generations to build their ranches. Tools like fencing, guard animals, hazing, and other deterrents require time, labor, and money, and while compensation programs exist, they don’t always cover all economic impacts.
Ranchers deserve the ability to protect their herds and their way of life. Under Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife rules, wolves are managed to balance conservation with livestock protection, but that balance must be practical on the ground. Ranchers need effective tools and support to respond when wolves threaten livestock. This includes proactive deterrence, emergency interventions when attacks occur, and access to rapid compensation programs that help offset verified losses.
I will fight to make sure ranchers aren’t left defenseless. Our families, our communities, and our rural economy depend on ranchers being able to protect their livestock responsibly. At the same time, we can work with state agencies to ensure wolves remain part of Oregon’s ecosystem. Protecting livestock doesn’t mean ignoring conservation, it means giving ranchers the tools, flexibility, and support they need to keep their herds safe and their operations viable.
Broadband
Access
Access to reliable, high-speed broadband is essential for every community in Eastern and Southern Oregon. In rural Oregon, many families and small businesses still struggle with slow or nonexistent internet, leaving them isolated from critical services, educational opportunities, and economic growth. But the consequences go beyond convenience, broadband is a lifeline.
Telehealth services, in particular, are vital for rural residents who often live hours away from the nearest doctor or specialist. Reliable internet allows patients to connect with healthcare providers, manage chronic conditions, receive mental health care, and access preventive services without making long, costly, and sometimes impossible trips. For families, seniors, and individuals with limited mobility, this can be the difference between timely care and a medical crisis.
Expanding broadband also strengthens our schools, supports local businesses, and ensures that our communities can thrive in a 21st-century economy. I will fight to bring the funding, partnerships, and policies needed to make high-speed internet accessible and affordable across the district. Every rural household deserves the opportunity to connect, for health, education, and economic opportunity.
Veterans & Disability Benefits
In Congressional District 2, the lack of medical specialists forces families, mine included, to make nearly a 600-mile round trip just to receive the care we need and this isn’t a single hardship story. This is the reality for thousands of people across Eastern and Southern Oregon. We deserve affordable, accessible healthcare in the communities where we live and work, not hundreds of miles away. No one should have to burn a tank of gas, lose a day’s wages, or risk their health just to see a physician.
Water Rights, Agriculture, Public Land Access, & Wildfires
Water Rights
Water is life in Eastern and Southern Oregon. Our farmers and ranchers depend on predictable access to both surface and groundwater to feed families, raise livestock, and keep our rural economy strong. Recent changes to groundwater rules may affect new permits, but existing rights remain protected. I'll fight to ensure our communities keep secure access to water for future generations.
Tribal water rights are senior and enforceable under treaty law. These rights are real, and they must be respected. But it’s also true that many tribal claims are non‑consumptive, focused on keeping rivers healthy for fish and habitat. That means there’s room for balance. Across our district, ranchers and tribes are already working together to restore streams and improve fish runs. I believe in practical, cooperative solutions that protect both tribal rights and rural livelihoods.
Agriculture
Eastern and Southern Oregon’s farmers and ranchers are the backbone of our communities. We don’t ask for handouts, we ask for fair rules and reliable access to the resources we need to keep producing food and fiber for America. I will fight for policies that protect working lands, reduce regulatory burdens, and ensure that water law doesn’t punish rural families. Healthy rivers and thriving ranches can coexist, and I’ll push for programs that prove it, such as stream restoration, habitat improvement, and strong rural economies working hand‑in‑hand.
Public Land Access
Public lands are a massive part of our district, and ranchers are the stewards who keep them productive. Too often, Washington bureaucrats impose one‑size‑fits‑all rules that ignore local realities. I will stand up against unfair permit changes and land‑use plans that penalize small and mid‑size ranchers. Instead, I’ll push for collaborative councils that bring ranchers, land managers, fire experts, and local leaders together to design grazing plans that reduce wildfire risk and protect forage. Public lands should serve the people who live here, not distant regulators.
Wildfires
Wildfires are not just a disaster; they’re a direct threat to our way of life. Ranchers, forests, and rural communities are on the front lines. The solution can’t just be reactive, we need proactive, common‑sense strategies. Strategic grazing is one of the best tools we have. Research from Oregon State University Extension shows that targeted grazing in Malheur County removed over 6,500 tons of fine fuels from rangelands, reducing wildfire risk and saving ranchers money on winter feed. Science backs this up: grazing fuel breaks slow fire spread, lower flame height, and give firefighters more time to respond.
I will fight to make targeted grazing a regular, funded tool in federal land management, not just a pilot project. I’ll advocate for incentives like cost‑share programs and grants to help ranchers adopt advanced practices such as silvopasture, which improves both forest health and grazing productivity.
And when fires do occur, I’ll push for stronger post‑fire recovery policies so allotments are restored quickly, native plants reseed, and ranchers can return safely.
Our district is huge, rural, and dry. Fire risk is real, and public lands dominate our landscape. By working with ranchers, we can reduce wildfire risk, protect forage, and keep our rural economy strong. This is about resilience: for our people, our land, and our future. As your representative, I will fight for policies that respect property rights, empower local communities, and keep Eastern and Southern Oregon strong for generations to come.
Working
Class
Economy
The district is deeply diverse. From the ranchers and farmers to small-town families, to the workers, professionals, and entrepreneurs in Medford, Bend, Redmond, Grants Pass, and Klamath Falls, no matter where we live, we face shared economic pressures.
No matter who you are, groceries, housing, healthcare, and everything else costs more. Wages are not keeping pace, forcing families and single working people to make tough choices just to get by. Small businesses face shrinking margins and rising interest rates. Farmers and ranchers are struggling with drought, volatile markets, rising input costs and regulatory pressures that ignore the realities of rural life. Young people across the district are finding it harder to build a future here, facing limited opportunities and soaring costs. These challenges are not isolated to one town, one county, or one sector, they affect every resident of Congressional District 2, from urban centers to the most remote rural communities.
I will fight tooth and nail for families, workers, and local businesses because we deserve real solutions. We need policies that make everyday essentials more affordable, support local economies, stabilize agriculture, expand access to healthcare, strengthen our workforce by growing union jobs and supporting worker's right to unionize, and create opportunity, so that every resident can thrive without sacrificing their future or their well-being.