Jo Rae Perkins, who says she believes in the QAnon conspiracy theory, beat out three other candidates to win Oregon's Republican Senate primary on Tuesday.
Why it matters: The victory illustrates how a once-fringe conspiracy theory that sprung up on niche message boards like 8chan has become more mainstream in certain far-right circles.
- "Q" is an anonymous internet user who claims to be a top government official with security clearance, waging war against the "deep state" in service to President Trump.
- He drops "bread crumbs," deeply vague hints, for "bakers," the users who rush to decipher them.
- All of this leads up to "the storm," which is when the QAnon community believes Trump will purge the government of criminals and "deep state" operatives.
What she's saying: "I stand with President Trump. I stand with Q and the team. Thank you Anons, and thank you patriots. And together, we can save our republic," Perkins said in a video posted on Twitter Tuesday.
- She also used one of QAnon's primary rallying cries, holding up a sticker in the process: "Where we go one, we go all."
- Perkins' campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The big picture: Perkins will face off against Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley in November. Cook Political Report rates the race as "solid Democrat."
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