Jimmy Crumpacker might not be who you think he is | EP 37

This may be our most surprising podcast episode to date. Folks may remember Jimmy Crumpacker as a candidate for Oregon's 2nd Congressional District in 2020, running as a staunchly conservative Republican (he had a popular ad that labeled him as a "Trumpbacker") to replace retiring Congressman Greg Walden. In a tight four-way race, he finished behind eventual winner Congressman Cliff Bentz, Knute Buehler, and Jason Atkinson. Now, Crumpacker is running again, this time in the new, ultra-competitive 5th Congressional District. He will face former Mayor Lori Chavez DeRemer in the primary (Congressman Kurt Schrader faces Jamie McLeod Skinner in the Democratic Primary). This episode starts with Jimmy's personal background, but veers quickly into a fascinating conversation on global geopolitics, including how the U.S. should handle China. This conversation on foreign affairs was the deepest of any we've had so far, and we really enjoyed it. We also talk about two of Jimmy's "celebrity donors", his beliefs on investing government funds, why 2020 was a challenging year for new candidates, and how he plans to appeal to voters of color this cycle.