Home Campaigns 2022 Campaigns Kerry McQuisten For Governor of Oregon

Kerry McQuisten For Governor of Oregon

June 6, 2023

“The future doesn’t belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave.” ~ Ronald Reagan

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It all started with a little common sense…

Do you remember what Oregon used to feel like? Do you want that back? It’s time to stand up and fight for our beautiful Oregon while we still can. As Mayor of Baker City, I listened and took action when our local business owners brought forth the idea of turning our city into a “Common Sense Sanctuary.” Working with members of City Council, the city’s attorney and the City Manager, we declared an economic, mental health and crime crisis due to the Governor’s tyrannical mandates and lockdowns. We captured national attention.

Other cities across Oregon adopted our resolution. Our stand crossed all party lines, races, genders, ages, and incomes – and people from every corner of Oregon reached out for weeks on end, asking what else I could do to help. The legal authority of a municipality is limited. The legal authority of a mayor is limited. It quickly became clear that I couldn’t serve in the way I’d like unless I ran for higher office. Oregon has gone from John Kitzhaber’s ethics scandal straight into Kate Brown’s 2020-2021 dystopian nightmare.

Campaigns always claim that change is needed. This time, it couldn’t be more true! Oregonians need a leader who will focus on our kids’ education, fight for medical freedoms, protect our individual constitutional rights, prevent criminals from burning and destroying our once-flourishing cities, remind Oregonians of their inherent pioneer spirit, and prevent the kind of rule we’ve seen from ever happening again. My name is Kerry McQuisten, and I’m a Republican running for Governor.

Visit the Kerry McQuisten For Governor Website

On The Issues

If you believe that

We MUST protect the Second Amendment and defend the Constitution before both are lost.
Allowing our beautiful and valuable forests to burn annually is BAD forest management.
Parents, NOT politicians, should control decisions that will shape our children’s futures.
We should STAND with and provide more support for our police, NOT defund them.
ENABLING and encouraging our homeless DOES NOT WORK.
The government has NO PLACE in our personal medical decisions.
FAILED government leadership and over- regulation are crippling our businesses.
The unborn are PRECIOUS assets and we must fight for their right to life.
THRIVING farmers, ranchers, loggers and miners equal a more self-sufficient state.
The Rural-Urban divide MUST END, and solid leadership is needed to bring us together
FAIR and HONEST elections are critical if we want to keep our Republic.
America is the shining light on the hill—and we have to fight to save her, state by state . . .

. . . then Kerry McQuisten is the candidate for you!

Visit the Kerry McQuisten For Governor Website

About Kerry McQuisten

Visit the Kerry McQuisten For Governor Website

Where I Come From

I’m proud to be a seventh-generation Oregonian. My daughters are eighth-generation. Our family roots go all the way back to one of Baker City’s founding families, the Campbells. I was raised on my family’s cattle ranch in Bridgeport, in the southern Baker County. My grandparents, parents, sister and I lived off the grid and worked the land. I remember when my grandparents bought a Pelton wheel for the creek to generate electricity. When the creek ran dry, as it did most Augusts, we relied on the diesel generator. My childhood taught me to be self-sufficient and independent, and it taught me that our farmers, ranchers, miners and loggers are the best possible stewards of the land.

A Thriving Career

I attended school in Baker County. Before graduation, my Spanish teacher gave me the opportunity to take an SAT-style test in Spanish. That test resulted in a scholarship to study at the University of Madrid, Spain. So off I went! I came back stateside and finished my B.A. in Salem at Willamette University. I was focused on International Relations (economics, poli-sci, history, German language emphasis…) and ended up with a job offer in Kawagoe, Japan, just outside Tokyo after graduation. I taught English at Kawagoe’s schools, and to adults at the Honda factory. I did voiceover work on educational videos. I helped organize a large international conference with participants from all over the world gathering in Japan. My experience overseas is something I cherish, and I returned home with a deep appreciation of other cultures, including my own here in America.

After Japan, I moved to the Seattle area. I worked in the publishing industry briefly until that company relocated to Toronto. I then accepted a marketing coordinator position at a large international architecture/engineering/construction (AEC) company with offices all over the U.S., U.K. and Canada. Over the next several years, I worked up through the ranks in that industry until I eventually became Vice President of Marketing, also overseeing business development, advertising, public relations and communications. My biggest RFP-response win, and that of my staff and the engineers we put forth as a team, was a $35-million contract. I’m still in touch with many of those colleagues to this day.

Visit the Kerry McQuisten For Governor Website

In my early 30s (I’m 49 now, so do the math!) I came back to Baker City to be near family, and founded Black Lyon Publishing, LLC. While I enjoyed the AEC industry, I absolutely love books! I was named Entrepreneur of the Year by the Northeast Oregon Economic Development District, and featured in various magazines, business journals, and newspapers across Oregon over the years. My company has grown from “micro” into what is technically a mid-sized traditional publishing house in an industry that sees most startups fail within the first four years. My authors and I have had wonderful success, topping out multiple Amazon charts at #1, and even making the Forbes “Best of” Christmas list last year.

Getting Personal

I’m a single mom who is lucky enough to have two beautiful daughters, and remain on friendly terms with my ex. Our youngest is 10 and in fifth grade. She has never been masked, cohort-ed or divided from her friends by plexiglass. Our oldest is a college student and talented graphic designer. I’m blessed with a supportive family and a strong inner circle of friends, some of whom go back to my pre-school years! They are all firmly behind my campaign. My youngest is addicted to fishing these days, so we do that quite a bit. In my free time, I also enjoy hiking and long road trips. I currently serve as the mayor of Baker City.