Border security, abortion and the economy are top issues as Oregonians fill out ballots to decide who will represent the Beaver State in the U.S. House of Representatives for the next two years. In the 4th District, Democratic incumbent Rep. Val Hoyle is seeking a second term, while relative newcomers nominated by the Republican, Green and Libertarian parties are seeking to bring their perspectives to Congress.
These are the candidates who will be on the ballot on November 5 for the U.S. House of Representatives District OR-4 general election.
Oregon’s U.S. House of Representatives District 4
U.S. Rep. Val Hoyle, D-Oregon
Val Hoyle is a longtime elected official from the Eugene area. He served as Oregon’s labor commissioner and state representative before being elected to Congress in 2022. In those roles, Hoyle worked to expand the Oregon Family Leave Act to allow part-time workers to receive unemployment benefits, tripled settlements for victims of workplace discrimination, raised the minimum wage, expanded Oregon’s Clean Fuels program to reduce carbon emissions, and expanded background check requirements for gun purchases.
Hoyle won the U.S. House seat in 2022, defeating Republican candidate Alek Skarlatos with 51% of the vote. According to her campaign website, Hoyle plans to work in her second term to protect abortion rights and expand access to reproductive health services, while opposing efforts to criminalize it. She has also said she wants to move the U.S. to a 100% Clean Electricity standard and bring clean energy jobs to Oregon.
Monique DeSpain
Monique DeSpain is an attorney and veteran from Eugene. DeSpain spent most of her career in the Air Force, where she served as a judge advocate and a colonel. She has held leadership positions at the Center for Dialogue & Resolution in Eugene. Since retiring from the military, DeSpain has worked for State Representative Kevin Mannix’s law firm, where she says she fought for victims of crime, and for Mannix’s think tank, where she focused on developing and improving policies to combat homelessness, addiction, and crime.
DeSpain won the Republican nomination in May, defeating Amy Ryan Courser with 58% of the vote in the primary. According to her campaign website, DeSpain would work to secure the U.S.-Mexico border with physical barriers, technology and more Border Patrol agents, while reforming immigration to be more efficient and reinstituting a “Remain in Mexico” policy. She also said she plans to reform the VA benefits system and dismantle cities that dismantle their police forces.
Third party candidates
Two third-party candidates are also vying for the Congressional seat.
Green Party nominee Justin Filip is the manager of the Donor Recognition and Reporting program for the University of Oregon. He has spoken out in support of Palestinians and opposed homeless protests.
Dan Bahlen, the Libertarian nominee, is a former clinician for the San Carlos Apache Department of Health and Human Services. He has set priorities for addressing war, economic instability and climate change.
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: 2024 Elections: Candidates for Oregon’s U.S. House District 4
