SALEM, Ore. (AP) — A far-right senator who’s rebelled against coronavirus restrictions and said he supported protesters who stormed the Oregon Capitol has been elected chairman of the state Republican Party.
The move comes as the GOP in some other states also takes a harder line.
The ascendancy of state Sen. Dallas Heard reflects the bitter frustration felt by Republicans in a state where Democrats dominate the Legislature, the governor’s office and other statewide offices.
But the move further right has alienated some, including one of Oregon’s most prominent Republicans, who left the GOP in disgust.