Republican Congress members in the Oregon House of Representatives have reached their boiling point when it comes to state Rep. Cyrus Javadi, who they claim has basically been voting like a Democrat for a long, long time, accusing him of being a Republican in Name Only (RINO). Well, now he’s not even that. Javadi has abandoned his conservative values and the party that champions them, officially joining the Democratic Party.
Not only did he ditch the GOP, but he’s planning to run as a Democrat in the 2026 midterm election. Addressing the switch in a statement, Javadi said, “Being an elected leader has never been about party loyalty to me. It’s been about how I can best fight for our community and our state.”
In reality, many of his constituents and colleagues believe the switch occurred months ago, when he began voting with Democrats on hot-button issues during the five-month legislative session. Javadi, a dentist, supported a bill that made it difficult for schools and educational institutions to ban controversial books. He wrote a long-winded piece about his views on the topic on his Substack account.
Along with that, Javadi supported a resolution to honor Black drag performers when members of his now former party refused to even show up for the vote. The defecting congressman also backed the renewal of a tax on health care providers that would help bring in funding for the federal Medicaid program. All of this eventually led to a recall campaign against Javadi, but it was a vote that happened earlier in the week that finally cut his ties with the GOP.
According to OPB, Javadi was the sole Republican who cast a vote in favor of a package of tax and fee hikes from Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek, with the money earmarked for road maintenance and to avoid layoffs. Had Javadi not supported the bill, it would have died. The choice to back the legislation would make it extremely difficult for Javadi to win re-election next year as a Republican, a reality he even acknowledged from the chamber floor.
“I think my job’s worth the handful of jobs [the bill is] going to save in Astoria if it comes to that,” he went on to say about his support for the package. “Or the hundreds more it’s going to save across the state.” Many already believed someone would challenge Javadi for the GOP nomination and likely oust him as the party’s nominee for the seat.
Javadi has a better chance of getting elected as a Democrat as he represents House District 32, which is considered up for grabs by both parties. Voters in the district tend to lean more Democratic, by a total of 2,000, however non-affiliated voters outnumber both Democrats and Republicans.
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Javadi has already been doing work with FuturePAC, the campaign arm for House Democrats, which likely means he won’t face a strong opponent in the primary race. As of this writing, no one has filed a political action committee that reveals plans to run for the seat.
The Oregon state congressman wrote on his Substack that his former colleagues in the GOP have not been shy about voicing their disdain for him and his liberal values. Many have referred to him as “vile,” a “criminal,” and even a “traitor.” However, Javadi said by the time the regular session drew to a close, he’d already grown to dislike his party’s values.
“Every priority for Oregon’s North Coast, nearly every single one, ran into opposition from my own party,” Javadi explained in a Substack post. “Protecting Medicaid benefits for the nearly 60% of children in Tillamook and Clatsop counties? Opposed. Keeping rural hospitals afloat? Opposed. Preserving students’ access to books that reflect who they are? Opposed. Protecting the First Amendment rights of people different from ourselves? Opposed.”
He then gave the same line that many spout when flipping sides, saying he doesn’t believe he’s changed, but his party has. “Time after time this past session, it was Democrats who stepped up to support the priorities of the coast, even though I wore the other team’s jersey,” his post continued. “It didn’t matter to them. What mattered was whether the policy worked.”
Evergreen PAC, the House Republicans’ campaign arm, responded to the switch by stating that they remain steadfast in their values and principles, such as lowering taxes, improving schools, and helping the homeless. “That mission is not affected by today’s announcement,” Evergreen PAC replied in a statement. “Instead it strengthens our work, and our caucus, to advance those ideals by giving the north coast the opportunity to support a new leader who will put the needs of their communities above themselves.”
Featured Image: screenshot from embedded video