Oregon Republican Party Platform

All people are endowed by their Creator with inalienable rights. These rights are not granted by government but are recognized and protected by the United States and Oregon Constitutions. Government must safeguard liberty and respect the inherent sovereignty of every citizen. Moral responsibility always accompanies true freedom.

Government exists to serve the people, and it must operate within clearly defined and limited authority. We believe in transparency, due process, and the rule of law. Government shall not infringe on freedom of speech, thought, association, nor conscience.

Individuals have a natural and moral right to defend themselves, their families, their property, and their communities. Our right to keep and bear arms as stated in the 2nd Amendment helps protect us from a tyrannical government. This right exists independent of government and is central to the preservation of liberty, personal responsibility, and autonomy. It shall not be infringed.

The First Amendment to the United States Constitution and Article I of the Oregon Constitution recognize freedom of religion and conscience as a foundational right. Individuals have the right to believe, worship, and live according to the dictates of their consciences, both in private and in public life, without coercion, penalty, or suppression. Government cannot suspend these rights in times of crisis, nor should citizens feel coerced or pressured to yield these rights to political trends or bureaucratic overreach.

Those entrusted with public office are stewards of the people’s trust and resources. Government is derived from the consent of the governed, and it must be accountable, transparent, restrained, and limited. Ethical governance is constitutionally limited and protects inalienable individual rights.

The United States Constitution and the Oregon Constitution are the supreme law of the land, and all other laws must be consistent with them. Justice protects our natural rights, safeguards society, and ensures accountability. Law enforcement must uphold constitutional principles and operate with integrity, free from political influence. Local sheriffs are the highest law enforcement authority within their counties. Public officials have a duty to apply the law equally and to protect the constitutional rights of every citizen. Government agencies and officials must be accountable to citizens to act ethically, lawfully, transparently, and always within the limits of their authority.

Secure, accurate, transparent, and free elections are the foundation of a government of “We the People.” Government officials ensure public confidence in elections when they protect the integrity of every vote and protect the election process with strict measures to prevent coercion, manipulation, or fraud. To be eligible to vote, citizens must meet the verifiable standards of Article II Section 2 of the Oregon Constitution, which requires United States citizenship, Oregon residency, and an age of 18 years or older. The process must protect every eligible citizen’s vote and prevent every illegal vote since such votes dilute the voice of eligible citizens. Government has a responsibility to provide the highest level of security to protect ballots and must ensure complete transparency in the election process. The United States Constitution prescribes the Electoral College as an essential element of presidential elections in our constitutional republic.

Citizens have the right to pursue initiatives, referendums, and recalls in representative selfgovernment. The will of the people, expressed through constitutional processes, must be implemented according to their original intent. The proper role of the judiciary is to apply the Constitution and established law with integrity, avoiding activism or overreach. Judicial restraint and fidelity to the Constitution is essential to maintain the rule of law in a constitutional republic.

A free society flourishes with strong, informed, and healthy individuals and families, not through expanding government power. We affirm the traditional understanding that marriage is a monogamous union between one man and one woman as ordained by God. We also support the God-given rights to free association and acknowledge the freedom of individuals to choose their domestic arrangements without government interference.

Government intervention in the family must be kept to an absolute minimum. Parents and legal guardians are the primary caretakers and moral guides for their children and have a natural right to raise them according to their own values, beliefs, and traditions. We honor families who instill in children the vital American principles of liberty, personal responsibility, respect for others, and love of country. We honor senior citizens for their wisdom, their contributions to society, and for the significant role they play in intergenerational support within families and communities.

Parents and legal guardians have the primary right and freedom to educate their children in the way they choose, including homeschools, private schools, religious schools, and charter schools. The best educational systems reflect the hard-won wisdom of the past and aim to transmit this heritage to future generations. Local control of public-school districts and school boards produces better educational outcomes than centralized control. Children can only learn when they feel safe, including in classrooms, sports, and private spaces. Clear behavioral expectations, mutual respect, and personal accountability in school settings create safe, orderly schools. No school has the authority to deprive children, parents, or guardians of their natural rights, including those protected by the United States and Oregon Constitutions.

A high-quality education provides a child with the best opportunity to thrive in the future. It requires proficiency in mathematics, science, history, critical thinking, and English literacy, as well as an understanding of our nation’s founding principles and constitutional government. Children benefit from opportunities to explore the trades, creative and technical arts, athletics, and military service. Parents have the natural right to make decisions affecting their children about sensitive topics such as human sexuality and healthcare. Transparency, accountability, and deference to parents are crucial in all matters.

Every human life, from conception until natural death, has inherent dignity and individual value regardless of race, biological sex, or any other immutable genetic traits. Respect for life and love of our fellow human beings prevent us from supporting actions which intentionally end an innocent human life. Parents have the responsibility to protect children from harm. This includes nonessential manipulation of a child’s sex, which results in irreversible physical, psychological, and emotional harm as well as ongoing medical, pharmaceutical, and financial maintenance.

A free-market approach to healthcare fosters innovation, affordability, and access, while preserving the sanctity of the patient-provider relationship and minimizing government intrusion in healthcare decisions. Individuals and families have an inherent right to make informed healthcare decisions free from government coercion, mandates, or retribution. Medical providers have the right to refuse to act against their consciences.

