Nominated by: Oregon Progressive Party, Pacific Green Party
Occupational Background: LongHaul Truck Driver, UAW Aircraft Mechanic
Educational Background: Portland State University, Clackamas Community College
Prior Civic Leadership: Boards: Oregon Consumer League, Oregon Voter Rights Coalition, Willamette Neighborhood Association; Shop Steward and Union Organizer
Chris Henry is the U.S. Senate candidate of the Oregon Progressive Party and of the Pacific Green Party.
Others in the race are Jeff Merkley (Democrat) and David Brock Smith (Republican from Port Orford).
The pollsters and pundits say there is a 100% chance that Jeff Merkley will win. But we need to vote for Chris Henry to show support for truly progressive policies and to preserve the very existence of the Oregon Progressive Party.
Don't Let the Democrats and Republicans
Kill the Oregon Progressive Party
The Democrats and Republicans in the Oregon Legislature don't like "minor parties" like the Oregon Progressive Party and Pacific Green Party. So they made a law that requires smaller minor parties to earn 1% of the total votes in a statewide candidate race . . . or be automatically terminated. There are only 2 statewide races this year: Governor and U.S. Senator. The Oregon Progressive Party is not running a candidate for Governor. So Chris Henry needs to earn that 1% of the vote in this race, or the party dies.
Chris Henry on his True Progressive Platform:
I support working people, real campaign finance reform (ending Citizens United and much more) democratization of the workplace, publicly-funded education from pre-K to trade guilds and higher education, Medicare for All, protecting the environment and climate, and ending the endless corruption of Trump and his cronies.
Here are just a few of my positions. Many more are at My Positions and my Detailed Platform.
CUT THE MASSIVE U.S. MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
Not to mention the pointless attack on Iran and the resulting chaos in energy markets, the U.S. Military has 128 foreign bases in 51 countries and operations in 29 more countries and eats up 50% of all federal discretionary spending ($1 trillion this year, more next year). Our national debt is over $40 trillion.
HEALTH CARE: MEDICARE FOR ALL (at least)
All other 37 industrialized economies in the OECD provide universal healthcare. But in the U.S.–even with the most expensive healthcare system in the world–over 30 million have no health insurance, and the ranks of the uninsured will grow dramatically next year.
HIGHER WAGES AND BETTER WORKING CONDITIONS
Let's stop the ludicrous tariffs and also "free trade" deals that let corporations override labor, consumer protections and environmental policies.
END DARK MONEY IN POLITICS!
NO SPECIAL INTERESTS ARE FUNDING MY CAMPAIGN!
Jeff Merkley's campaign has spent $3 million and has $6.6 million in the bank. His donors include corporate lawyers and lobbyists, securities brokers, hedge fund operators, gambling executives, and almost $1.2 million from out-of-state donors. See OpenSecrets.org.
Get Ready for the Cascadia Megaquake
The Oregon Department of Geology reported in 2018 that the coming Cascadia Megaquake would cause in Portland alone "more than $80 billion in building damage, tens of thousands of people wounded or killed and more than 250,000 people facing long-term displacement."
I propose a dedicated federal "Shaky Day Fund" that would support:
- Seismic retrofits for schools, hospitals, bridges, ports, emergency facilities, and homes
- Backup power and resilient communications
- Emergency water, food and medical supplies
- Resilient transportation and freight infrastructure
- Regional coordination among federal, state, Tribal, county and municipal governments.
- Scientific monitoring and public preparedness.
STOP THE WALL STREET RIPOFF OF OREGON!
The bankers and hedge fund operators of Wall Street are ripping us off to the tune of $1.3 billion per year.
The State of Oregon has over $116 billion of long-term investment funds, much of it given to vulture capitalists, corporate raiders, leveraged buyout artists, and hedge funds. They charge Oregon huge fees; over $1.27 billion in 2025 alone. They invest nearly all of Oregon's money in enterprises outside of Oregon. Over $30 billion is in the hands of secretive "private equity" and hedge fund operators.
The State of Oregon and its counties, cities, and districts also pay huge fees to Wall Street in order to issue bonds to pay for public works. Local governments issue an average of $4.5 billion in bonds per year, and the State of Oregon issues around $1.7 billion. The fees generally average around 1%, which means $62 million per year.
So Wall Street gets paid to take our money and then gets paid again to loan it back to us.
Cut out the middle men. Oregon should use its investment funds for public works, housing, and small business opportunities in Oregon. Local governments should borrow funds from the State of Oregon and avoid huge Wall Street fees.