Michael Cross

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Michael Cross
Image of Michael Cross
Elections and appointments
Last election

May 21, 2024

Education

Other

Community College of the Air Force, 1985

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Air Force

Years of service

1984 - 1988

Personal
Birthplace
Torrance, Calif.
Religion
Christian
Profession
Software designer
Contact

Michael Cross (Republican Party) ran for election for Attorney General of Oregon. He lost in the Republican primary on May 21, 2024.

Biography

Michael Cross was born in Torrance, California. He served in the United States Air Force from 1984 to 1988. Cross graduated from the Community College of the Air Force in 1985. His career experience includes working as a software designer, professional driver, social services volunteer, and a crew chief assistant on Sikorsky rotary aircraft.[1]

Elections

2024

See also: Oregon Attorney General election, 2024

General election

General election for Attorney General of Oregon

Dan Rayfield defeated Will Lathrop in the general election for Attorney General of Oregon on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Dan Rayfield
Dan Rayfield (D / Working Families Party)
 
54.4
 
1,156,489
Image of Will Lathrop
Will Lathrop (R)
 
45.5
 
967,964
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.1
 
2,612

Total votes: 2,127,065
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Attorney General of Oregon

Dan Rayfield defeated Shaina Maxey Pomerantz in the Democratic primary for Attorney General of Oregon on May 21, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Dan Rayfield
Dan Rayfield
 
75.2
 
318,313
Image of Shaina Maxey Pomerantz
Shaina Maxey Pomerantz
 
24.1
 
102,146
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.6
 
2,710

Total votes: 423,169
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Attorney General of Oregon

Will Lathrop defeated Michael Cross in the Republican primary for Attorney General of Oregon on May 21, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Will Lathrop
Will Lathrop
 
64.2
 
190,995
Image of Michael Cross
Michael Cross
 
35.2
 
104,813
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.6
 
1,811

Total votes: 297,619
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Cross in this election.

2022

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

Total votes: 1,952,883
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

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

Total votes: 491,445
Candidate Connection = 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
Image of Christine Drazan
Christine Drazan
 
22.5
 
85,255
Image of Bob Tiernan
Bob Tiernan
 
17.5
 
66,089
Image of Stan Pulliam
Stan Pulliam
 
10.9
 
41,123
Image of Bridget Barton
Bridget Barton Candidate Connection
 
10.8
 
40,886
Image of Bud Pierce
Bud Pierce Candidate Connection
 
8.7
 
32,965
Image of Marc Thielman
Marc Thielman Candidate Connection
 
7.9
 
30,076
Image of Kerry McQuisten
Kerry McQuisten
 
7.6
 
28,727
Bill Sizemore
 
3.5
 
13,261
Image of Jessica Gomez
Jessica Gomez
 
2.6
 
9,970
Image of Tim McCloud
Tim McCloud Candidate Connection
 
1.2
 
4,400
Image of Nick Hess
Nick Hess Candidate Connection
 
1.1
 
4,287
Image of Court Boice
Court Boice
 
1.1
 
4,040
Image of Brandon Merritt
Brandon Merritt Candidate Connection
 
1.0
 
3,615
Reed Christensen
 
0.8
 
3,082
Image of Amber Richardson
Amber Richardson Candidate Connection
 
0.5
 
1,924
Image of Raymond Baldwin
Raymond Baldwin
 
0.1
 
459
Image of David Burch
David Burch
 
0.1
 
406
John Presco
 
0.0
 
174
Image of Stefan Strek
Stefan Strek
 
0.0
 
171
 Other/Write-in votes
 
2.0
 
7,407

Total votes: 378,317
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

2020

See also: Oregon Attorney General election, 2020

Oregon Attorney General election, 2020 (May 19 Republican primary)

Oregon Attorney General election, 2020 (May 19 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for Attorney General of Oregon

Incumbent Ellen Rosenblum defeated Michael Cross and Lars Hedbor in the general election for Attorney General of Oregon on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Ellen Rosenblum
Ellen Rosenblum (D / Working Families Party / Independent)
 
56.0
 
1,264,716
Image of Michael Cross
Michael Cross (R) Candidate Connection
 
41.3
 
934,357
Image of Lars Hedbor
Lars Hedbor (L)
 
