Mark Allen Callahan (born May 11, 1977) is an American information technology consultant and perennial candidate. He was the Republican nominee in the 2016 United States Senate election in Oregon.[1]
Political career
Callahan is known as a perennial candidate, having frequently sought office since 2009 in both Oregon and most recently in Texas.[2]
Callahan sought appointment to a seat in the Oregon Senate in 2009 as a Democrat.[1]
In 2010, he ran for the Lane County Commission.[3] Later in 2010, Callahan ran for the Oregon House of Representatives, unsuccessfully seeking the nomination of the Independent Party of Oregon before receiving the nomination of the Pacific Green Party, in what he later said was an attempt to take away votes from the Democratic incumbent, Nancy Nathanson, in order to help the Republican nominee win. The attempt was unsuccessful.[1][4]
In 2011, Callahan unsuccessfully sought a school board seat in Eugene.[5] His then-wife, Sherry, also unsuccessfully ran for a different seat on the board in the same election.[6]
In 2012, Callahan ran for President of the United States as a Republican.[7] He filed to run in both the New Hampshire and Arizona primaries.[1]
Later in 2012, Callahan won the Republican nomination without opposition for the same Oregon House of Representatives seat he had sought in 2010, losing again to Nancy Nathanson in the general election.[8]
In 2014, Callahan sought the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate, receiving nearly 7% of the vote and coming in third place, behind Jason Conger and eventual nominee Monica Wehby.[9][10] During this campaign, Callahan was featured on Fox News after an argument with Nigel Jaquiss, a reporter, resulted in him being kicked out of a Willamette Week editorial interview.[7]
In 2015, Callahan unsuccessfully sought a seat on the Mt. Hood Community College Board of Directors.[11]
In 2016, Callahan received the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate, winning the primary with 38% of the vote.[12][13] He won the primary over businessman Sam Carpenter, Lane County Commissioner Faye Stewart, and business consultant Dan Laschober.[14][15][16] He lost the general election to the Democratic nominee, incumbent U.S. Senator Ron Wyden.
In 2017, Callahan unsuccessfully sought to become chair of the Oregon Republican Party.[17]
Callahan ran for Oregon's 5th congressional district in 2018.[18] He won the Republican nomination in May 2018, but was defeated by Democrat Kurt Schrader in the November general election.[19]
Callahan relocated to Montgomery, TX and ran in the GOP primary in May 2022 for GOP Precinct Chair, Precinct No. 11. Callahan garnered just above 10% of the vote and lost to the GOP nominee Marliese' Stripling, receiving just above 70% of total votes.[20]
Political positions
Callahan stated he is "focusing on the pressing issues and problems that are facing Oregonians right now, and am committed to finding and pursuing real solutions for our state." During the 2016 United States presidential election, he volunteered for the campaign of Ted Cruz.[17]
Callahan supports implementing a flat tax. He also supports implementing term limits for members of Congress, and is opposed to illegal immigration. Callahan is opposed to both the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Trans-Pacific Partnership.[21] When asked about climate change in a 2014 interview, he said, "it's a myth".[22]
Campaign financing
In January 2017, The Register Guard reported that Callahan received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits - also known as "food stamps" - shortly after funding his 2014 U.S. Senate campaign.[17] Callahan "poured $9,090 of his own money into his candidacy and loaned his campaign another $6,500, according to federal campaign finance records" making him the top contributor to his campaign. Callahan reportedly admitted to receiving food stamps stating, "The amount of SNAP benefits I received after the primary election was very meager in comparison to others." Callahan has reportedly not held a full-time job since 2014.
