Jo Rae Perkins: Difference between revisions

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2020}}

{{Infobox officeholder

}}

 

[[File:PerkinsSenate (cropped).png|thumb|left|alt=Perkins Senate|Perkins interviewed on the QAnon YouTube channel of Dustin Nemos in January 2020<ref>{{cite news |last1=Zuylen-Wood |first1=Simon van |title=QAnon Goes to Washington |url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/09/qanon-republican-party-congress.html |access-date=14 December 2020 |work=Intelligencer |date=28 September 2020 |language=en-us}}</ref>]]

Perkins supports the [[QAnon]] conspiracy theory<ref name="DB" /><ref name="auto1" /> and has participated in it since at least 2018.<ref name=Oregonian /><ref name="The Daily Dot"/><ref name="auto"/> During Perkins's victory speech for the Oregon Republican Senate primary, she repeatedly invoked a catchphrase associated with the QAnon conspiracy theory and expressed appreciation for the QAnon supporters whom she met during her campaign.<ref name="Vox-May20-WonSenate">{{cite news |last1=Burns |first1=Katelyn |title=A QAnon supporter just won a Republican primary for US Senate |url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2020/5/20/21264925/jo-rae-perkins-qanon-us-senate-oregon |accessdate=May 23, 2020 |work=Vox |date=May 20, 2020 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="NYT-May20-GOPforQAnon">{{cite news |last1=Baker |first1=Mike |title=G.O.P. Voters Back QAnon Conspiracy Promoter for U.S. Senate |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/20/us/oregon-senate-perkins-qanon.html |accessdate=May 23, 2020 |work=The New York Times |date=May 20, 2020}}</ref> In this victory video, which was subsequently deleted, Perkins said, "I stand with President Trump. I stand with Q and the team. Thank you Anons, and thank you patriots. And together, we can save our republic."<ref name="Guardian-May20-ConspiracyPromoter">{{cite news |last1=Greve |first1=Joan E. |title=Republican QAnon conspiracy promoter picked to run for US Senate |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/21/republican-qanon-conspiracy-theory-jo-rae-perkins |accessdate=May 23, 2020 |work=The Guardian |date=May 21, 2020}}</ref> Perkins said she had removed the video under advice from a campaign consultant, that she regretted the removal, and that she continued to view the QAnon forums as one source of information among many that she valued during an interview with [[Oregon Public Broadcasting]] a few days after the video was taken down.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mapes |first1=Jeff |title=Jo Rae Perkins, Oregon Republican Nominee For US Senate, Defends Her Interest in QAnon |url=https://www.opb.org/news/article/jo-rae-perkins-qanon-oregon-republican-senate-nominee/ |accessdate=May 23, 2020 |work=Oregon Public Broadcasting |date=May 22, 2020 |language=en}}</ref> Larry McDonald, Perkins's campaign manager, stated in May 2020 that Perkins only believed in certain facets of QAnon.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Republican backers largely stand with Senate nominee Jo Rae Perkins, despite 'QAnon' controversy|url=https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2020/05/republican-backers-largely-stand-with-senate-nominee-jo-rae-perkins-despite-qanon-controversy.html|last=Rambo|first=K.|work=The Oregonian |publisher=Oregonlive.com|language=en|date=May 27, 2020|access-date=June 9, 2020|quote=“She certainly does not believe in the child sex trafficking ring or whatever that nonsense is,” McDonald said. “That’s just crazy. As far as the deep state, well, it exists.”}}</ref> In June 2020, she took a 'digital soldier oath' inspired by QAnon promoter [[Michael Flynn]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sommer |first1=Will |title=Michael Flynn Finally Embraces His Q Cult Following |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/michael-flynn-finally-embraces-his-qanon-cult-following |work=The Daily Beast |accessdate=July 14, 2020 |date=July 1, 2020 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Chapman |first1=Matthew |title=GOP Senate candidate films herself taking QAnon 'digital soldier oath' |url=https://www.rawstory.com/2020/06/gop-senate-candidate-films-herself-taking-qanon-digital-soldier-oath/ |work=The Raw Story |accessdate=July 14, 2020 |date=June 27, 2020}}</ref>

