Portland over policy. Results over politics. That’s common sense.

I’m a working-class Portlander, a hotel manager, and someone who spent roughly two decades voting for Democrats.

I knocked on doors for Barack Obama. I voted for Bernie Sanders. I eventually became 2nd Vice Chair of the Multnomah County Democrats.

Then I went to work every day in downtown Portland.

Working in hospitality meant I didn’t have the luxury of experiencing public policy as an abstract political debate. I saw what addiction, untreated mental illness, crime, rising costs, and struggling businesses meant for employees, visitors, and ordinary Portlanders.

Eventually, I started questioning whether the policies I had supported were producing the results I believed in.

In 2025, though I don’t agree with all things, I joined the Republican Party because it aligned with my core beliefs:

I believe in compassion. I believe in a strong safety net. I believe someone accused of a crime deserves a competent public defender. I believe that both society and the individual, who is suffering from addiction or serious mental illness, is better served with quality treatment. I believe working families deserve help getting ahead. For that, I’ve found no push-back from my new friends on the Right.

I also believe neighborhoods should be safe, government should live within its means, businesses should be allowed to thrive, and taxpayers have every right to demand results from the programs they fund.

You don’t have to agree with me on everything. You don’t even have to be a Republican. Under the labels, we’re all people with diverse backgrounds and lived experience.

That said, if you’re tired of defending the status quo and believe Portland and Oregon can do better, I agree. I’m asking you to help me build something different.