Governor candidate · State of Oregon · November 3, 2026
Brett Smith
Welder and inventor; previous congressional candidate.
Reach the campaign
- brett-smith.us (opens in a new tab)
- contact@brett-smith.us
- (503) 826-3412
- Contact form (opens in a new tab)
- Facebook (opens in a new tab)
- X (opens in a new tab)
As published in their pamphlet statement and campaign site.
In their words
Said: It’s you that will make or break this race. It’s you that will challenge the status quo.
Voters’ pamphlet
Candidate statement · Filed for the November 2026 pamphlet; posted by the Secretary of State September 9, 2026; extracted September 21, 2026
Oregon voters’ pamphlet candidate statement · PDF page 31 ↗Verbatim opening of the candidate's own statement; publication by the state does not verify the claims. Skipped before it: the headings “The Protest Vote”, “Protest”, “Vote” and the salutation “To Independents, third-party and unaffiliated.” (no predicate). The first sentence is under 12 words, so the first two are shown.
The verbatim opening of their voters’ pamphlet statement, the same rule for every candidate. We chose nothing.
What they say they would do
Our summary of their platform, in our wordsIn an August 2026 interview, Smith makes opposition to undeclared wars and two-party governance central to his candidacy.
- Propose a state constitutional amendment protecting residents from drafts for wars without congressional authorization.
- Strengthen civilian emergency preparedness.
- Oppose Oregon ports handling weapons for wars lacking congressional authorization.
Our reading
Our interpretation, not their wordsHis plans use state offices and the Port of Portland to constrain federal war policy and large employers; their legal reach and the revenue projections rest on the campaign's own modeling.
Where they stand
Housing and homelessness
Not foundNot found in the sources we reviewed. That is a research gap, not a position.
Crime, drugs and who responds
Civil Defense Force- What
- Said: Would bolster the volunteer Oregon Civil Defense Force, which he describes as a way to respond when federal agents act without a judge's warrant and to help with wildfires, and bars what he calls unconstitutional surveillance.
- How
- Said: Grow the volunteer force so the state has a realistic way to respond when federal agents act without a judge's warrant, and use it for wildfire and evacuation help.
- Measured by
- Not in their sources
Taxes, the kicker and the budget
Wage-gap surcharge- What
- Said: Would impose a wage-gap surcharge on employers with 50 or more workers paying below a living wage and direct the revenue to the Oregon Health Plan and food assistance, order an independent audit of state systems and the tax code, and shift subsidies from corporations to local businesses and ranchers.
- How
- Said: A surcharge on employers with 50-plus workers, scaled from 0% at the living wage to 100% at the minimum wage and phased in over four years; 50% of revenue to the Oregon Health Plan, 30% to SNAP.
- Measured by
- Said: Campaign modeling projects $700 million to $3.4 billion a year recovered, with the full rate across all employer tiers by year four.
Roads, transit and climate
Permanent data-center ban- What
- Said: Would impose a permanent moratorium on data centers.
- How
- Not in their sources
- Measured by
- Not in their sources
The choices this office faces
Every candidate in this race is asked the same 10 questions. Brett Smith is on record on 2, with 8 still open. A question without an answer is a research gap, not a position.
No answer we could findRaise the gas tax and vehicle fees again to fund roads, after voters repealed the 2025 package?
Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed.
Let the state hold back part of a kicker refund for other uses?
Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed.
Should data centers pay a separate, higher electricity rate (the 2025 POWER Act)?
Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed.
Keep the state homelessness emergency and its state-funded shelter beds going?
Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed.
Keep the Climate Protection Program's declining cap on fuel emissions?
Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed.
Keep Oregon's sanctuary-law limits on helping federal immigration enforcement?
Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed.
Require districts to keep and add classroom hours even when budgets are short?
Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed.
Build the Interstate Bridge replacement as planned, with tolls, or scale it back?
Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed.
Pause new data centers statewide until standards are set?
Said: Pledges a permanent moratorium on data centers and calls himself the only anti-data-center candidate.
Raise new state taxes to cover the 2027–29 budget gap, or hold to cuts?
Said: Would impose a surcharge on employers with 50 or more workers paying below a living wage, which his campaign models at $700 million to $3.4 billion a year for the Oregon Health Plan and food aid.
A question the evidence leaves open
How would these proposals operate within federal law, and what are your detailed housing, education and budget plans?
Sources (4)
- KEPW · interview with Brett SmithCandidate statement · August 2026
- 2026 qualified filing · Pacific GreenElection authority · Checked September 18, 2026
- Oregon voters’ pamphlet candidate statement · PDF page 31Candidate statement · Filed for the November 2026 pamphlet; posted by the Secretary of State September 9, 2026; reviewed September 21, 2026Campaign position. Claimed results and numerical premises have not automatically been independently verified.
- Smith · the Oregon planCandidate statement · Website reviewed September 21, 2026Campaign position. Claimed results and numerical premises have not automatically been independently verified.