David Russ, a Republican from Dundee, is running for Oregon's 6th Congressional District. The district includes parts of Salem and Marion County.
Russ, a former mayor of Dundee who served 10 years in that role, said he is running "to help return morality, law and order, and the people to our nation's governance," according to his responses to a Surround Sound News candidate questionnaire.
Candidate information
- Party: Republican
- Office sought: U.S. House of Representatives, Oregon 6th Congressional District
- Election date: Nov. 3, 2026
- Education: Associate's degree, Columbia Junior College; bachelor's degree, Eastern Washington University
- Occupation: Accountant, consulting CFO and real estate broker
- Family: Two children, four grandchildren
Experience and public service
Russ served as mayor of Dundee from 2015 to 2024 and as a Dundee city councilor for one year before that. He chaired the Dundee Urban Renewal Agency starting in 2016.
Beyond city government, Russ served 11 years on the Yamhill County Parkway Committee and three years on the Yamhill County Local Public Safety Coordinating Council. He is an accountant by trade.
In the private sector, Russ listed 45 years of small-business ownership and 36 years of corporate management experience in his questionnaire responses. He currently works as a consulting CFO at Carolina Corporation and as a real estate broker at Coldwell Banker Professional Group.
On the issues
Constitutional governance and federal spending: Russ said his top priority is a "return to the Constitution," calling it the solution to the nation's problems. He proposed what he calls "The No Strings Act," which he said would "severely reduce the amount of money the Federal Government spends" and translate to lower taxes. He also called for strict federal auditing rules, noting the U.S. comptroller general has been unable to complete audits.
Cost of living: Russ attributed rising costs of housing, food and energy to "a systematic tearing down of our economy" and to immigration between 2021 and 2024. He said restoring domestic farming, forestry, mining and manufacturing would improve quality of life for all Americans.
Immigration: In his questionnaire, Russ said existing laws need to be enforced and that work visas "have been abused, and cause more issues than they solve, including depressing wages across the board." In a separate Statesman Journal candidate profile from April 2024, Russ said the U.S. should put a moratorium on all legal immigration not for verifiable asylum and complete the border wall.
Energy and environment: Russ said a free market would allow Americans to innovate on energy. He opposed mandates that phase out coal and hydropower in favor of solar and wind, saying those policies increased energy costs and damaged land. He said he supports hydropower and small-scale nuclear energy. In the Statesman Journal profile, Russ said the climate "has been changing since there was climate on planet earth and it will continue to do so with, or without, human interference."
Health care: Russ said in his questionnaire that health care is not a responsibility outlined in the Constitution and that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) "has proven to be exactly the opposite of its title." He said improving the economy and minimizing administrative rules could improve health care access.
