David Burch

David Burch (Republican Party) is running for election for Governor of Oregon. He declared candidacy for the 2026 election.

Burch completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

David Burch was born in Medford, Oregon. He earned a high school diploma from Forest Grove High School and attended Chemeketa Community College. His career experience includes work as a politician, along with hobbies involving YouTube content creation and activity on Twitter/X.^[1]

Elections

2026

Note: At this time, Ballotpedia is combining all declared candidates for this election into one list under a general election heading. As primary election dates are published, this information will be updated to separate general election candidates from primary candidates as appropriate.

General election

The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.

General election for Governor of Oregon

The following candidates are running in the general election for Governor of Oregon on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		James Atkinson (D)
		Brittany Jones (D)
		Danielle Bethell (R)
		David Burch (R)
	Submit photo	Kyle Duyck (R)
		Patrick Kopke-Hales (R)
	Submit photo	Robert Neuman (R)
		Alexander Ziwahatan (Independent Party)

	There are no incumbents in this race.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

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2024

Oregon's 6th Congressional District election, 2024 (May 21 Republican primary)

Oregon's 6th Congressional District election, 2024 (May 21 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Oregon District 6

Incumbent Andrea Salinas defeated Mike Erickson in the general election for U.S. House Oregon District 6 on November 5, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Andrea Salinas (D / Independent Party)	53.3	180,869
	Mike Erickson (R)	46.5	157,634
	Other/Write-in votes	0.2	562

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 339,065
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Oregon District 6

Incumbent Andrea Salinas defeated Steven Cody Reynolds in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Oregon District 6 on May 21, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Andrea Salinas	87.1	52,509
	Steven Cody Reynolds	12.4	7,463
	Other/Write-in votes	0.5	330

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 60,302
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Oregon District 6

Mike Erickson defeated David Russ, David Burch, and Conrad Herold in the Republican primary for U.S. House Oregon District 6 on May 21, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mike Erickson	73.7	37,497
		David Russ	21.4	10,908
		David Burch	2.8	1,447
	Submit photo	Conrad Herold	1.2	628
		Other/Write-in votes	0.7	381

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 50,861
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Denyc Boles (R)

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Burch in this election.

2022

General election

General election for Governor of Oregon

The following candidates ran in the general election for Governor of Oregon on November 8, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Tina Kotek (D / Working Families Party)	47.0	917,074
	Christine Drazan (R)	43.5	850,347
	Betsy Johnson (Independent)	8.6	168,431
	Donice Smith (Constitution Party)	0.4	8,051
	R. Leon Noble (L)	0.4	6,867
	Paul Romero (Constitution Party of Oregon) (Write-in)	0.0	0
	Other/Write-in votes	0.1	2,113

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,952,883
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Nathalie Paravicini (Pacific Green Party / Progressive Party)
Tom Cox (L)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of Oregon

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for Governor of Oregon on May 17, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Tina Kotek	56.0	275,301
		Tobias Read	31.7	156,017
		Patrick Starnes	2.1	10,524
		George Carrillo	1.9	9,365
		Michael Trimble	1.0	5,000
		John Sweeney	0.9	4,193
		Julian Bell	0.8	3,926
		Wilson Bright	0.5	2,316
		Dave Stauffer	0.5	2,302
		Ifeanyichukwu Diru	0.4	1,780
	Submit photo	Keisha Merchant	0.4	1,755
	Submit photo	Genevieve Wilson	0.3	1,588
		Michael Cross	0.3	1,342
	Submit photo	David Beem	0.3	1,308
		Peter Hall	0.2	982
		Other/Write-in votes	2.8	13,746

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 491,445
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of Oregon

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for Governor of Oregon on May 17, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Christine Drazan	22.5	85,255
		Bob Tiernan	17.5	66,089
		Stan Pulliam	10.9	41,123
		Bridget Barton	10.8	40,886
		Bud Pierce	8.7	32,965
		Marc Thielman	7.9	30,076
		Kerry McQuisten	7.6	28,727
	Submit photo	Bill Sizemore	3.5	13,261
		Jessica Gomez	2.6	9,970
		Tim McCloud	1.2	4,400
		Nick Hess	1.1	4,287
		Court Boice	1.1	4,040
		Brandon Merritt	1.0	3,615
	Submit photo	Reed Christensen	0.8	3,082
		Amber Richardson	0.5	1,924
		Raymond Baldwin	0.1	459
		David Burch	0.1	406
	Submit photo	John Presco	0.0	174
		Stefan Strek	0.0	171
		Other/Write-in votes	2.0	7,407

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 378,317
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

David Burch completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Burch's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am David Burch. I am a candidate who has previously run for both the Governorship and the 6th District of US House of Representatives. With the former gaining 406 votes and the latter having 1,447. I am a notorious and infamous figure on the internet and have used internet activism to help Donald Trump win election in 2016 and reelection in 2024.

