Trump supporters displaying QAnon posters at a 2018 rally in Florida. Photo: Thomas O'Neill/NurPhoto via Getty Images
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."