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Mark Roberts (Oregon)
Mark Roberts (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Oregon's 2nd Congressional District. He lost in the Republican primary on May 19, 2020.
Roberts completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.
Elections
2020
See also: Oregon's 2nd Congressional District election, 2020
Oregon's 2nd Congressional District election, 2020 (May 19 Republican primary)
Oregon's 2nd Congressional District election, 2020 (May 19 Democratic primary)
General election
General election for U.S. House Oregon District 2
Cliff Bentz defeated Alex Spenser and Robert Werch in the general election for U.S. House Oregon District 2 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Cliff Bentz (R) | 59.9 | 273,835 |
 | Alex Spenser (D)  | 36.9 | 168,881 | |
 | Robert Werch (L) | 3.1 | 14,094 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 623 | ||
| Total votes: 457,433 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Patrick Archer (Independent)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Oregon District 2
Alex Spenser defeated Nick Heuertz, Chris Vaughn, Jack Howard, and John Holm in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Oregon District 2 on May 19, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Alex Spenser | 32.1 | 23,482 |
 | Nick Heuertz | 31.0 | 22,685 | |
 | Chris Vaughn | 18.2 | 13,351 | |
 | Jack Howard | 8.3 | 6,047 | |
 | John Holm | 8.1 | 5,908 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 2.4 | 1,734 | ||
| Total votes: 73,207 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Isabella Tibbetts (D)
- Raz Mason (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Oregon District 2
The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. House Oregon District 2 on May 19, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Cliff Bentz | 31.3 | 37,488 |
 | Knute Buehler | 22.1 | 26,405 | |
 | Jason Atkinson | 19.5 | 23,274 | |
 | Jimmy Crumpacker | 18.0 | 21,507 | |
 | Travis Fager | 3.6 | 4,265 | |
 | Jeff Smith | 2.1 | 2,539 | |
| Justin Livingston | 1.1 | 1,350 | ||
 | Mark Roberts | 1.1 | 1,336 | |
 | David Campbell | 0.3 | 418 | |
 | Glenn Carey | 0.2 | 283 | |
 | Kenneth Medenbach | 0.2 | 267 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.4 | 450 | ||
| Total votes: 119,582 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Justus Mayo (R)
Libertarian convention
Libertarian convention for U.S. House Oregon District 2
Robert Werch advanced from the Libertarian convention for U.S. House Oregon District 2 on July 6, 2020.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Robert Werch (L) |
| ||||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2018
General election
General election for U.S. House Oregon District 2
Incumbent Greg Walden defeated Jamie McLeod-Skinner and Mark Roberts in the general election for U.S. House Oregon District 2 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Greg Walden (R) | 56.3 | 207,597 |
 | Jamie McLeod-Skinner (D) | 39.4 | 145,298 | |
| Mark Roberts (Independent Party of Oregon) | 4.2 | 15,536 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 278 | ||
| Total votes: 368,709 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Oregon District 2
The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Oregon District 2 on May 15, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jamie McLeod-Skinner | 43.7 | 25,351 |
 | Jennifer Neahring | 24.2 | 14,020 | |
 | Jim Crary | 11.7 | 6,774 | |
 | Timothy White | 6.0 | 3,469 | |
 | Raz Mason | 5.4 | 3,137 | |
 | Eric Burnette | 4.7 | 2,734 | |
 | Michael Byrne | 4.4 | 2,546 | |
| Total votes: 58,031 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Oregon District 2
Incumbent Greg Walden defeated Paul Romero and Randy Pollock in the Republican primary for U.S. House Oregon District 2 on May 15, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Greg Walden | 77.6 | 71,543 |
 | Paul Romero | 16.5 | 15,181 | |
| Randy Pollock | 6.0 | 5,514 | ||
| Total votes: 92,238 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Independent Party of Oregon primary election
Independent Party of Oregon primary for U.S. House Oregon District 2
Mark Roberts advanced from the Independent Party of Oregon primary for U.S. House Oregon District 2 on May 15, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mark Roberts | 100.0 | 3,441 |
| Total votes: 3,441 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Independent Party of Oregon primary election
Mark Roberts advanced from the Independent Party of Oregon primary for U.S. House Oregon District 2 on May 15, 2018.
Independent Party of Oregon primary election
Independent Party of Oregon primary for U.S. House Oregon District 2
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mark Roberts | 100.0 | 3,441 |
| Total votes: 3,441 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Campaign themes
2020
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Mark Roberts completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Roberts' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
| Collapse all
I moved to Medford in 2010, and never looked back. If I travel North or South, the first sign of a brake light or a taxed cup of coffee makes me want to come home to Jackson County but what I considered living like a king came with a cost that we all know and see everyday.
I value everything that makes our District special: the uniquely independent spirit of our community, beautiful environment, extraordinary forest land, and even the untapped opportunity. I'm running for Congress because I know what makes this district special and I know the answers to end our economic woes.
The 2nd District is blessed with abundant resources, but the Federal Government has an out-sized role in our lives. It's time for your federal representative(s) to start representing their constituency so the state government no longer has the only option other than to tax you into poverty. There has to be a balance between conserving our environment and ensuring that commerce can prosper. With those fundamentals in balance, jobs, education, and opportunity will follow.
That system worked for decades, and I know it can work again for all of us. We need someone in Washington who will be a strong advocate.- The Federal Land Management System works if we have a powerful advocate on our side. I am running for Congress to be that advocate.
- I want the people of my congressional district to prosper financially the same way the rest of the state and country are currently prospering.
- I want you to be proud of your state and federal government.
The Conscience of a Conservative ~ Barry Goldwater
God and Man at Yale ~ William F. Buckley Jr.