I am a Trump OG. I am a man who has every reason to run for office. I have loved politics and history and other forms of academia from a young age.

I am born and raised in Oregon. For good and for ill, I have never lived anywhere else.

I am the man you call when you don't want blood on your hands. I am the man you call when you want to pass the buck and have an easy conscience. For I am the only one willing to make the necessary sacrifices.

"Lie for me brother, know not what you've been."

I am the color red in a world of black and white. In a world of Red vs Blue, I am an ever present black hole.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Make Oregon Great Again. We need a return to sanity. Now more than ever. We've been too complacent in making this great state continually spiral downwards. Its time we do so.
Do what needs to be done. I'm the guy you call when you're too afraid to get your hands dirty, or wish to pretend you're a good person. I'm the guy that you wish to call, when you need a villain to oppose.
Make the Great Wall of Blue, bleed Red. A slogan and analogy to describe how important it is for the Democrat Oregon Dynasty to fall. Unlike my compatriots, I have faith that I'll be the one to get it done. Underestimate me at your own peril. Survive if I let you.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Post Election, I seek change. While I wish to help the impoverished, realistically speaking, that's technically 99.99% of Oregon right now. Then there's the severely necessary policy changes of the media, which needs a drastic overhaul for the sake of neutrality. This country is poisonous and the media are a huge contributor as to why it is poisonous.

I seek to leave behind a future that ensures the safety of those I love. It was a promise to my late old man, after all. Sometimes, when you desire peace, you must prepare to wage war.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

On a personal scale, I look up to my late old man. A man who embodied the American Dream. A man who never had anyone who would say a single bad word about him. A person deeply admired and respected. A guy who, despite never finishing high school, worked his ass off to become the best computer tech on the West Coast, for his time. It is losing him which informs my ideology, for good and for ill. Its why I am willing to get up after being knocked down time and again. For that is the blueprint of which I seek to emulate.

On a US President scale, JFK. A man who believed in an American People built on selflessness. A man who, despite his flaws, never forsook himself.

On a pragmatic scale, many war philosophers. Sun Tzu, Lao Tzu and Nicolo Machiavelli. I treat politics and statecraft as a position of war, and I act accordingly.

Yet despite who I look up to, I know full well that those who came before me, would want me to surpass them.

So I intend to do as such.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Relentless drive. Ruthlessness. The willingness to play the part of the bad guy. To bend the world according to your will. For you cannot enact a better world without these traits. However, on the flip side, you also need to be compassionate towards those who need compassion. One needs to be a paradox of selfish and selfless. They need to be honest, even if they're a nasty little shit like I am. I believe I am the embodiment of these things. I grew up in a brutal manner. I've faced everything from survivorship, to poverty, to imprisonment and an ex-felon. I've survived the worst humanity can throw at me, and I'm still fucking here. Thriving. Fighting. I am brutal, I am ruthless, I am driven.

But I'm also a person who has known kindness and compassion from others, so I also seek to enshrine that legacy as well. Thus, the paradox of selfishness and selflessness.

The biggest failures of our government, are that they're trying too hard to be the buddy of the population, to the detriment of their job and role of being the bad guy.

Our current government are too preoccupied with being "kind and progressive" on the surface while they fuck up everyone else's lives.

Its time for people like me to get involved. If I manage to make it through the primary, then I have the general in the bag.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To be the most repugnant yet effective person possible. To be willing to stand alone at the mountain top, so that when others try to climb the mountain, they don't have to go through a rough path and only walk the beaten path.

To be the pack mule, to carry all the necessary supplies and burdens, so that the weak can rest themselves and soothe their weariness.

To be a shield against our enemies and a sword for our allies to wield.

