Peter Larson

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Peter Larson

Republican Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

May 19, 2026

Education

High school

Reynolds High School

Bachelor's

Oregon State University, 2014

Graduate

Western Oregon University, 2016

Personal

Profession

Higher education administration

Contact

Campaign Facebook

Peter Larson (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Oregon's 2nd Congressional District. He lost in the Republican primary on May 19, 2026.

Larson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Peter Larson earned a high school diploma from Reynolds High School, a bachelor's degree from Oregon State University, and a graduate degree from Western Oregon University. His career experience includes working in higher education administration.

Elections

2026

See also: Oregon's 2nd Congressional District election, 2026

Oregon's 2nd Congressional District election, 2026 (May 19 Democratic primary)

Oregon's 2nd Congressional District election, 2026 (May 19 Republican primary)

General election

The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.

General election for U.S. House Oregon District 2

Incumbent Cliff Bentz (R) and Chris Beck (D / Independent Party of Oregon) are running in the general election for U.S. House Oregon District 2 on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Cliff Bentz (R)
		Chris Beck  (D / Independent Party of Oregon)

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

Democratic primary for U.S. House Oregon District 2

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Oregon District 2 on May 19, 2026.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Chris Beck	34.4	15,951
		Mary Doyle	19.6	9,101
		Rebecca Mueller	18.0	8,357
		Dawn Rasmussen	14.8	6,880
	Submit photo	Patty Snow	9.1	4,224
		Peter Quince	2.7	1,258
		Other/Write-in votes	1.3%	610

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 46,381
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Peter Black (D)
• Mitchel Knight (D)

Republican primary

Republican primary for U.S. House Oregon District 2

Incumbent Cliff Bentz (R) defeated Peter Larson (R) and Andrea Carr (R) in the Republican primary for U.S. House Oregon District 2 on May 19, 2026.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Cliff Bentz	79.6	79,543
		Peter Larson	14.6	14,565
		Andrea Carr	5.4	5,353
		Other/Write-in votes	0.5%	474

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 99,935
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Russell McAlmond (R)

Endorsements

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Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Peter Larson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Larson's responses.

Expand All

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My name is Peter Larson. I’m a La Grande resident, an admissions counselor at Eastern Oregon University, and a former high school teacher of American history, government, and economics. I’ve spent my career helping others understand how our country works and where we can improve. I’m running as a Republican to restore common sense and accountability to our party. I stand for fiscal responsibility, protection of individual rights, and respect for both voting rights and states’ rights. It is time to reject extremism and return to practical leadership, working across the aisle to deliver results for everyday Oregonians.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Affordability is the most pressing issue in our district. From rising housing costs to higher prices for fuel and groceries, families are being squeezed at every level. Our farmers and ranchers are especially feeling the pressure, facing higher input costs, volatile markets, and policies that make it harder to stay competitive and pass operations on to the next generation. I will take a direct, solutions-focused approach. I will push back against tariffs that raise costs on equipment, supplies, and everyday goods. I will work to break up or regulate monopolies in meatpacking, healthcare, and pharmaceuticals that drive up prices and hurt producers.
• This past year has brought major upheaval in healthcare funding, and the situation is likely to worsen. Small communities in Eastern and Southern Oregon are at risk of losing critical access to care, from local providers to full hospital services. Baker City has already lost its maternity ward, and in Ashland, much of the community hospital is being consolidated into Medford. I do not support the changes outlined in the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which Cliff Bentz supported. Oregon’s rural communities, and the state as a whole, stand to lose billions of dollars in healthcare funding over the next decade. The proposed $50 billion fund from Congress falls far short of addressing those losses.
• “There is nothing which I dread so much as a division of the republic into two great parties…” — George Washington I will work with anyone, Republican or Democrat, who is serious about getting results for our district. I am not interested in partisan games or political posturing. Good ideas should stand on their own, regardless of who brings them forward. I will build coalitions, find common ground, and push for practical solutions that lower costs, strengthen our economy, and support our communities. We cannot afford gridlock. Our responsibility is to deliver results, not score political points.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Tariff and economic issues for all residents of District 2.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

In looking at people, we should remember that everyone is fallible. No one is perfect. That said, I look at political figures such as Theodore Roosevelt for grit and determination, Ronal Reagan for eloquence and ideals, and John McCain for practicality, humility, and bravery.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Members of Congress need to remember that they took an oath to the Constitution, not a political party. They need to represent the people, and if that goes against the RNC, then so be it.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To represent their constituents, and listen to them. To do what is right for the people.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I want to leave a legacy wherein people saw me as someone who listened, and stood up for what is right, not what is popular.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My very first job was at the Portland VA Medical Center as a health technician in the surgical unit. It was only a summer job, but I got to see some very interesting things, interact with very educated people, and help many veterans.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

A struggle for me (that I have worked really hard on), is knowing when and when not to speak. Sometimes listening is the best approach.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

1. All bills to raise revenue must be generated in the House.

2. Issues Articles of Impeachment against both the Executive Branch and Judicial Branch. 3. Represents smaller groups of people than Senators 4. Is re-elected every 2 years

All of these pieces reflect how closely Reps must be with their district.

What do you perceive to be the United States' greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

The greatest challenges will be both internal and external: the great divide amongst Americans will only be exploited further and further by outside actors via social media. Another will be the national debt, standing at $39 trillion dollars. External challenges will be China pushing to retake Taiwan.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Yes. Compromise is incredible important. I will build coalitions, find common ground, and push for practical solutions that lower costs, strengthen our economy, and support our communities. We cannot afford gridlock. Our responsibility is to deliver results, not score political points.

What was the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember?

My first historical memory is laying on the couch at my daycare and seeing some news footage of the Oklahoma City bombing.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Peter Larson campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2026*	U.S. House Oregon District 2	Lost primary	$7,797	$7,797
Grand total			$7,797	$7,797
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Election Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete

See also

2026 Elections

What's on the ballot? Oregon U.S. Congress U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub

Government

Who represents me? U.S. CongressState executivesState legislators State courts Ballot measures Municipal governmentList of school districts in Oregon

Newsletters

The Daily Brew The Weekly Brew The Ballot Bulletin Checks and Balances Economy and Society Hall Pass Number of the Day Robe & Gavel

External links

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Candidate

U.S. House Oregon District 2

Facebook

Footnotes

[show]

Oregon's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Jeff Merkley (D)

Ron Wyden (D)

Representatives

District 1

Suzanne Bonamici (D)

District 2

Cliff Bentz (R)

District 3

Maxine Dexter (D)

District 4

Val Hoyle (D)

District 5

Janelle Bynum (D)

District 6

Andrea Salinas (D)

Democratic Party (7)

Republican Party (1)

Capital: Salem

Oregon

Elections

What's on my ballot? • Elections in 2026 • How to vote • How to run for office • Ballot measures

Government

Who represents me? • U.S. President • U.S. Congress • Federal courts • State executives • State legislature • State and local courts • Counties • Cities • School districts • Public policy