2.3
 
52,087
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.4
 
8,490

Total votes: 2,259,650
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Attorney General of Oregon

Incumbent Ellen Rosenblum advanced from the Democratic primary for Attorney General of Oregon on May 19, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Ellen Rosenblum
Ellen Rosenblum
 
99.0
 
483,273
 Other/Write-in votes
 
1.0
 
4,661

Total votes: 487,934
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Attorney General of Oregon

Michael Cross advanced from the Republican primary for Attorney General of Oregon on May 19, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Michael Cross
Michael Cross Candidate Connection
 
96.7
 
279,909
 Other/Write-in votes
 
3.3
 
9,537

Total votes: 289,446
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for Attorney General of Oregon

Lars Hedbor advanced from the Libertarian convention for Attorney General of Oregon on July 6, 2020.

Candidate
Image of Lars Hedbor
Lars Hedbor (L)

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Michael Cross did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign website

Cross’ campaign website stated the following:

I HAVE A TRACK RECORD OF STANDING UP FOR JUSTICE

I headed up the Recall campaign against Kate Brown, (Flush Down Kate Brown.) There were a myriad of reasons for this effort, but perhaps the most pressing was her outright defiance of established Oregon law; specifically (ORS) 433.441 . This law allowed only two time periods of 14 days each, to close the state due to a pandemic. Any more than that required Legislative approval, which she didn't even bother to get!

A good Attorney General would have stopped this egregious abuse of power and abuse of the law. In this case, the law is quite clear, yet she did it anyway-at a cost of BILLIONS of dollars in loss of business, income, etc. Many businesses were PERMANENTLY CLOSED. Some even took their own life, as they had extreme difficulty during this extremely trying time. Most of us ended up getting Covid anyway, the point is:

Governor Brown violated the law.

I need to be your next Attorney General, to PROTECT OREGONIANS from FUTURE abuses of power. We learned our lesson last time, did we not?

ANOTHER ABUSE OF POWER BY A GOVERNOR:

You may remember when Glamour Salon opened her business in spite of the unlawful closure order from Governor Brown. This triggered a massive response of support and media attention that Glamour Salon was open.

As a result, Kate Brown also knew about this audacious act. What did she do? Well, it's not proven that she DIRECTLY did this, but the owner of the Salon soon found Child Services at her door Investigating a completely baseless and frivolous allegation of child neglect.

Here's another case:

A volunteer of our Recall against Kate Brown happened to work for Oregon Department of Transportation, (ODOT.) This employee was threatened with the loss of their job, if they continued to help in the recall effort! It was further stated that if they stopped helping the Recall, that they would be promoted soon!

Can you believe this obviously egregious ABUSE of POWER?!?!

This is another reason, that Michael Cross needs to be your next Oregon Attorney General- to STOP an ABUSE of POWER, against Oregonians.

MICHAEL'S POSITION ON ISSUES THAT MATTER TO OREGONIANS:

HUMAN TRAFFICKING

  • Oregon ranks the highest in areas it shouldn't and the lowest in areas that need to improve.
  • Tragically we are #1 in USA for HUMAN TRAFFICKING, CHILDREN DISAPPEARING!
  • The symbol above advertises that they do business in this perverted business. I will train local law enforcement to recognize the signs, to STOP it in it's tracks.
  • Current Oregon law facilitates children running away to become victims of this horrid crime that is more profitable than drugs.

LIFE, LIBERTY, & THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS

  • Government of the People, NOT Over the People.
  • Freedom of conscience, freedom of press, freedom of religion, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, the right to security and liberty, freedom of speech, the right to privacy, the right to equal treatment under the law, due process, the right to fair trial, and right to life.
  • Festivals, Events and Gatherings are a large part of Life, Liberty and Happiness.

SOCIAL MEDIA CENSORSHIP

  • Social media platforms are the modern day equivalent of the town square.
  • While the Platform is owned by a private company, it's my contention that the content belongs to the creator.
  • The Constitution prevents them from censoring speech.
  • I will hold social media platforms accountable.
  • Financial compensation by these platforms to artists who were de-monetized.

WE NEED TO FEEL SAFE AGAIN!

  • Human Trafficking
  • Homelessness
  • Fentanyl crisis
  • Forcible Rape is up 60%
  • Assaults against women are up 40%
  • Rampant, wanton Shoplifting
  • Violent Personal crimes are all at historic high levels in Oregon.
  • As Attorney General, I promise a reduction by at least 50% of ALL the above in my first term.