Untreated mental illnesses and addictions have caused much human suffering in Oregon. Prevention, early intervention, accountability, and compassionate care are vital to restoring lives and strengthening communities. We hold that men and women are created with distinct biological differences, and preserving sex-separated spaces and activities protects dignity, safety, and fairness while honoring natural law and tradition.

Free enterprise and a vibrant economy depend on free market capitalism, low taxes, minimal regulation, and limited government intervention, allowing supply and demand, not centralized control, to guide the exchange of goods, services, and labor. Fiscal responsibility, balanced budgets, and transparent financial policy ensure economic growth, individual financial freedom, and fair competition for businesses, regardless of size. We recognize the dangers posed by concentrated economic power that mimics the tyranny of central government. We oppose the concentration of legislative power in unelected bureaucrats, which serves to create a tyrannical government that is not accountable to the people.

Private property rights—including land, surface and ground water, timber, mineral, and development rights—are the foundation of personal liberty and prosperity. Liberty and prosperity thrive when individuals are free to pursue opportunity, not when outcomes are engineered by government or corporate power. Property owners have the fundamental right to develop natural resources for economic benefit and to exercise reasonable protection of all property, including livestock. We believe property ownership is a fundamental right, and property owners have the natural liberty to use and enjoy their land with minimal governmental interference.

All American citizens have the right to access and enjoy public lands and waters for a wide range of activities, including but not limited to agriculture, forestry, tourism, recreation, hunting, fishing, and geologic activities. Management approaches and outcomes must sustain local economies, respect the environment, and safeguard the rights of landowners. Transparency, coordination, and inclusive decision-making with active engagement of all stakeholders is essential before the initiation of government projects involving management of public lands, natural resources, species, and water infrastructure such as dams for irrigation, wildfire protection, or streamflow enhancement.

Protection of clean air and clean water must be grounded in rigorous, independent, science-based evidence and advanced analytical tools. No environmental initiative can be truly just or effective if it comes at the unjust expense of people’s livelihoods or quality of life. The legal system must not be exploited to advance narrow interests aimed at societal control.

Responsible stewardship of natural resources can strengthen communities, reduce wildfire risk, protect water security, and support both economic vitality and environmental health. State and federal lands are resources owned by the public. Government, as the appointed stewards of the resource, is responsible to the public to manage them productively. Those who live and work closest to the land and have a direct stake in it are the most effective managers of local natural resources. Outside interference in local efforts, including land remediation, re-establishment of working forests, mineral extraction, and agricultural infrastructure, is detrimental to individual property rights, environmental sustainability, and economic resilience.

Access to reliable, affordable energy is fundamental to freedom, security, and prosperity. Local communities should have a meaningful voice in shaping the regional energy future that sustains their lives and livelihoods.

Oregon’s prosperity depends on economic freedom, local stewardship, and responsible resource development. With limited government interference, Oregonians can build a selfreliant, innovative, and environmentally balanced future.

As a sovereign nation, the United States has the moral right and constitutional obligation to protect its citizens, secure its borders, and defend its civil and economic interests. International engagement should seek mutually beneficial alliances and agreements—both military and economic—that enhance freedom, American prosperity, and global peace. The federal government has the responsibility to prioritize the security, liberty, and prosperity of the American people first, while respecting the rights of other nations to chart their own course toward peaceful coexistence. We reject globalism in favor of America First priorities and the preservation of our American culture and usage of English as our official language.

Our Federal and State governments have the obligation to protect citizens from global threats—including terrorism, transnational crime, cyber warfare, drug and human trafficking, unfair trade barriers, and election interference—which endanger the well-being of the American people. We affirm the need for strong borders and vigilant enforcement of existing laws. However, security controls, or any other form of control, that infringe on the natural rights of citizens are outside of the purview of the federal and state governments.

Strong and secure borders are vital to preserving American sovereignty and national security. Immigration must be lawful, well-managed, aligned with America’s national interests, and foster the integration of industrious, law-abiding immigrants that assimilate into the fabric of our society. Unlawful entry must never be tolerated. Illegal entry is a violation of our laws and should carry consequences, including lawful removal.

The United States has both the right and the obligation to defend our homeland, including our airspaces, waterways, infrastructure, and natural resources. Ownership of real property by foreigners, foreign entities or their representatives poses a risk to our sovereignty and security and must be strongly opposed. Any external interference in our affairs is incompatible with self-government and liberty, and must be firmly rejected.

We support peace through strength—pairing readiness with unwavering resolve, strategic restraint, and principled diplomacy. The United States needs a strong, professional, and mission ready military—free from divisive ideologies and equipped with state-of-the-art training and technology—to deter threats to our sovereignty, safety, and freedom. We reject appeasement in the face of global instability and oppressive regimes, but we also reject unnecessary entanglements that infringe on the independence of other nations or that place undue burdens on the American people. American sovereignty, constitutional liberties, and the good of United States citizens should guide all matters of national defense, border security, and international relations.

We honor the service and sacrifice of our military personnel—both at home and overseas, veterans, reserves, and their families, including Gold Star Families. We have an obligation to support the physical and mental well-being of our veterans and to foster their successful transition to civilian life, education, and careers. We believe in the value of military preparatory programs that promote a positive understanding of military service and develop leadership and discipline in young citizens.

This platform outlines our guiding principles and our vision of a constitutional republic with limited government that honors both the rights and the responsibilities of its citizens. Our vision comes from a permanent moral order that recognizes the realities of human nature and the Godgiven rights of every person. We invite all who share in these values to join us in preserving freedom and securing a brighter future for the generations to come.