To be the shoulder for the aggrieved to lean on and the ear for those who need someone to listen to them.

To be the Violent Rebel when a world is so gentrified, sterile and downright oppressive, that the average citizen feels like no one else will fight for them.

I am that guy. You need a Violent Rebel. The GOP needs a Violent Rebel. And Oregon, needs a Violent Rebel.

I AM THAT GUY!

I. Am. HIM.

What legacy would you like to leave?

To be a son who fought for what he believed in, even when he had his own detriment. To not only -say- inspiring things, but to back it up as well. The desperation to etch his name in history at any cost and accomplish the American Dream on steroids.

Lastly, that I would be proof of the idea that the only person who dictates what "the bottom" to start at, is solely dictated by the individual. For someone like me, whose employment would literally -start- at Oregon Governor, would call so many things into question:

-Can autistic people (Hi btw) truly thrive in a social environment like politics (If yes, then DSM V would have to revise its entire thesis)
-Can someone overcome an entire nation's legacy through sheer willpower and belief system alone. Driven by the legacy of those who came before him.
-Can someone invalidate an entire people and wage war on a level of Statecraft never before seen by invalidating a social narrative of "starting at the bottom"

My victory would have many implications and those implications are exactly what I've been building towards, this entire time.

If those implications are validated, it allows more people to dream and be more resilient to pursue their dreams. It would invalidate society, yet paradoxically affirm and confirm the legacy of the Founding Fathers and their Dream.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

9/11. I was 11 and it was a part of what sparked an interest in politics to begin with. It was shocking, it was depressing, it was upsetting.

If I were to win this election, it would be a culmination of the dreams of a dumb 11 year old kid. To Finish the Story, of a kid who grew up in rough circumstances. To REVEL in the story of someone who has scratched, clawed and worked his way to the top in his own path. To accomplish the American Dream that his father accomplished.

All of it, started at 9/11 2001.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

See, that's the neat part:

I have never had one before. Due to certain situations, I was never required to have one.

I'm sure that people can piece together the consequences of such a person winning office, no?

What is your favorite book? Why?

"The Prince by Nicolo Machiavelli"

Namely because its the book that still informs my ideology and conduct of pragmatism to this day. Most of the other books I've read over the years, were books read during my childhood.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

I honestly don't think I have one. Most fictional characters I read about, have some sort of tragic life story to them. Paradoxic though it may seem from previous statements, I would like to have a happier life. I fight so that other people -can- have a happier life than mine.

At the end of the day, I'd like a better life. Just that, for now, my path towards that aim is reaching the top of the political world and carving my name.

I guess it says a lot about me though, to not want to be like any sort of fictional character, on the grounds of tragedy. :/

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Too many to count. Survivorship, poverty, being an ex-felon at the age of 14. Going through various foster homes and group homes from 14-18. Going to juvy for a few weeks. Losing my father at the age of 18 and he at the age of 37. My psychiatric diagnosis at the age of 11 and the feelings of inferiority that still plague me to this day. The 17 years (Soon to be 18) of misery that comes from loss. I've known violence. I've known brutality. I've only been unable to know one thing: Basic contentment.

I'm always either stuck in the past or relentlessly moving towards the future. I do not feel like I can ever truly live in the present. When I'm given no other choice, I feel restless and in stasis.

Governors have many responsibilities, which vary from state to state. Which of those do you personally consider the most important in your state?

Our economy. Oregon has many issues to address, but in order to address them, we need to figure out what is going on with the fundraising. What happened with our surplus.

Or why Kotek felt a need to raise a billion dollars of taxpayer money to help the homeless, as an offhand example.

Different states require governors to have different degrees of responsibility for the state budgeting process. If it were your choice, what do you believe is the appropriate degree of gubernatorial involvement with this process in your state?

As minimal as possible. I'd describe myself as a Minarchist.

In most states, governors have the power to make line-item vetoes. If that is true in your state, what would be your philosophy for how and when to use this power?

A balancing act. For far too long, Democrats have been rampaging amok with unbalanced policies that egregiously overspend.

Part of why Republicans in the legislature were willing to walk out, is because of how imbalanced and partial their opposition were willing to be.