HOMELESSNESS CRISIS-SOLVED!

  • My Plan is a Public/Private partnership to eradicate the Homeless crisis- much like the "Civil Conservation Corp" 80 years ago.
  • Goal to reduce Homeless population to ZERO
  • Provide Training and Housing (that they build,) to qualified candidates.
  • Homelessness adds to overall crime levels and is also a Public Health issue.
  • Creates jobs statewide!
  • Private manufacturers like Nike, Intel, Daimler Trucks, Precision Cast Parts & Columbia Sportswear would see increased profits and Tax CREDITS for participating and being socially responsible partners in solving this tragic issue.

ABSOLUTE POWER CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY

Our Founding Fathers wisely set up our Government with checks and balances.


It is the role of Attorney General to be that check in the power of government and government officials.


Essentially, the Attorney General should be the guard dog for the people, not some hand picked lap dog, at the behest of the Governor.


If you have an issue with a State Agency, or an employee of that Agency- then The AG's office should be your first call if you cannot resolve the issue on your own.[2]

—Michael Cross' campaign website (2024)[3]

2022

Michael Cross did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Candidate Connection

Michael Cross completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Cross' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Michael Cross is the Republican nominee for Oregon attorney general. He served honourably in the U.S. Air Force where he apprehended suspects engaged in criminal activities, provided support for search and rescue operations, worked as a helicopter mechanic and completed the Air Force's NCO Leadership Course. Michael continues to study contract and constitutional law.

Micheal spearheaded an initiative petition drive which narrowly failed to invoke a recall election against current governor Kate Brown. In his community he has volunteered in a variety of capacities and has been an active member of civic organizations like the Salem Elks lodge.

Michael meets all of the requirements to be elected and serve as Oregon's attorney general. Whatever your party affiliation, single-party rule among our statewide office holders is never desirable. Unlike his primary opponent, Michael is not a part of the political establishment and is dedicated to holding the executive branch accountable to the U.S. and Oregon constitutions while ensuring the attorney general's office functions in a non-partisan manner to advance the interests of all Oregonians.
  • HOLDING GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABLE - Regardless of party affiliation, Michael will work to ensure transparency throughout the executive branch and will call out and fight against unconstitutional acts. As attorney general, Michael will be your lawyer in state government, not the establishment's.
  • ENHANCING PUBLIC SAFETY - Michael will use his authority as attorney general to prioritize the enforcement of laws designed to protect you, your family, those you love, and businesses which underpin our economic security and prosperity. The incumbent inexplicably litigated to block arrests and stop officers from wearing protective riot gear. The highest priority of law enforcement is to protect live and property, both public and private.
  • PROTECTING YOUR RIGHTS - Everyone has the right to peacefully assemble for political and religious reasons. I support law enforcement, but also see an absolute obligation to protect peaceful protesters, First Amendment rights, Second Amendment rights, and all of the other rights guaranteed to all of us through the US and Oregon constitutions.
In my three "Key Messages" outlined above, I outline specific areas of public policy I am personally passionate about. But it all adds up to this: There is a Ruling Class in this state made up of people who have built careers governing others. They claim to know what is best for us.

The Ruling Class is willing to use government power in unconstitutional ways to impose their vision and thereby restrict our private behaviour and business activity. While perhaps well meaning in some cases, the Ruling Class has shown proved willing to exceed their constitutional authority believing that the ends justify the means. In other cases, particularly with respect to my main opponent and the Oregon governor, the Covid pandemic and violent protests have been used gain political advantage.

What I suggest is not a "conspiracy theory." It is the nature of unchecked political power. I will use the office of attorney general to provide that check while pushing the state to prioritize public safety and government transparency. We need to remind the Ruling Class and the Establishment that the institutions of government belong to all of us - not just them.

The office of attorney general is unique in that the attorney general is empowered to issue legal opinions on any relevant matter and is responsible to appear, testify on, and defend the state on any matter of public policy where legal action comes into play. As the attorney general is sworn, like all other public officials, to uphold the U.S. and state constitutions, the attorney general can refuse to defend actions taken by the state which he or she believes in good faith to violate the constitution. All of this makes the office of the attorney general unique and helps it to serve as a check on government excesses and a guarantor of public safety and constitutional rights.
Not every law passed is constitutional. Not every public official operates fully in the public interests. Those who are trying to act in the public interest sometimes exceed their authority. Sometimes, when laws are broken, enforcement needs to be prioritized where there are too few resources to enforce everything.

