Jo Rae Perkins is a perennial Republican candidate who has run for federal office multiple times: U.S. Senate in 2014, 2020, and 2022; U.S. House in 2016 and 2018. She was born in Portsmouth, Virginia and has lived in Albany, Oregon since 1975. Perkins is a semi-retired insurance agent with professional background in real estate, personal banking, financial advising, and insurance. She earned an associate degree in business management from Linn-Benton Community College (1978) and a bachelor's degree in political science from Oregon State University (2013). She served as chair of the Linn County Republican Party. Perkins is married to George, a carpet installation contractor, and has two children and 11 grandchildren. She finished second in the 2020 U.S. Senate general election with 39% of the vote and lost again in 2022 with 41% of the vote.
Perkins represents grassroots conservative activism with focus on constitutional government limits and distrust of federal institutions. Her multiple campaign attempts show persistence and belief in her message despite electoral defeats. Her embrace of QAnon distinguishes her within Republican field and has drawn national attention from both supporters and critics. She participated in January 6 Capitol protest in Washington D.C., later claiming she removed herself before violence occurred and asserting unsubstantiated claims about anti-fascists being present disguised as Trump supporters. Her three losses (2020 and 2022 in U.S. Senate; 2016, 2018 in U.S. House) suggest limited electoral viability despite strong support in conservative rural counties.