December 3, 2021 3:40 a.m.

On Thursday, former Oregon National Guard soldier and congressional candidate Alek Skarlatos issued a statement regarding the upcoming retirement of Congressman Peter DeFazio.

Skarlatos said, “As I travel the district, voters have consistently told me that Congressman Peter DeFazio lost touch with Oregon’s 4th Congressional District, because he supported defunding the police, the Green New Deal, more spending that resulted in record inflation, and I have no doubt I would’ve defeated him”.

Skarlatos said while his opponent has changed, his vision of securing the border, standing with law enforcement, “…fixing this inflation crisis, and holding Joe Biden accountable remains as strong as ever, and I’m thankful to have the support of our next Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy”.

Skarlatos has said he is seeking the Republican nomination for the U.S. House of Representatives, but has not yet formally filed for office. He was also a candidate for the seat in 2020.