Mike Beilstein, running on the Pacific Green Party of Oregon and Oregon Progressive Party tickets, is a retired chemist and was a nutrition researcher at Oregon State University for 30 years. He formerly served on the Corvallis City Council.

This is his sixth bid for the 4th District seat, though his first time in a contest for the seat that doesn't include DeFazio.

Beilstein said he primarily is an anti-militarist, having begun his political career in response to the 1990-91 Gulf War.

Beilstein believes the Russian invasion of Ukraine was provoked by the United States and its allies. He believes Russia is committing war crimes there, but opposes sending weapons to Ukraine and supports negotiations to end the conflict.

"I would insist that the United States support negotiations to end the fighting," he said. "This is clearly a proxy war."

Beilstein said his other concerns include climate change. He said he sees compromises with fossil fuel industries, such as those found in the Inflation Reduction Act, to be inappropriate, and supports rapid electrification efforts nationwide.

Beilstein said he believes the United States is run by finance, fossil fuels and arms manufacturing "oligarchs."

Beilstein isn't spending money on his campaign, which has consisted of writing letters to the editor for newspapers.

He expects to get between 2%-5% of the vote in the 4th District race.

"I don't have any illusions about winning the election," Beilstein said. "The main thing for me is to have the platform for being able to speak out against militarism and to bring up the issue of climate change and bring them to the front."