Hero soldier turned congressional candidate: Voters 'sick' of economic woes, rising crime

In an interview with Fox News Digital, former U.S. Army soldier, Alek Skarlatos laid out why his military experience had prepared him to represent Oregonians tired of one-party rule.

Brandon Gillespie is an associate editor at Fox News. Follow him on Twitter at @brandon_cg.

"I think people have had enough of this one party leadership that's obviously taken us down the wrong path," Skarlatos said when asked about his chances in the seat slightly favored by Democrats in the November midterm elections.

"I'm appealing to everyone in the district, [including] Democrats who've had enough of the one party rule in this state for 40 years. Things have not improved under that 40 year tenure of the Democrat Party running the state," he later added. "I'm appealing to unaffiliated voters, which I think are going to swing our way in this election regardless. And hopefully the Republicans show up to vote for me as well."