Robert Werch

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Robert Werch

Libertarian Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 3, 2020

Education

Associate

Kirkwood Community College, 1996

Bachelor's

Coe College, 1999

Personal

Birthplace

Iowa City, Iowa

Religion

Lutheran

Profession

Nurse

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign YouTube

Personal Twitter

Personal Instagram

Personal LinkedIn

Robert Werch (Libertarian Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Oregon's 2nd Congressional District. He lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.

Werch completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Robert Werch was born in Iowa City, Iowa. He earned an associate degree from Kirkwood Community College in 1996 and a bachelor's degree from Coe College in 1999. His career experience includes working as a flight nurse, critical care nurse, and emergency nurse.

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

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 457,433
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates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

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	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.
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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
	Submit photo	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

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2	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)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= 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.

Endorsements

To view Werch's endorsements in the 2020 election, please click here.

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

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

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am new to the political theater, but I believe that's what the State of Oregon and the Federal Government needs. Fresh eyes, an open mind, and the willingness to listen and communicate to achieve the goals of the fiscally conservative Libertarian ideals that this great country was founded on.

I was born in the mid-west and moved to Oregon in 2012. I have a Bachelor's Degree in Science in Nursing and have been a registered nurse since 1999. I currently work as a flight nurse and critical care and emergency room nurse. I hold multiple advanced certifications in my specialties.

I have two young daughters that I'm very proud of. They're part of the reason I'm running for office. To be a positive example for them and to follow through on my word to them, I am seeking office. There are some shining examples of people in government that are doing all they can to preserve our freedoms and choice, and there are others that make me question how they got there and what they have to offer.

Although I have no political experience to speak of, I do believe I have common sense and the ability to discuss things, listen and learn, and come to a logical and fair conclusion that leans on the freedom side of the spectrum when it comes to less government involvement in peoples lives.

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?

• Accountability of government funds. We the people expect and deserve the biggest bang for our buck out of our government mandated taxes.
• Human is Human. When we divide the citizen's into groups and classes and segregate others, we are creating the problems we're trying to eliminate.
• Equality in the application of the law. Truly blind justice throughout the courts and the legal system.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Economic Affairs. I believe that a balanced budget is a must, that the federal government has grown beyond what it was ever intended to be and needs to be pared back. The fiscal and monetary policies of the government are not keeping in check with the growth of the nation. The people need to regain control of the outrageous spending and demand accountability of the money that is spent!

Foreign Affairs and National Security. You can't have a serious discussion about economic affairs without including foreign affairs and national security as topics. There are a very limited number of things that I believe a federal government should be responsible for, one of which is national security. However, the amount of money thrown downrange and wasted is too large to ignore, let alone the costs in lives. This needs to be addressed.

Environment. The federal government needs to stop picking winners, or more correctly, losers of the green movement. Let the free market work. Stop subsidizing technologies and allow for innovation by allowing the market to pick the winners. When a product or technology is developed that is better than one previously offered, the market will spur development and older, less efficient technologies will be replaced.

Social Welfare. A safety net with a ladder to get back on your own, not beholden to the government for a handout; is what welfare projects were meant to be. What they've turned into is a way of life for far too many. A hand up, not a hand out.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Don't Hurt People and Don't Take Their Stuff: A Libertarian Manifesto, Matt Kibbe 2015 and Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, 1957. Both books have strongly influenced my political beliefs about less government involvement in people's lives.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I'd like to leave a good example to my daughters. To teach them self reliance and respect for others. To teach them that when you see something wrong, try to fix it. That's the main reason my name is on the ballot.

Like many of us, I would comment on how I could do a better job than those in Washington, D.C. My daughters suggested that I run for office and here I am, on the ballot. This has not been a lifelong aspiration. This has been, possibly, a once in a lifetime opportunity to truly show my daughters that when given the chance, you stand up and do what you can.

If elected, I will continue to set that example to my daughters, to do what's right and to help others when I can.

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

I remember being home from school the day Challenger was lost. I was in high school and had had my wisdom teeth pulled. I was excited to watch the launch of the space shuttle, only to see it rain down in pieces shortly after lift off. Watching the replay over and over again was probably not the best idea, but I did. I still see it.

That experience reminds me of 9/11 as well. Watching with horror, the towers fall again and again. At that time, I was old enough to understand what was happening. I was scared for my not yet born daughter - none of us knew at the time how bad it was going to get.

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

My first job was as a construction worker for my dad's company in the midwest. I was expected to be one of the guys and carry my weight. I worked mainly in the saw shop loading lumber into the 4 blade saw that cut angles on the wood in order to make trusses. It was hard work, but very important in my adolescence. It taught me how to work with others, how to work until the job is done, and how to work smarter not harder. On occasion, I also got to work with my dad - or was voluntold to work with my dad. I learned from him the value of repairing what's broken instead of just throwing it out. I learned to help others when you have the chance, and to accept help when you need it.

I recently visited the building where the business once was. It's now a fantastic local brewery and eatery where people from all over the county come to enjoy each other's company. As I sat with friends enjoying the afternoon there, I couldn't help but remember the hard long days I put in, in that building.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

Atlas Shrugged is a story that reminds us that there are heroes and villains amongst us and that it's truly up to the individual to choose which path you follow.

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

Who is John Galt?

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Little Wing performed by Stevie Ray Vaughn

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

Experience can be a positive thing, however, it can be a complacent thing as well. Representatives who have been in office for decades are very rarely representing the people who elected them to office, they are so wrapped up in the politics of D.C. that they have forgotten who they're there to represent. Oftentimes, representatives answer to major corporations and industries before they represent their constituency.

Fresh ideas and discussions can be good things in government, these can be facilitated by new members of Congress.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

I believe that the U.S. is on the brink of financial collapse. The rate at which we are printing money and the debt that we are incurring are becoming unsustainable. There have been many lessons in history where governments have proceeded down this road and it has never ended well. Just because we're the United States of America, doesn't mean that it won't happen to us, it will. The Weimar Republic, Venezuela, and Greece are just a few of the countries that have experienced the same kind of collapse and economic strife that the United States is headed for if something isn't done.

We need to stop spending what we don't have. We need to eliminate unnecessary departments and subsidies and welfare that we just can't afford.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

I believe in term limits. I think that there are many members of Congress that have been there for far too long and have lost touch with reality and the people they were elected to represent.

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.

See also

2020 Elections

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External links

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Footnotes

[show]

Oregon's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Jeff Merkley (D)

Ron Wyden (D)

Representatives

District 1

Suzanne Bonamici (D)

District 2

Cliff Bentz (R)

District 3

Maxine Dexter (D)

District 4

Val Hoyle (D)

District 5

Janelle Bynum (D)

District 6

Andrea Salinas (D)

Democratic Party (7)

Republican Party (1)