Perkins was born in [[Portsmouth, Virginia]]. She graduated with an Associate of Science in business management from [[Linn–Benton Community College]] in 1998 and a Bachelor of Arts in political science from [[Oregon State University]] in 2013.<ref name="LaneToday-Jan14-CandidateProfile">{{cite news |last1=Reynolds |first1=Scott |last2=Evoniuk |first2=Joanna |title=U.S. Senate Candidate Profile: Jo Rae Perkins |url=http://lanetoday.com/2014/01/08/u-s-senate-candidate-profile-jo-rae-perkins/ |accessdate=May 23, 2020 |date=January 8, 2014 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140428231136/http://lanetoday.com/2014/01/08/u-s-senate-candidate-profile-jo-rae-perkins/ |archivedate=April 28, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=VoteSmart>{{cite web |title=Jo Rae Perkins' Biography|url=https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/146001/jo-rae-perkins |accessdate=June 9, 2020 |work=Vote Smart }}</ref> Perkins attended accounting and financial planning classes at [[Golden West College]] and the [[University of Portland]].<ref name=VoteSmart/> She has resided in [[Albany, Oregon]] since 1975.<ref name="ADH-Aug05-HotAirBalloon">{{cite news |title=An early riser — once a year |url=https://democratherald.com/news/local/an-early-riser-once-a-year/article_0d6d9fe0-9ee9-532e-9b6b-54bb196ba35f.html |accessdate=May 23, 2020 |work=Albany Democrat-Herald |date=August 25, 2005 |language=en}}</ref>

 

 

 

== Career ==

=== 2014 ===

{{main|2014 United States Senate election in Oregon}}

 

=== 2016 ===

 

[[File:Perkins for Senate logo.jpg|thumb|Senate campaign logo]]

 

 

Perkins lost against Merkley, garnering 39% of the vote to Merkley's 57%. She won 24 less populous counties out of the 36 in the state, her wins largely in the rural Southern and Eastern parts of the state. Though Perkins received less institutional support from the GOP and donors, she received votes comparable to other Republican candidates in the election.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Riski |first1=Tess |title=Jo Rae Perkins, Who Subscribes to the QAnon Conspiracy Theory, Won 24 of Oregon's 36 Counties on Election Night |url=https://www.wweek.com/news/state/2020/11/11/jo-rae-perkins-who-subscribes-to-the-qanon-conspiracy-theory-won-24-of-oregons-36-counties-on-election-night/ |work=Willamette Week |date=11 November 2020}}</ref>

{{main|2022 United States Senate election in Oregon}}

 

 

== Political positions ==

*[https://www.wweek.com/news/state/2020/09/30/a-candidate-for-congress-is-bringing-the-qanon-conspiracy-theory-to-a-baseball-stadium-near-you/ A Candidate for Congress Is Bringing the QAnon Conspiracy Theory to a Baseball Stadium Near You]

*[https://www.portlandmercury.com/blogtown/2020/05/22/28456048/in-addition-to-believing-in-qanon-oregon-senate-candidate-jo-rae-perkins-also-makes-hideous-jewelry In Addition to Believing in QAnon, US Senate Candidate Jo Rae Perkins Also Makes Hideous Jewelry]

 

{{s-start}}

{{s-ppo}}

{{s-bef|before=[[Monica Wehby]]}}

{{s-end}}

 

{{DEFAULTSORT:Perkins, Jo Rae}}

[[Category:1956 births]]

[[Category:21st-century American women politicians]]

[[Category:American conspiracy theorists]]

[[Category:American women in politics]]

[[Category:Candidates in the 2020 United States Senate elections]]

[[Category:Living people]]

[[Category:Oregon Republicans]]

[[Category:Oregon State University alumni]]

[[Category:People from Portsmouth, Virginia]]

[[Category:Women in Oregon politics]]