November 7, 2023 3:40 a.m.
On Monday, Oregon National Guard veteran Alek Skarlatos announced his decision to run for the Republican nomination for Oregon State House District 4.
Skarlatos said, “With all the challenges our state is facing, its impossible for me to sit on the sidelines”. Skarlatos said, “It is a time for action, and that is why I’m stepping up to fight for the people of southern Oregon. I’m running to defend our country and protect our children’s future by repealing Measure 110, which is fueling our state’s drug addiction and homelessness problem, fighting for voting integrity, protecting the sanctity of life, standing with our men and women of law enforcement, and defending our Second Amendment”.
Skarlatos is currently the National Development Director for Freedom Foundation, a conservative non-profit, founded in Washington state, which advocates for workers’ right to work. He has previously been a candidate for Douglas County Commissioner, and for Oregon’s 4th District seat in Congress.
Skarlatos graduated from Roseburg High School in 2011. As an Oregon National Guardsman, he attended both Air Assault School and Sniper School, achieving the rank of specialist. Skarlatos completed a nine-month deployment in Afghanistan with the US Army’s National Guard’s 186th Infantry Regiment, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team in 2015.
Skarlatos, along with four others, stopped an armed terrorist on a Paris-bound train traveling from Amsterdam in August 2015. That heroism earned him several awards around the world. He starred in the 2018 Clint Eastwood film “15:17 to Paris”, which told the story of the event.
Oregon House District 4 is made up of communities in southern Douglas, Josephine and Jackson counties. The seat is currently held by Christine Goodwin who recently announced her decision to run for the State Senate seat now occupied by Art Robinson.
The primary election will be held on May 21, 2024.
Skarlatos talked about his run for office on the Morning Conversation Tuesday on News Radio 93-9 FM and 1240 KQEN. That interview is a KQEN Podcast at www.541radio.com