Kerry McQuisten is an American politician and business owner. She has served as a member of the city council of Baker City, Oregon, and was appointed as its mayor from 2021-2023.[3] She ran unsuccessfully for Governor of Oregon in 2022, has been an activist for changes to firearms legislation in the state, and is a senior advisor and spokeswoman for the voter advocacy group Republicans Overseas.

Kerry McQuisten
CitizenshipAmerican
EducationInternational Relations
Alma materWillamette University
OccupationPublisher
Organization(s)Republicans Overseas; Constitutional Carry for Oregon
Political partyRepublican
Children2
Awards
Websitekerrymcquisten.com

Political career

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Baker City and County

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In 2018, McQuisten assisted in the drafting and passage of Baker County's Second Amendment Preservation Ordinance.[4][5]

She was elected to the City Council of Baker City, Oregon in 2021.[6] Out of a field of 13 candidates for six open positions. McQuisten received the most votes.[7] Baker City's city council consists of seven councilors who are elected by the residents of the city. The councilors select one of their members to serve as mayor for a two-year term.[8] She was elected by her fellow councilors 6-1 as mayor from 2021 to 2023.[9]

On March 23, 2021, after a lengthy public comment process,[10] Baker City Council passed 5–2, Resolution 3881[11] Declaring an Economic, Mental Health, and Criminal Activity Crisis Due to the Current COVID-related State Emergency Declaration and Relating OSHA Mandates and Guidance"[12] issued by then-Oregon Governor Kate Brown. The resolution, authored by McQuisten, was the first of its kind to be implemented in Oregon.[13] Fox host Pete Hegseth invited McQuisten to be a guest on Fox News Primetime.[14] KTVB Fox 12 [15] and Fox Business' Varney & Co.[16] with host Stuart Varney also spotlighted McQuisten and the resolution. Other media coverage included the Lars Larson Show[17] and KATU's "Your Voice, Your Vote".[18]

The City of Cove, Oregon adopted Resolution 2021–3, nearly identical to Resolution 3881.[19] The cities of Clatskanie,[20] and Canby[21] adopted similar resolutions, as did Yamhill County and the City of Prineville.[22]

In 2022, she helped pass a Second Amendment gun rights resolution in Baker City while mayor.[23]

McQuisten serves on the executive committee of the Baker County Republican Women as 1st Vice President.[24][non-primary source needed]

2022 campaign for governor

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In the 2022 Oregon gubernatorial election McQuisten ran on the Republican ticket for Governor of Oregon.[25][26] Her campaign received national media attention, including two appearances on Steve Bannon's WarRoom,[27][28][non-primary source needed] which also aired on Mike Lindell's Frank Speech TV.[29] She appeared on Newsmax's Spicer & Co.[30][non-primary source needed] She met with Eric Trump and General Mike Flynn in Keizer, Oregon.[31][self-published source][32] She was endorsed by Trump Senior Campaign Advisor David Bossie and Dr. Kelli Ward, Arizona Republican Party Chair.[33][34][self-published source] Later, she attended Donald J. Trump's 2024 Presidential Campaign Announcement in Mar-a-Lago with Oregon's National Committeeman to the RNC Solomon Yue.[35]

She finished fifth in the primary election among nineteen Republican candidates in terms of popular vote, but won the second greatest number of counties after Republican nominee Christine Drazan, who went on to lose to Democratic Party candidate Tina Kotek.[36]

Concealed carry petition

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In 2023, she became one of three chief petitioners for the grassroots group, Constitutional Carry for Oregon (CCFO). CCFO is attempting to add one sentence to the Oregon Constitution removing the permit process for concealed carry via IP-21.[37] Her co-petitioners are Joel Pawloski and Jean Sampson.[38][non-primary source needed][39][40]

Republicans Overseas

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She serves as Senior Advisor and Spokeswoman for the voter advocacy group Republicans Overseas (RO).[41] Together with Solomon Yue and Randy Yaloz, she co-founded RO's Worldwide Freedom Initiative in 2023.[42][non-primary source needed][43][non-primary source needed]

Publishing

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In 2007, she founded Black Lyon Publishing, LLC,[1][non-primary source needed] a traditional fiction and nonfiction book publishing house in Oregon.[44][non-primary source needed] In 2023, she published a political tell-all book entitled The Government We Deserve: The Hard Truth from Behind the Curtain of an Oregon Gubernatorial Election via Black Lyon Publishing.[45] The book was endorsed by former congressional nominee Amy Ryan Courser, Kari Lake, Mike Lindell and others.[46][non-primary source needed]

