Oregon Republican Governor nominee?
$230.7K
MAY 26, 2026Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Overview
Current roleMixed martial artist (retired)
PartyRepublican
Political ideologyConservative Republican
Age49 years old (Apr 3, 1977)
GenderMale
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LocationOregon
BackgroundMixed martial artist (retired)
EducationUniversity of Oregon (B.S., Sociology, 2001)
Notable personal detailsChael Patrick Sonnen is an American former mixed martial artist and professional wrestling personality from Oregon. He competed in MMA for organizations including the UFC and Bellator, and later became a commentator and media personality. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 2001 with a B.S. in sociology. Sonnen has also been involved in Oregon politics, including a past attempt to run for the Oregon House of Representatives.
SourcesShowHide
Positions
Healthcare
The candidate has not articulated a clear, detailed healthcare platform. In past public remarks he described the federal healthcare bill (the ACA) as complex and said Republicans had not presented a better alternative, indicating noncommittal or undeveloped positions on major healthcare reforms.
Public Safety & Guns
The candidate favors aggressive, law-and-order approaches to public safety and has proposed deputizing nontraditional armed groups to fight crime; he frames armed citizens and deputized individuals as part of the solution to school shootings and violent crime. He has not published a detailed gun-policy platform on his official site that specifies positions on background checks, red flag laws, or assault-weapon restrictions.
News
Chael Sonnen is in the news because he is a candidate in Oregon’s Republican gubernatorial primary. The latest update is a reminder that voters must be registered as Republicans by April 28 to take part in that primary. The reporting does not add any new campaign developments about Sonnen himself.
New updates coming soon
We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
- Polls
- Endorsements
- Fundraising