Gary Lyndon Dye is running as a Libertarian for U.S. Senate in Oregon in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. He is certified for the ballot, according to BallotReady election data.

The race is one of Oregon's marquee contests. Dye faces three other candidates: Jeff Merkley (Working Families Party/Democratic), David Brock Smith (Republican) and Chris Henry (Progressive/Pacific Green).

Dye holds three degrees, according to his iVoterGuide candidate profile. He brings decades of engineering experience and civic involvement to the race.

Candidate information

  • Party: Libertarian
  • Office sought: U.S. Senate, Oregon
  • Election date: Nov. 3, 2026
  • Education: Bachelor's degree in chemical engineering, Oregon State University (1981); master's degree, Pepperdine University (1989); bachelor's degree in mathematics and physics, University of California, Irvine (1991), according to Dye's iVoterGuide candidate profile

Experience and public service

Dye said he worked as an engineer at Shell Oil Co., Saudi Aramco and Baker Petrolite over the course of his career. BallotReady profile data lists him as a gas measurement engineer at NW Natural from 2000 to 2012.

On the civic side, Dye said he served as a member of the David Douglas Citizen Budget Committee and as a director of Brooklyn Action Corp. He also said he served as a director of Western Gas Measurement and as a member of the American Gas Association.

On the issues

The following positions are based on Dye's responses to the iVoterGuide candidate questionnaire.

Social Security: Dye said he wants to convert the Social Security Trust Fund from government bonds to a sovereign wealth fund that invests in the U.S. economy. He said the government is exploiting Social Security recipients by mandating investment in its poor-return debt.

Healthcare: Dye said he supports privatizing the healthcare industry. He said private charity should aid those who cannot afford care. He called for hospitals and doctors to make their costs and prices transparent so competition can make the industry more efficient and affordable.

Foreign policy and military: Dye said he wants to remove all U.S. troops from foreign lands and eliminate what he called the country's "foreign adventurist military."

Tax reform: Dye said he supports replacing the current tax system with one that taxes all transactions at the same rate. No exceptions, he said.

Marijuana legalization: Dye said he strongly agrees with the legalization of recreational marijuana.

Oregon voters will decide the U.S. Senate race on Nov. 3, 2026.

Responses are based on public data and answers to a Surround Sound Media questionnaire if they were provided.