Candidates weigh in on JaCo GOP resolution of claim Biden win wasn't legit

MEDFORD, Ore. – It’s been almost two years since the 2020 presidential election.

But, the Jackson County Republican Party executive committee passed a resolution in July rejecting those presidential election results.

The committee said in the resolution, “We reject the certified results of the 2020 presidential election, and we hold that acting President Joseph Robinette Biden Jr was not legitimately elected by the people of the United States.”

Medford representative Kim Wallan and Jackson County Commissioner Rick Dyer tells us they believe the executive committee retracted the resolution shortly after it was posted on the party’s Facebook page, but there’s no evidence that happened.

“My understanding is that they retracted the declaration not long after that, so maybe in August,” Wallan said. “Now, I‘m not on the executive committee, I don’t go to every single minute of every single central committee meeting.”

Nowhere on the Jackson County Republican Party’s website or Facebook page has any update been posted regarding the resolution.

But you can still easily find their claim that Biden’s win wasn’t legit.

We called and texted both the chair and vice chair of the executive committee to ask whether it was retracted, but we haven’t heard back.

Republicans running for office, however, are responding.

Wallan, who is running for re-election in house District 6, said many people pushed back on the resolution.

“Joe Biden is our president,” she said. “I disagree with the proclamation, statement declaration, whatever it is they called it. I did not think that was right to ensure election integrity.”

In a state senate forum we hosted last week, Republican Medford Mayor Randy Sparacino, who is running for the District 3 State Senate seat, said without a doubt Joe Biden is the president.

“Yes, Joe Biden is the President of the United States,” he said.

Two of the three Jackson County commissioners both of them Republicans are seeking reelection.

Commissioner Rick Dyer said in a statement, “I think reasonable people will understand that as a candidate with my name on the ballot, the only election i can afford to spend time on is this one.”

Fellow commissioner Colleen Roberts said, “I wasn’t involved in that discussion or decision, and with the Presidential election over two years ago, in my opinion, it’s a moot issue now, but then it is no secret that I haven’t always been in lockstep with the party. I do believe, like most Americans, that going forward we need to make sure the integrity and transparency of every election, local, state, and national is respected and overseen in a non-biased and open manner. I believe in voter ID and in a perfect world, I’d like us to be a community again who meets up with our neighbors at the local precinct house and casts our vote in person. I do remember when President Trump was duly elected that many of the media and pundits (for four years) referred to him as an ‘illegitimate’ President, and Hillary claimed her election was stolen, so I suppose there is a precedent there, unfortunately.”

Commissioner Roberts sent us a 2nd email, clarifying that she is against the committee’s resolution.

We also reached out to Republicans Sandra Abercrombie who is running for the District 5 house seat and Emily McIntire who is running for the District 56 seat but have yet to hear back.