[3][4] He served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve from 1979 to 1985, and moved to Salem, Oregon in 1994, where he currently works as an oncologist and hematologist.

[5] He won the Republican primary for governor on May 17, 2016, and received about 48% of the vote, defeating his closest challenger, businessman Allen Alley, by nearly 20 points.

[8] However, in September he released a statement stating he "was hopeful that Donald Trump would rise to the occasion and unify the party and nation during the general election.

At this point in time I need to see more from Donald Trump in the way of specific policy proposals and a more inclusive tone in order to vote for him.

"[11][12][13] In September 2016, during a debate with Kate Brown, Pierce generated controversy and boos from the audience for saying educated women are less susceptible to domestic abuse.

Selma Pierce was also involved in politics; she ran for Oregon's 20th House district in 2018 and 2020, losing both times to Democrat Paul Evans.