250 YEARS OF AMERICAN RESILIENCE: A LEGACY WE MUST HONOR AND CARRY FORWARD

As we approach July 4, 2026, the United States of America stands on the threshold of its 250th anniversary. Two and a half centuries ago, in the sweltering heat of Philadelphia, brave men pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to declare independence from tyranny and birth a new nation conceived in liberty. This semiquincentennial is not merely a date on the calendar; it is a profound reminder of who we are, what we have overcome, and the bright future that awaits us if we remain true to our founding principles. 

My 25 years in the military, combat experience and my political experiences have shaped me with the same spirit that animated our forebears. Those experiences taught me the true meaning of leadership, accountability, and sacrifice, not as abstract concepts, but as lived realities. They reinforced my unshakeable belief that America’s greatness flows from the courage of ordinary citizens doing extraordinary things in service to something larger than themselves. 

This anniversary invites us to reflect with deep appreciation on all the Americans who have gone before us. From the Minutemen at Lexington and Concord to the doughboys of the Great War, from the Greatest Generation who stormed the beaches of Normandy to the brave men and women who have defended our freedoms in the mountains of Afghanistan and the deserts of Iraq. Each generation has carried the torch of liberty through often bewildering challenges. They were farmers and factory workers, teachers and tradesmen, immigrants and native-born, bound by a common love for this experiment in self-government. Many paid the ultimate price. Their precious blood waters the tree of liberty, as Thomas Jefferson reminded us. We owe them not just gratitude, but the solemn vow to preserve what they built.

My military service opened my eyes to the cost of freedom. In the Marine Corps and later with the Oregon Army National Guard, I witnessed the unbreakable bond of comradeship forged in heat of conflict. I saw young Americans from every corner of our land, urban streets and rural heart lands, unite under the Stars and Stripes. That same unity defined our response to crises throughout history. It carried us through the Civil War’s division, the Great Depression’s despair, and the existential threats of world wars. This year, as we mark 250 years, we honor those who planted the seeds of liberty in 1776 and those who have nurtured them ever since.

Central to this legacy is our faith in God. Our Founders understood that rights come not from government but from our Creator. They inscribed this truth in the Declaration: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.” In times of doubt, Americans have turned to divine providence. George Washington knelt in prayer at Valley Forge. Abraham Lincoln sought God’s guidance amid national anguish. My own faith has sustained me through the rigors of military life and public service. It reminds me that America’s story is one of redemption and renewal. We are not perfect, but we are a people capable of extraordinary moral courage when we are grounded in higher truths.

As we celebrate this milestone, we must confront the challenges of our own era with the same resolve. Inflation squeezes family budgets, government overreach threatens local control, and divisive ideologies seek to erode our shared heritage. In Clackamas County and across Oregon, families and small businesses deserve leaders who prioritize affordability, fiscal discipline, and common sense. That is why I continue my campaign; fighting for property tax relief for seniors, opposing new taxes and tolls, reforming land use to build more homes without sacrificing our way of life, and rejecting policies that divide us by race or identity rather than uniting us in equality of opportunity. 

Yet this 250th anniversary calls us beyond politics to a higher purpose. It demands we recommit to the principles that made us exceptional: limited government, individual liberty, free enterprise, and the rule of law. It urges us to teach our children the unvarnished truth of American history not as a tale of unrelenting oppression, but as the greatest story of human progress ever told. Millions have come to our shores fleeing tyranny precisely because America offers opportunity unmatched anywhere on Earth.

I have faith, deep abiding faith that America will continue to shine and prosper. Our communities, when rooted in faith, family, and neighborly love, demonstrate resilience that no bureaucracy can match. With God’s blessing and our own hard work, the next 250 years will eclipse even the first; one people, one Nation, one future together.

May God bless you, and may God continue to bless the United States of America, the State of Oregon and our own Clackamas County.