Can Republicans in Deschutes County Still Walk the Political Line?
It’s harder to appear non-extreme with Scott Stuart and his People’s Rights allies taking over the Deschutes County GOP.
Chris Piper, a former mayoral candidate who typically portrays himself as moderate, shared the podium with far-right activist Scott Stuart last month. The image captured at the event was shared exclusively with The Deschutes Chronicle. The event was a fundraiser for the Deschutes County Republican Party where a rifle was among the items auctioned off.
Stuart came to attention in Central Oregon when he waved a Confederate flag at the Redmond 4th of July parade while wearing a Confederate military uniform. Stuart has since taken a leading role in the Bundy-affiliated People’s Rights militia and now chairs the local Republican Party.
Piper ran a campaign that portrayed himself as a moderate laying claim to “common sense” positions and casting liberal candidates as too extreme for Bend. His pitch was good government and he shied away from many hot-button issues like abortion. He stayed even further away from national political issues and never tied himself to then-President Donald Trump or other national Republican figures.
Multiple people close to Democratic political operations in Bend told The Deschutes Chronicle that what worried them most about Piper during the mayoral election was his “charm” and “affability”.
He was also moderate enough to have had former Mayor Sally Russell, a Democrat, cast the tie-breaking vote for his appointment to City Council in 2019 - though the move was highly controversial. Russell went on to endorse Piper in the 2022 mayoral election.
Piper continues to be active in the community after losing his bid for mayor. He was recently appointed by Deschutes county commissioners to fill a seat on the COIC board representing Central Oregon business after Bend Chamber leader, Katy Brooks, stepped down from the position.
Among Republican circles in Central Oregon, it is neither controversial nor unusual to be tied to Scott Stuart, an influential member of People’s Rights Oregon District 5 (PRO5) - especially since he and his followers have recently taken over the Deschutes County Republican Party. Stuart is far to the right of staunch conservatives like Commissioner Tony Debone, who he unsuccessfully tried to primary in 2022. DeBone was present at the Republican fundraiser along with Piper.
Stuart and his fellow People’s Rights associates, who also won leadership roles in the party, are sure to bring the Deschutes County Republican Party more to the right and alienate the type of moderate voters Chris Piper appealed to in his 2022 mayoral campaign. Large amounts of campaign cash for conservative candidates in the past have come from developers and the business community. Will that financial support continue as the Party takes a turn further right?
Peoples Rights Oregon District 5 or PRO5 is one of 16 state offshoots of Peoples Rights - a controversial right-wing organization founded and led by Ammon Bundy - part militia, part political operation. As Oregonians recall, Bundy was the ringleader in the occupation of the Malheur Refuge in Eastern Oregon.
With Stuart and his allies having taken over the Deschutes County GOP and the overall electorate becoming more polarized, it may become increasingly harder for local Republican candidates to shake the association with more extreme elements in their party. Few conservative candidates have so far stepped up for local elections this May.
It remains to be seen who will attempt to walk that political line.