Profiles in Courage ~ John F. Kennedy
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.
2018
Ballotpedia survey responses
- See also: Ballotpedia's candidate surveys
Mark Roberts participated in Ballotpedia's candidate survey on May 29, 2018. The survey questions appear in bold, and Mark Roberts's responses follow below.[1]
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
| “ | Forestry, Forestry and Forestry. We have to go back and redouble our efforts and enact specific legislation to account for Oregon’s unique position and insure a productive future for the forest & wildlife habitat and put the brakes on our shift towards a welfare state. The citizens of the district have been promised a raise but all we get is stagnant wages, more taxation for local services and double digit poverty levels. Oregon used to be a place you could get a good job, raise a family and buy a house and we need to make some real efforts to resurrect that ability through opportunity at the federal level. A raise in income across the board will come from the restoration of forestry whether you work in the forest or not![2][3] | ” |
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? Why?
| “ | Energy, Environment, Conservation, Agriculture, Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weaponry, bifurcation of the chronic patient versus the chemically dependent addict, getting into wars we can't win and Discrimination or at least the feeling that someone may feel discriminated against. It doesn't make me happy when someone feels they can't be happy being themselves in the USA. One nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all!Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many[3]
|
” |
Ballotpedia also asked the candidate a series of optional questions. Mark Roberts answered the following:
What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?
| “ | Knowledge is number one! Handing out empty promises without the ability to back them up with facts is one of the biggest problems we have in America. In Oregon, the citizens have been led astray by state officials who's goal is to make as many people as possible dependent on them. We need to be self sufficient and dependent on ourselves and we have the ability right here in the 2nd District to capitalize on that just be restoring the ability to use our natural resources instead of watching them go up in flames every summer.[3] | ” |
| “ | I have goals that are attractive to voters of every party. Goals that are favorable and doable and I won't make empty promises that I can't back up with reality based factual information.[3] | ” |
| “ | One that made a difference for the people of my district. One that restored their opportunity to fulfill the American Dream set forth in the Declaration of Independence: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness![3] | ” |
| “ | Men walking on the moon. I grew up in a house close to a freeway with a million dollar view of it and I remember watching the live TV feed from the moon on our 13" black and white TV and then looking out at a four lane freeway to see a car go by maybe once every couple minutes.[3] | ” |
| “ | Physics for Future Presidents. It teaches basic scientific theory for the layman and relates it to issues and minimums the President of the USA would need to know with regard to the 'science behind the headlines'. It's the book that started me off on my quest to seek a public position after watching testimony by the NRC chairman before congressional leaders who all had no basic understanding of one of the worlds most important scientific subjects. Please read it![3] | ” |
| “ | Your congressional leader gets to make laws that affect your prosperity![3] | ” |
| “ | No! We need self assertive people with a 'can do' spirit that won't take no or maybe for an answer and won't give up or give in. The current stalemate in D.C. is exclusively the responsibility of career politicians that care only about themselves and their re-election than their constituency.[3] | ” |
| “ | Re-establishing the spirit that made America the greatest country in the world. Science, innovation, opportunity, education and a common goal. We probably have to go backwards a little to remind ourselves and reconsider what we represent and who we are before we can move forward.[3] | ” |
| “ | Whether I believe it or not it's the law of the land and I don't have any interest in changing it. I'll let the constituents who put me in office decide at a later date if they want me to stay there.[3] | ” |
| “ | I'm all for term limits, with term limits we limit career politicians who respond to their donors instead of their constituency. With respect to the House of Representatives, I think if you can't get anything done in 6 years it's time to move on. Our current Incumbent has been in the position for 18 years and has no legacy for his constituency other than failed promises, magnification of claimed successes and being re-elected for 9 terms.[3] | ” |
| “ | No, I represent the people of the 2nd District and they will come first to me. I have the ability to be a voice of reason on multiple issues but our district is too vast and its citizenry too devastated to have my own personal extracurricular endeavors. We just don't have that luxury in the 2nd District that other districts, even in our own state, have. Our district isn't as self sufficient that it doesn't need constant attention at the federal level and is best exemplified by the ascension to positions of power within the House of Representatives by our illustrious Incumbent.[3] | ” |
Ballotpedia survey responses
- See also: Ballotpedia's candidate surveys
Mark Roberts participated in Ballotpedia's candidate survey on April 13, 2018. The survey questions appear in bold, and Mark Roberts' responses follow below.[4]
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
| “ | 1) Restoring the practice of forestry to federal lands of Oregon. 2) Raising wages and providing opportunity to the citizens of the 2nd Congressional District |
” |
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? Why?
| “ | Energy. Solid clean, reliable and abundant energy source(s) will secure the state and the nation.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many[3]
|
” |
Noteworthy events
Roberts' Twitter account
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) requested Twitter ban Roberts' account after Roberts made a suggestive tweet about First Lady Melania Trump in July 2018:
.@jack this attack on @FLOTUS is disgraceful. Comments like these have no business on any platform. This account should be banned ASAP. https://t.co/sIGO4ggeAM
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) July 31, 2018
According to a screenshot posted by Roberts the following day, Twitter reviewed the tweet and found he had not violated the site's rules.[5]
Roberts has previously tweeted about the appearances and sexuality of other public and political figures, including President Donald Trump (R), Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), and Gov. Kate Brown (D-Ore.).[5]
See also
2020 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Ballotpedia's candidate survey, "Mark Roberts's responses," May 29, 2018 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "BPsurvey" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 OregonLive, "Melania Trump called 'hoebag' by Oregon candidate. It's not his only weird tweet," July 31, 2018
