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News / Politics / Clark County Politics

Lewis County Republican looks at 3rd District run in 2026

By Brianna Murschel, Columbian staff reporter
Published: January 21, 2025, 1:13pm

A Lewis County Republican opened an exploratory committee to look at challenging U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez in the 3rd Congressional District in 2026.

John Roco, 60, is a Chehalis native, according to a statement, and has worked as a counselor, professor, producer, actor and politician.

Perez, D-Skamania, was reelected to a second term in November after a second tight race with challenger Republican Joe Kent.

Roco ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate in Hawaii in 2010, 2014 and 2016, but was defeated in the primary in each election. He also ran as a write-in candidate for president in 2024, according to Ballotpedia.

In Hawaii, Roco opened an anger management practice and later became a University of Phoenix nutrition and psychology professor in Honolulu, according to his statement.

Roco said he wanted to run for Congress to protect the United States from “within and out” and develop Southwest Washington, according to his announcement.

In an email, he told The Columbian his top priority “is removing DEI from the U.S. Army.” (DEI is shorthand for policies promoting diversity, equity and inclusion.)

He also said he wants to “remove migrant criminals, remove migrant freebies, remove Biden’s masses” and make sure sexually violent predators aren’t placed in outpatient treatment in communities near children.

The 3rd District includes Lewis, Pacific, Wahkiakum, Cowlitz, Clark and Skamania counties, along with a small portion of Thurston County.

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