National Republican group names Oregon candidate Monique DeSpain top challenger

Air Force veteran Monique DeSpain, a Republican, will challenge U.S. Rep. Val Hoyle, D-Oregon, in the 4th Congressional District. (Campaign photo)

National Republicans will provide more support to congressional candidate Monique DeSpain in her campaign against first-term Democratic incumbent Val Hoyle.

The National Republican Congressional Committee announced Monday that DeSpain is one of its 26 Young Guns, the committee’s designation for top challengers to Democratic representatives. Being part of that list brings more mentorship and support from the national group.

“Extreme House Democrat Val Hoyle has fueled the border, crime and cost of living crises that are wreaking havoc on Oregonians’ safety and security,” committee spokesman Ben Petersen said in a statement. “Monique DeSpain is in a prime position to flip Oregon’s 4th District red and help grow our House majority in November.”

Hoyle won the 4th Congressional District along the southern coast and Eugene by more than 7 points and 25,000 votes over 2022 Republican nominee Alek Skarlatos. But Republicans have remained optimistic about the 2024 match, arguing that Air Force veteran DeSpain is a stronger candidate and that Hoyle has been damaged by news about racial discrimination lawsuits from her tenure as labor commissioner and her connections to a troubled cannabis company.

The state Republican Party is also trying to block the Libertarian Party of Oregon from nominating candidates, including in the 4th District. Minor candidates from the Libertarian Party, Independent Party of Oregon, the right-leaning Constitution Party and the left-leaning Pacific Green Party earned more than 21,000 votes in the district’s 2022 election.

DeSpain said in a statement that she was honored to be named to the Young Guns’ list.

“Val Hoyle has been a rubber stamp for all the worst policies coming out of Washington, D.C., and is under federal investigation for a pay-to-play scheme in Oregon,” DeSpain said. “Voters are in desperate need of an authentic servant leader who will listen to and represent them with transparency and integrity and enact real and lasting policies that address their top concerns.”

National Democrats acknowledged Hoyle faced a tough race in May, moving her to its “frontline” list of vulnerable incumbents. Hoyle consistently lags the state’s other Democratic candidates in competitive districts in fundraising, though she has outraised DeSpain.

Notably, the Republican committee did not include Mike Erickson, the GOP nominee in the 6th Congressional District, on its list of candidates. Erickson lost to Democratic Rep. Andrea Salinas by just 2.4 points in 2022 after pumping millions of his own money into the race.

This time around, national Republicans have demonstrated less enthusiasm about the rematch. Erickson has lost three congressional races, including bids in 2006 and 2008 that were derailed by news that he had paid for an ex-girlfriend’s abortion while publicly opposing abortion rights.

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