Republican · Georgia's 5th District · 2026
John Oscar Salvesen
Salvesen campaigns under the name Bongo.
Biography
John Oscar Salvesen's first job was washing dishes in his father's restaurant.1 He said the arrangement lasted as long as his father could not find a dishwasher.1 He campaigns under the nickname Bongo, which also appears on the November ballot.23
Born in Burbank, California, Salvesen describes his earlier roots as South Jersey and says he has lived in the Atlanta area since 1994.1 His working background is in construction.1 In his 2024 candidate survey, he named the Bible as his favorite book and recalled Vietnam War coverage and later moon landings among his early memories.1
Salvesen ran against Nikema Williams in 2024 and lost.1 In that campaign's survey, he supported congressional term limits, said he would serve only two terms and emphasized compromise with Democrats.1 He also identified John Lewis as an inspiration.1
His website says dissatisfaction with representation from both major parties led him to seek the district's House seat.4 His current website promises weekly podcast reports to constituents and says he would own no stock while serving in Congress.4 It also pledges to accept contributions only from individuals.4 His site highlights concerns about food safety and FedNow, the Federal Reserve's payment service.25 He again faces Democratic incumbent Nikema Williams.3
Record and controversies
Campaign claim about FedNow
Salvesen's campaign describes FedNow as a tracking program that eliminates cash nationwide.2 The Federal Reserve explains that FedNow is a payment service for banks and credit unions, is not a currency and is not a step toward eliminating cash.5 The campaign's claim that the service eliminates cash conflicts with that description of what the program does.25