Republican Monique DeSpain boasts about out-of-state support

Monique DeSpain, a Republican candidate for Congress in Oregon’s fourth district, has boasted about being handpicked by the Republican establishment to run for office. Her candor could be a liability for voters who are concerned about having their needs represented.

DeSpain made these remarks during a May 9 radio interview with KQEN. The host asked how she decided to run for office and DeSpain said she was recruited by the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC). 

“I’m just going to be perfectly honest, I was picked,” DeSpain said. “If you had asked me one year ago if I was thinking about going to DC and representing my neighbors and people of the fourth district, I would have told you you were crazy … The NRCC and organizations in DC that support sitting Congresspeople, you know, they need reinforcements, and I couldn’t say no.”

DeSpain gave a similar answer in a March 18 interview with KPNW radio.

“I was invited to consider it by people who are always looking for good candidates and how they can be supported,” DeSpain said. “I took a trip to DC.”

The NRCC and their Democratic counterpart, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, are both responsible for recruiting congressional candidates. It is rare, however, to hear a candidate base their entire campaign on that recruitment. 

DeSpain is challenging incumbent Democratic Rep. Val Hoyle.

In addition to these remarks, DeSpain has touted endorsements from Republican leaders outside of Oregon, including Speaker of the House Mike Johnson.

“I am proud and honored to announce that Speaker Johnson has officially endorsed our campaign!” DeSpain said in a fundraising email “His endorsement is a testament to the strength of our message and the momentum we are building together.”

Abortion access is expected to be a key issue in DeSpain’s race. Earlier this month, she told KEZI news that she would not support a federal abortion ban. Her association with Johnson, who co-sponsored a proposed federal abortion ban, calls that commitment into question.

DeSpain has also touted endorsements from Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Chair of the House Republican Conference Elise Stefanik, both of whom have supported federal abortion restrictions.

DeSpain, who is a military veteran, provided the following statement in response to this reporting: “As a political outsider, I have never aspired to run for public office, but after watching Val Hoyle take vote after vote in service of special interest groups, and not the voters, I decided it is time to step up and serve my country once again.”