In a 2014 court filing, Callahan wrote that he was claiming unemployment benefits as well. According to The Register Guard, "Callahan requested to go part time at his network administrator job at a Portland technology company 'to allow time for me to be active in my campaign for the U.S. Senate.'" Callahan further claimed that he was laid off from his network administrator job on March 21, 2014, because his employer needed a full-time person. In 2016 while running for U.S. Senate and volunteering in Oregon for Senator Ted Cruz's presidential campaign, Callahan contributed $2,700 directly and loaned his personal campaign $6,100. He later repaid himself $4,100 of that loan.[17]
Personal life
Callahan has two daughters, and divorced in 2013.[1] His ex-wife, Sherry, supported his 2014 U.S. Senate campaign.[23]
Electoral history
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Sid Leiken | 5,103 | 42.10 | |
| Nonpartisan | Pat Riggs-Henson | 3,306 | 27.27 | |
| Nonpartisan | Joe Pishioneri | 2,061 | 17.00 | |
| Nonpartisan | Dave Ralston | 845 | 6.97 | |
| Nonpartisan | Patrick Hurley | 332 | 2.74 | |
| Nonpartisan | Mark Callahan | 263 | 2.17 | |
| Nonpartisan | Michael Tayloe | 181 | 1.49 | |
| write-ins | 31 | 0.26 | ||
| Total votes | 12,122 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Nancy Nathanson | 20 | 52.63 | |
| Independent | Mark Callahan | 16 | 42.10 | |
| None of the above | 1 | 2.63 | ||
| write-ins | 1 | 2.63 | ||
| Total votes | 38 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Nancy Nathanson | 15,967 | 64.79 | |
| Republican | Bill Young | 7,890 | 32.01 | |
| Pacific Green | Mark Callahan | 749 | 3.04 | |
| write-ins | 40 | 0.16 | ||
| Total votes | 24,646 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Craig Smith | 15,279 | 52.51 | |
| Nonpartisan | Mark Callahan | 6,212 | 21.35 | |
| Nonpartisan | Linda Hamilton | 5,120 | 17.59 | |
| Nonpartisan | Natasha Hennings | 2,286 | 7.86 | |
| write-ins | 203 | 0.70 | ||
| Total votes | 29,100 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Nancy Nathanson | 19,110 | 68.70 | |
| Republican | Mark Callahan | 8,651 | 31.10 | |
| write-ins | 56 | 0.20 | ||
| Total votes | 27,817 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Monica Wehby | 134,627 | 49.96 | |
| Republican | Jason Conger | 101,401 | 37.63 | |
| Republican | Mark Callahan | 18,220 | 6.76 | |
| Republican | Jo Rae Perkins | 7,602 | 2.82 | |
| Republican | Tim Crawley | 6,566 | 2.44 | |
| write-ins | 1,027 | 0.38 | ||
| Total votes | 266,438 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Teena Ainslie | 1,903 | 46.93 | |
| Nonpartisan | Mark Callahan | 1,653 | 40.76 | |
| Nonpartisan | Pat Edwards | 446 | 11.00 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-ins | 53 | 1.31 | |
| Total votes | 3,533 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mark Callahan | 123,473 | 38.24 | |
| Republican | Sam Carpenter | 104,494 | 32.36 | |
| Republican | Faye Stewart | 57,399 | 17.78 | |
| Republican | Dan Laschober | 34,157 | 10.58 | |
| write-ins | 3,357 | 1.04 | ||
| Total votes | 322,880 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ron Wyden | 1,105,119 | 56.60 | |
| Republican | Mark Callahan | 651,106 | 33.35 | |
| Working Families | Shanti Lewallen | 61,915 | 3.17 | |
| Independent | Steven Reynolds | 59,516 | 3.05 | |
| Pacific Green | Eric Navickas | 48,823 | 2.50 | |
| Libertarian | Jim Lindsay | 23,941 | 1.23 | |
| write-ins | 2,058 | 0.10 | ||
| Total votes | 1,952,478 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mark Callahan | 33,933 | 61.90 | |
| Republican | Joey Nations | 11,300 | 20.61 | |
| Republican | Robert Reynolds | 9,120 | 16.64 | |
| write-ins | 465 | 0.85 | ||
| Total votes | 54,818 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Kurt Schrader (incumbent) | 197,187 | 55.01 | |
| Republican | Mark Callahan | 149,887 | 41.81 | |
| Libertarian | Dan Souza | 6,054 | 1.69 | |
| Pacific Green | Marvin Sandnes | 4,802 | 1.34 | |
| n/a | Write-ins | 539 | 0.15 | |
| Total votes | 358,469 | 100.00 | ||
References
- ^ a b c d e Mapes, Jeff (January 30, 2014). "Mark Callahan's party switches, bankruptcy and divorce roil Oregon GOP Senate race". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on May 7, 2016. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
- ^ Lehman, Chris (June 19, 2016). "Perennial Oregon Political Candidate Mark Callahan Heads For His Biggest Stage Yet. But How?". OPB. Archived from the original on October 3, 2016. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
- ^ Cooper, Matt (April 25, 2010). "Lane County commissioner candidates, Springfield district". The Register-Guard. Archived from the original on October 20, 2016. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
- ^ "CONVENTION MINUTES JULY 31, 2010". Pacific Green Party. Archived from the original on October 20, 2016. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
- ^ Asay, Kelly (April 26, 2011). "Callahan Responds To Lawsuit". Eugene Daily News. Archived from the original on October 20, 2016. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