All of these are manifestations of public policy which collide with the law. Applying limited resources like money, staff, and even time in a way that serves the people best is an exercise in prioritization. If elected, Michael will prioritize public safety, the preservation of private and public property, the transparency of public officials and, of course, the preservation of constitutional rights for all Oregonians.
Michael will prioritize enforcement of laws that protect life, property, hold executives in check, and laws which secure the constitutional rights of all Oregonians. While it is the responsibility of Oregon's attorney general to work at enforcing all of Oregon's laws, the prioritization of other laws will be secondary.
Of the responsibilities of Oregon's attorney general as outlined in the state constitution, Michael believes that the most important one is the "Give opinion in writing, when requested, upon any question of law in which the state of Oregon or any public subdivision of the state may have an interest, submitted to the attorney general by the governor, any officer, agency, department, board or commission of the state or any member of the legislature."

It is through this responsibility that the attorney general can provide legal opinions on matters relating to the enforcement of laws which relate to the protection of life, liberty, and property, while ensuring that public officials are limited to acting within their constitutional authority.
Representing the state against the federal government is an important responsibility particularly in cases where federal actions or policies violate the constitution or established law. In particular, the state attorney general is responsible for defending Oregon's rights under the 10th Amendment of the U.S. constitution which says that any power not delegated to the federal government in the U.S. constitution falls to the various states.
Previous experience in government and/or politics is a double-edged sword. Experience in managing a government agency is sometimes helpful, but can be turned against the public interest when an attorney general becomes part of the Ruling Class and uses his/her office to maintain power and/or help political allies. Michael believes this has happened in Oregon and is one of the reasons why he is seeking this office.

More important than formal experience is a dedication to the individual rights of Oregonians as provided for in the U.S. and state constitutions, common sense, and a non-partisan approach to serving in office. Michael knows many trustworthy experienced attorneys who he will bring on staff to give him legal advice that will help him skilfully serve as Oregon's attorney general when legal advice is needed.
Michael recommends the book "A Smoking Gun" written by attorney Gerry Spence. The book tells the story of a woman falsely accused of murder in an environment where the prosecution was found to be guilty of prosecutorial misconduct. Spence took on this case pro bono, or free of charge.
The most important principles are that an elected official read and understand the U.S. and state constitutions, be willing to uphold those documents and enforce constitutional laws passed under their authority (even if he or she does not personally agree with them), and execute his or her office in a non-partisan way to the benefit of all of his/or her constituents regardless of party affiliation.
Michael comes from a blue-collar background which helps me to understand and appreciate the interests of middle-class Oregonians. He is not a member of Oregon's political elite which helps to ensure that executive power will be checked when needed and assure that the office of attorney general serves the people rather than the political establishment. Michael is a good listener and is able to take quality information into account before making major decisions.
The Oregon constitution clearly lays out the responsibilities of Oregon's attorney general to offer legal opinions and represent the state in a variety of venues in the service of the people of Oregon.
If elected, Michael hopes his impact on the office of attorney general will be to position it as an office that works to prioritize the interests of everyday Oregonians over the political establishment, an office which consistently upholds the U.S. and Oregon constitutions, an office which prioritizes public safety, and one that secures the constitutional rights of every Oregonian.
The first historical event I remember was the Vietnam War. I was six or seven at the time, and I accompanied my grandfather to an event protesting the war. While I honor all who served during that time, I never supported the war itself.
"The Art of War" by Sun Tzu. While Michael does not glorify war, this book provides guidance on how to deal with a variety of conflicts succesfully.
"A Country Boy Will Survive" by Hank Williams, Jr.

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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.


Michael Cross campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2024* Attorney General of OregonLost primary$0 $0
2022Governor of OregonLost primary$0 $0
Grand total$0 $0
Sources: OpenSecretsFederal 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

See also


External links

Footnotes

  1. Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on September 5, 2020
  2. Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  3. Michael Cross' campaign website, “Platform,” accessed April 24, 2024