HERE’S THE DIEHL – November 4, 2026
We’ve already shown what Oregonians can accomplish. Now let’s build on it.
Friends,
I expected a difficult election. This was worse than I expected. I know many of you are disappointed, frustrated, and wondering what comes next.
First, thank you. If you knocked on doors, made calls, donated, or put your name on a ballot, you deserve our gratitude. You stepped forward because you love Oregon.
Now we owe one another an honest conversation.
We pour millions of dollars and thousands of volunteer hours into electing people who will change the direction of this state. Yet here we are, facing another four years of Governor Kotek and an even weaker voice in the legislature.
We cannot keep making the next election our only plan.
It’s time to take the fight directly to the people.
We already know that can work. When the governor and legislature pushed through their massive gas tax and fee increases, Oregonians organized, put the question before the voters, and overwhelmingly rejected them.
Remember that when someone tells you Oregon is a lost cause.
There’s a lesson in these results. Oregonians overwhelmingly rejected the transportation tax increases, yet returned to power the governor and legislative majority responsible for them. People weigh many things when choosing a candidate. Their vote does not mean they agree with every policy that a candidate supports. When we put a clear question directly before the people, we can build a majority that doesn’t follow party lines. We’ve already done it.
What stays with me most from that effort is the people who discovered they could make a difference. Some had never been involved before. Others had worked on efforts that fell short and wondered whether trying again would accomplish anything.
Then they saw their work matter. Their voices were heard. They tasted victory.
I want those Oregonians to know: what you accomplished was real. This election did not erase it. And we can build on it.
That is why we are building Oregon Freedom Coalition.
We cannot depend on the legislature to carry out our wishes. We need an organization that gives citizens the ability to act when it won’t—through referendums that challenge harmful laws and initiatives that put needed reforms directly before voters.
We will bring practical, common-sense legislation to Salem that makes life better for Oregonians, and give legislators the opportunity to act. If they refuse, we’ll organize to take those reforms directly to the people. With tens of thousands of us sharing the work, each person’s modest commitment can add up to something powerful.
That takes preparation, local relationships, volunteers, and steady financial support. It takes people who stay connected after the petitions are turned in and the ballots are counted.
Imagine putting more of the energy and resources we spend every election into that lasting capacity. Imagine beginning the next petition effort with people across Oregon already connected, informed, and ready to help.
We would spend less time starting over and more time getting things done.
I expect this election will leave the governor and legislative majority feeling emboldened to raise taxes and pass other far-reaching laws, even when those policies lack public support. We saw it with the transportation tax and fee package: they passed it, and Oregonians overwhelmingly rejected it. Winning an election is not a blank check. That makes an organized citizen voice more important than ever.
OFC is here to push back, hold elected officials accountable, and give Oregonians a way to stop harmful policies and advance better ones.
We still need good candidates, and elections still matter. But we have work to do between elections, and we have constitutional tools that let the people make decisions themselves. We should put them to work.
I’m asking you to become an OFC member.
Make a modest financial commitment. Give a little of your time. Sign a petition or help gather signatures. And bring a friend with you into the effort. Help us unite tens of thousands of Oregonians who want an affordable state, safe communities, good schools, and a government that answers to them.
You don’t have to make politics your full-time job. Together, we can make participation a manageable part of ordinary life—and make it count.
I chose Oregon to raise my family and build my business. This is home. I intend to keep working for its future, and I’m asking you to stay in this with me.
We’ve experienced what it feels like to be heard. Let’s give more Oregonians that experience.
Join us at OregonFreedom.com/join. Let’s get to work.