Worse yet, instead of changing and acknowledging that they fucked up, Democrats instead chose the boneheaded move of violating the 1st and 4th amendments (association and forced quarter) by passing a law punishing them for walking out, while framing it as "Well they don't want to work"

And to me, this is the height of partisan corruption. The refusal to understand and instead to punish dissension of the rank and file.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

A relationship that keeps each other sharp. My job would be to keep the State Legislature for fucking up the lives of Oregonians. Meanwhile, the State Legislature would have the job of making sure that I'm not too up my own arse.

What do you love most about your state?

The nature of Oregon. The legacy of pioneering. The Clint Eastwood-esque country rough and tumble. The kindness in society to treat people as they earn.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

To be short, sweet and to the point:

Economics and political divisions.

Under what circumstances should the governor of your state be able to use emergency powers?

When people cannot guide themselves. When divisions in the State end up ending lives of people like Charlie Kirk prematurely.

We need leaders willing to be the bad guy, so that good people can do good things.

What leaders get in return for their services, are a glorious legacy.

I am not here to make friends. I'm here to make a difference.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

None currently. Well hey, if y'all want to get Trump's name on it, feel free.

Do you support or oppose changes to the current state ballot initiative process? If so, what kind of changes would you consider?

Yes. Aside from exemptions like veterans and the disabled, there is no justification for mail in ballots. Even if you disregard the various talking heads, one shouldn't be relying on mail in. It feels lazy and poorly thought out.

I don't need CNN, MSNBC, Fox News or even X to use my brain. All I need to do in order to see how mail-in ballots can go wrong, is use my brain.

And that's the real reason why certain sectors of society hate the idea of returning to in person ballots.

Because people are capable of using their brain when they are compelled to. People are smarter than the media counterparts and government officials treat the people as.

After all, when people actually use their brains, they can see all the various ways a situation can go wrong.

That is what our institutions fear.

A governor is the top executive authority in his or her state. What does that mean to you?

To be the one who has to fight a government corrupted at every level. A government that willingly partakes in the suffering of others. Right now, we are a society of people hurting and struggling just to survive, let alone thrive.

I miss the days when I was a kid. The days when things were cheap to afford, and life was simple to define.

To be Governor would mean to raise the kids of our great state into a similar state of prosperity, so that they too can look at their childhood with doughey eyed nostalgia.

But right now, I just don't see it. I don't see how anyone can enjoy these times.

Call me blackpilled if you wish, but I prefer the term "grindpilled" because no matter how hopeless this world feels, I'm still going to grind, fight and claw.

I was raised to fight against what's wrong in our world. I have the legacy of many people in my life to fight for and one of them is to stand up for what I believe in.

The Governorship is the crystalization of one's belief system.

As a Visionary once said:

"You either live in the future, or die with the past."

Well, I have no intention of dying any time soon.

Candidates hear many personal stories from voters. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching or memorable?

Yes, but for incredibly depressing reasons. Charlie Kirk. A family man who loved his country and loved his family. I'm a sucker for stories about fatherhood, and right now I'm saddened about what happened to him.

What is an accomplishment that you are proud of?

Whether its my academic pedigree, involvement in politics, being a writer, or the various friends I've made on social media, I believe I have a lot to be proud of. I'm not a person willing to be content and resting on laurels. There's work to be done and a lot of it.

What role should your state’s government have in the development or use of artificial intelligence?

I think it should partially facilitate it. I say partially for a reason though. It should never replace jobs, but it should be a tool of assistance to make doing the job they are hired for, to be easier and more efficient.

What legislation would you want to sign related to election administration in your state?

Complete overhaul.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2024

David Burch did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

2022

David Burch did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign finance summary

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

David Burch campaign contribution history
Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	U.S. House Oregon District 6	Lost primary	$0	N/A**
2022	Governor of Oregon	Lost primary	$0	$0
Grand total			$0	N/A**
Sources: OpenSecrets, Federal Elections Commission *This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

External links

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Footnotes

↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on September 12, 2025

[1] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on September 12, 2025

[1]

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David Burch

Biography

Elections

2026

General election

General election for Governor of Oregon

Endorsements

2024

General election

General election for U.S. House Oregon District 6

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Oregon District 6

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Oregon District 6

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Endorsements

2022

General election

General election for Governor of Oregon

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of Oregon

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of Oregon

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

2024

2022

Campaign finance summary

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

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