- ^ a b "May 17, 2011 Special Election". Lane County, Oregon. Archived from the original on October 22, 2016. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
- ^ a b Mapes, Jeff (September 10, 2015). "Republican Mark Callahan of 'blah, blah, blah' fame runs again for U.S. Senate". The Oregonian (OregonLive.com). Archived from the original on July 25, 2016. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
- ^ "Who will control the Oregon House: Election results". Oregon Live. November 6, 2012. Archived from the original on October 20, 2016. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
- ^ a b "May 20, 2014 Primary Election Abstract of Votes: United States Senator". Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original on October 18, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
- ^ Mesh, Aaron (May 2, 2014). "BlahBlahBlahGate: Watch What Really Happened When We Kicked a U.S. Senate Candidate Out of Our Offices". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on October 11, 2016. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
- ^ Carson, Teresa (May 19, 2015). "MHCC board has four new directors". Portland Tribune. Archived from the original on October 20, 2016. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
- ^ a b "May 17, 2016 Primary Election Official Results". Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original on July 20, 2016. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
- ^ Jaquiss, Nigel (September 10, 2015). "Mark Callahan Makes Another Run for U.S. Senate". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on October 11, 2016. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
- ^ Mapes, Jeff (September 10, 2015). "Republican Mark Callahan of 'blah, blah, blah' fame runs again for U.S. Senate". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on July 25, 2016. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
- ^ Hubbard, Saul (April 27, 2016). "Four GOP candidates in primary vie for spot to face off against U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden". The Eugene Register-Guard. Retrieved May 10, 2016.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Jaquiss, Nigel (May 18, 2016). "Surprise Winners, Lousy Polls and Cheap Shots—Last Night's Primary Had It All". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on May 20, 2016. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
- ^ a b c d Hubbard, Saul (January 8, 2017). "Candidate for Oregon GOP chairman has recent history of being on food stamps". The Register-Guard. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
- ^ Henriksen, Erik (February 19, 2018). "Here Are the Oregon Politicians Who Have Cashed Checks from the NRA". The Portland Mercury. Archived from the original on March 9, 2018. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
- ^ Poehler, Bill (May 18, 2018). "Mark Callahan has uphill battle against Kurt Schrader in Oregon's fifth district". Statesman Journal. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
- ^ "Republican Party Cumulative Report" (PDF). elections.mctx.org. June 1, 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 30, 2022. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
- ^ "Issues". Callahan for Senate. Archived from the original on October 6, 2016. Retrieved October 6, 2016.
- ^ Weigel, David (May 2, 2014). "Video: A Long-Shot Senate Candidate Heroically Berates a Reporter for Writing "Blah Blah Blah" in His Notebook". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
- ^ Callahan, Sherry (January 30, 2014). "News Release" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on October 10, 2016. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
- ^ "Lance County Election Results: May 18, 2010". Lane County, Oregon. Archived from the original on October 22, 2016. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
- ^ "Independent Party of Oregon primary election July 30, 2010" (PDF). Independent Party of Oregon. Archived from the original on August 17, 2011. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "November 2, 2010, General Election Abstracts of Votes". Oregon Secretary of State. November 2, 2010. Archived from the original on December 11, 2019. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
- ^ "Official Results November 2012 general election". Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original on October 11, 2020. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
- ^ Carson, Teresa (May 19, 2015). "MHCC board has four new directors". Portland Tribune. Archived from the original on October 22, 2016. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
- ^ "November 8, 2016, General Election Abstract of Votes". Oregon Secretary of State. November 8, 2016. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved January 11, 2017.
- ^ "Content Manager WebDrawer - 2018 Primary Election Official Results". Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original on October 18, 2020. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
- ^ "November 6, 2018, General Election Abstract of Votes". Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.