Justin Filip says he is building people power running as the Green Party candidate in Oregon’s 4th Congressional District. Filip says “the purpose of a congressional and presidential campaign is those are our biggest platforms for getting their Green message out.”

Filip is running against incumbent Democratic Rep. Val Hoyle, Republican nominee Monique DeSpain and Libertarian candidate Dan Bahlen. The general election is Nov. 5. Ballots were mailed last week.

“Without Jill Stein running for president, no one would be talking about the Greens at all,” he says.

Filip says he knew he had to step up when no one else in the six-person Lane County chapter of the Greens would.

The party was bigger in Eugene before the COVID-19 pandemic, Filip says, but “the disagreements about COVID [vaccine] locally amongst Greens sort of hurt our organizing efforts.”

Filip is pro-vaccine. “In my opinion, I think we have a responsibility to public health. First and foremost,” he says. Filip says he founded a new chapter in 2022 after the previous one’s social media became an anti-vaccination forum. 

Filip says the University of Oregon fired him after he publicly requested the university divest from companies and index funds with ties to weapons manufacturers that ship arms to Israel.  

The UO says it followed its “standard process regarding dismissal of an employee,” and adds that it doesn’t “provide media comment on personnel matters.”

Specifically, Filip says the UO fired him from his job as a program manager for donor recognition and reporting for a post on his personal social media. The post told people to not donate to the university on its annual fundraising day, Ducks Give, until it “divested from genocide.” 

Filip is now back at the university in a six-month temporary position that he says the UO offered in a “cover your ass move.”

Filip says the UO’s financial holdings tie it to weapons manufacturers, and that the university aids and abets the continued slaughter of Palestinian civilians in Gaza. 

Filip says Hoyle is just as complicit, questioning her voting record on the issue.

“I feel strongly that my positions are just better than Val’s in every way,” he says. “I’m willing to stand up for what I believe in, regardless of the consequences. I don’t know that she’s taking very many brave stances.”

Filip also says that Hoyle has not allocated a “single dollar” to address the unhoused issue. However, according to Hoyle’s campaign priorities webpage, she secured $4 million in federal funding for workers housing in North Bend.

While not providing specific details, Filip says the Greens’ presidential candidate is addressing the problem.  “​​Jill’s put together a very bold policy,” he says. “We need 15 million homes, publicly built homes over the next 10 years. We need a tenant Bill of Rights. She’s got a long list of things that I agree with as far as housing goes, and they’re all available on her website.”

Filip has yet to report any local or statewide endorsements. So far, Filip says he has raised $3,000.