With all the news of riots and looting coming from Portland, it can be a little shocking when something good happens. It appears people are tired of their city being overrun as one of the heroes from the 2015 Paris train terror attack placed his bid for the Democrat-held position of Oregon house seat.

Just five years ago, Alek Skarlatos, an Army National Guard veteran was on a train in Paris when a terrorist tried to take control. With some help, Skarlatos was able to contain the man and wait for the authorities to arrive. Hundreds of lives were saved and eventually, Clint Eastwood made a film (15:17 to Paris) about it in which Skarlatos played himself.

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As for his competitor, that would be Democrat Peter DeFazio, who has held the Oregon seat in the 4th congressional district for 33 years. But even with all his years of experience, DeFazio is struggling to keep up with the momentum behind Skarlatos’s campaign. When Skarlatos first announced, his campaign quickly garnered $1.7 million in funds.

Being in the spotlight isn’t new for Skarlatos as his film career landed him a role on “Dancing with the Stars”, but he doesn’t seem to care about his desires over the fact that his city is burning. Talking to Fox Nation, Skarlatos said, “I’m running for Congress because it’s time we have someone who will stand with southern Oregon – the loggers, veterans, moms, dads and families trying to make ends meet.”

Like many Americans, Skarlatos has reluctantly sat by while democrats praise defunding the police and looters tearing apart the very fabric that makes this country great. Instead of condemning the problem, democrats settle on placing the blame of looting, global warming, and Covid-19 on President Trump, the only person endorsing any kind of law and order.

But does Skarlatos even have a chance?

DeFazio has held the seat for 33 years, making it a tough road ahead for the Afghanistan veteran. Taking a look back at the 2016 race, Hillary Clinton barely beat President Trump in the district. While not great, it does show a close number of democrats and republicans living in the voting area. And Skarlatos isn’t alone in his race as House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Sen. Ted Cruz, and Sen. Tom Cotton all endorsed the hero for election.

With DeFazio’s flimsy record over the past three decades and Skarlatos’ claim to fame, the race could easily come down to a few votes, and for once – Portland might be on the road to a brighter future.

This piece was written by Jeremy Porter on September 18, 2020. It originally appeared in DrewBerquist.com and is used by permission.

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