Personal life

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McQuisten was raised on a cattle ranch in Baker County, Oregon.[47][48] She holds an international relations degree from Willamette University,[49] and has lived abroad in both Spain and Japan.[1][non-primary source needed]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Kerry McQuisten's Common Sense Sanctuary". Kerry McQuisten.
  2. ^ "Oregon gubernatorial candidate Kerry McQuisten to receive Second Amendment award alongside NRA Vice President Willes Lee". Oregon Political Journal. April 2022.
  3. ^ soconner@bakercityherald.com, Samantha O’Conner (2021-01-12). "4 of 6 new councilors will be sworn in earlier". Baker City Herald. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
  4. ^ "Baker County: Baker County Election Second Amendment Preservation Ordinance" (PDF).
  5. ^ Tripp, David (November 6, 2018). "Baker County OR, pass Second Amendment Ordinance".
  6. ^ O’Conner, Samantha (January 12, 2021). "4 of 6 new councilors will be sworn in earlier". Baker City Herald.
  7. ^ "Baker County General Election 2020 Results" (PDF).
  8. ^ "City Council | Baker City, OR". bakercity.com. Retrieved 2023-08-12.
  9. ^ O’Conner, Samantha (January 14, 2021). "McQuisten elected mayor". Baker City Herald.
  10. ^ O’Conner, Samantha (10 February 2021). "City Council hears testimony for Common Sense Sanctuary discussion". Baker City Herald. Retrieved 2021-05-22.
  11. ^ O’Conner, Samantha (25 March 2021). "Council OKs COVID-19 resolution". Baker City Herald. Retrieved 2021-05-15.
  12. ^ "Baker City Resolution 3881".
  13. ^ O’Conner, Samantha (3 May 2021). "Media spotlight on Baker". Baker City Herald. Retrieved 2021-05-15.
  14. ^ "Oregon lawmaker declares state of emergency due to 'wokeness'". Fox News. 4 May 2021. Retrieved 2021-05-15.
  15. ^ Kelly, Brenna. "Eastern Oregon mayor makes national headlines as 'common sense sanctuary' resolution is passed". KPTV.com. Retrieved 2021-05-15.
  16. ^ "Oregon mayor declares city 'common sense sanctuary' after governor bans indoor dining". Fox Business. 5 May 2021. Retrieved 2021-05-15.
  17. ^ Kerry McQuisten - Baker City, OR pushes back against Gov. Kate Brown, retrieved 2021-05-15
  18. ^ KATU Staff (2021-05-09). "Baker City mayor speaks on Oregon's coronavirus restrictions". KATU. Retrieved 2021-05-15.
  19. ^ Observer, DICK MASON The (12 May 2021). "Cove City Council takes stand against Gov. Brown". The Observer. Retrieved 2021-05-22.
  20. ^ "Clatskanie Resolution 2021-01" (PDF).
  21. ^ Francke, Tyler (2021-05-05). "City Council to Consider Resolution Opposing Covid Restrictions". Retrieved 2021-05-22.
  22. ^ Bulletin, GARRETT ANDREWS The (20 May 2021). "Prineville's anti-lockdown resolution survives judicial review". The Bulletin. Retrieved 2021-05-22.
  23. ^ O’Conner, Samantha (May 26, 2021). "Council OK's gun rights resolution". Baker City Herald.
  24. ^ "Executive Committee | Baker County Republican Women". March 2, 2023.
  25. ^ Herald, Baker City (June 30, 2021). "Baker City mayor running for governor". East Oregonian.
  26. ^ "Kerry McQuisten on running for Oregon governor, top issues, what's going right". KOIN. January 20, 2022.
  27. ^ "Dismantling '4 Decades Of Democrat Destruction': Mcquisten's Mission To Save Oregon From The Left" – via rumble.com.
  28. ^ "'Don't Write Off Oregon': MAGA Oregon Governor Candidate On Shifting Tides" – via rumble.com.
  29. ^ "WarRoom With Steve Bannon - Kerry McQuinsten - Explained Why It's Not A Waste Of Time For Anyone Who's MAGA To Run For A Position" – via FrankSpeech.
  30. ^ "Feminine products in boys' bathrooms?: Oregon Gubernatorial candidate fights back". 10 May 2022 – via www.youtube.com.
  31. ^ McQuisten, Kerry (April 4, 2022). "Oregon gubernatorial candidate Kerry McQuisten meets with Eric Trump". EIN News (Press release).
  32. ^ Warner, Gary A. (April 4, 2022). "Aiming to standout". East Oregonian.
  33. ^ "Kerry McQuisten Endorsed by Trump Senior Advisor David Bossie". northwestobserver.com.
  34. ^ McQuisten for, Kerry (March 25, 2022). "Dr. Kelli Ward, Chair of the Arizona Republican Party, endorses Kerry McQuisten for Oregon governor". EIN News (Press release).
  35. ^ Jacoby, Jayson (November 22, 2022). "McQuisten attends Trump's campaign announcement". Baker City Herald.
  36. ^ "Oregon Secretary of State: Election History". sos.oregon.gov.
  37. ^ Herald, Baker City (April 17, 2023). "Group promoting legal concealed carry of guns makes progress". Baker City Herald.
  38. ^ "Constitutional Carry for Oregon". Constitutional Carry.
  39. ^ Staff, FOX 12 (March 3, 2023). "Concealed carry without a permit could be on the 2024 Oregon ballot". KPTV.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  40. ^ "Constitutional Carry in Oregon?". northwestobserver.com.
  41. ^ "Republicans Overseas: Leadership". republicansoverseas.com. February 15, 2017.
  42. ^ "Our nation was... - Kerry McQuisten's Common Sense Sanctuary". www.facebook.com.
  43. ^ "WFI2023 | Stand, speak and act for your freedom". wfi2023.org.
  44. ^ "About Black Lyon Publishing". Black Lyon.
  45. ^ "INSIDE DOUGLAS COUNTY 3.7.23". March 7, 2023.
  46. ^ "Kerry McQuisten: The Government We Deserve".
  47. ^ "Baker City Mayor Kerry McQuisten seeks GOP nomination for governor". March 20, 2022.
  48. ^ KATU Staff (April 20, 2022). "Know Your Candidates 2022: Kerry McQuisten (R), running for Oregon governor". KATU.
  49. ^ "Know Your Candidates 2022: Kerry McQuisten (R), running for Oregon governor". KATU. April 20, 2022.
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