David Edward Gedert

[{"question": "Ballotpedia survey responses", "answer_html": "<p>See also: <a href=\"/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\">Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection</a></p>\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-xs-10 col-md-6 col-xs-offset-1 col-md-offset-3\"><p><a href=\"https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\"><img align=\"middle\" alt=\"Candidate Connection\" src=\"https://cdn.ballotpedia.org/images/8/88/Candidate_Connection_Logo.png\" width=\"90%\"/></a></p></div></div>\n<p>David Gedert completed <a href=\"/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\">Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection</a> survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Gedert's responses.</p>\n<p><span class=\"expand-all\">Expand all</span> | <span class=\"collapse-all\">Collapse all</span></p>\n<div aria-multiselectable=\"true\" class=\"panel-group\" id=\"accordion\" role=\"tablist\"><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-bio-393398-2026-03-24\" id=\"heading-bio-393398-2026-03-24\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-bio-393398-2026-03-24\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-bio-393398-2026-03-24\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWho are you? Tell us about yourself.\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading-bio-393398-2026-03-24\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-bio-393398-2026-03-24\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tDavid Edward Gedert (also known as the drag queen Sugar Vermonte) is a small business owner, community volunteer, and minor celebrity from Toledo, OH. Known for his quick wit and honesty, David has never shied away from looking at a difficult truth straight in the face - and finding solutions. \r\n<p>David's parents (Ed &amp; Patty Gedert) were Toledo natives who instilled in him both unconditional love and the value of a hard work ethic. Co-PTSA presidents of every school he attended and community leaders and volunteers, his parents passed away during his high school years, leaving him an orphan. \"The extraordinary lives that they led and the examples that they set is how I survived their deaths,\" Gedert said. \r\n</p><p>Before opening his food truck business, David worked with students with disabilities at the Autism Model School for seven years. Prior to that, his work experiences included Ohio real estate and corporate management. \r\n</p><p>His charitable work reflects the values that he was raised with - a Visionary of the Year candidate in 2024 for the Leukemia &amp; Lymphoma Society, currently on the Leadership Committee for Blood Cancer United, ongoing fundraising for Alzin &amp; the Alzheimer's Association, and countless animal shelter fundraisers are the causes near and dear to hid heart.\r\n</p>\nDavid Edward Gedert is ready to shake things up in the Ohio 9th.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-393398-2026-03-24\" id=\"heading-key-message-393398-2026-03-24\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-key-message-393398-2026-03-24\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-393398-2026-03-24\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tPlease list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading-key-message-393398-2026-03-24\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-key-message-393398-2026-03-24\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\"><ul><li>Our elected leaders don't work for our best interests, and they haven't in a long time. Our 2-party system has devolved into a farce meant to keep us Poors fighting amongst ourselves over wedge issues and culture war scraps rather than uniting to fight for a system that actually represents us. \r\n<p>Their messaging rarely proposes positive change for our communities- they just focus on how evil the \"other side\" is, while they cash the same checks from the mega-corporations and billionaires that call the shots behind the scenes. \r\n</p>\nEnough is enough. Time to send them the message that we're done falling for their old tricks.</li><li>Starting my small business in Ohio is the hardest thing I've ever done on purpose. \r\n\r\nThe hardest part? Navigating the rules of my own government. \r\n\r\nOur system of rules and regulations in Northwest Ohio have become bloated beyond reason. \r\n\r\nLet's focus our government on working for us - rather than actively working against us.</li><li>Legalization - Ohio voters overwhelmingly passed marijuana legalization, and now the people that we elected to fight for our rights are trying to claw back those rights that we claimed for ourselves when we passed a citizen-led ballot initiative last year.\r\n\r\nEnough is enough. The politicians in control don't care about public health - they care about power and control. \r\n\r\nIf I can walk into a corner store and buy a gallon of tequila and a carton of cigarettes, why would the government criminalize a plant with legitimate health benefits, and less risk than the aforementioned tequila and cigarettes? \r\n\r\nPower, control, and the influence of the lobbyists who write the checks and steer public policy.</li></ul></span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-393398-2026-03-24\" id=\"heading1-393398-2026-03-24\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse1-393398-2026-03-24\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-393398-2026-03-24\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading1-393398-2026-03-24\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse1-393398-2026-03-24\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tEthical and mindful AI policies, Education reform, Healthcare reform, economic policy, reigning in government surveillance of US citizens, immigration policy reform, small business development, peace both domestically and abroad, reducing the cost of living and inflation, and being a servant to the people - rather than forcing them fo serve and support a broken system.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse2-393398-2026-03-24\" id=\"heading2-393398-2026-03-24\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse2-393398-2026-03-24\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse2-393398-2026-03-24\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading2-393398-2026-03-24\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse2-393398-2026-03-24\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tThe Liberty Network\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div></div>\n<div class=\"small\" data-nosnippet=\"\"><p><i><b>Note:</b> Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.</i></p></div>\n<div><div style=\"margin-bottom:1.5rem\"><h4>Campaign website</h4><p>Gedert's campaign website stated the following:</p><div style=\"max-height:400px;overflow-y:auto;border:1px solid #ccc;padding:10px;margin:20px\"><blockquote style=\"margin:0px\"><h2><strong>Legalize, Not Criminalize</strong></h2><p>We’ve championed the full legalization of marijuana for decades. Not just for medical use, but because adults have the right to make their own decisions.</p><p>The drug war has ruined lives, not saved them. If Americans have the freedom to buy a gallon of tequila and a carton of cigarettes, why should our government falsely claim to be protecting your best interests over a plant? It doesn’t make sense, and that’s because the real reason is the same we see over and over again: power, control, and the corrupting presence of big money in politics.</p><p>Ohio voted overwhelmingly in favor of legalizing recreational marijuana use, and we did it through a citizen-led ballot initiative. Now, the leaders we elected to represent us are trying to claw back the rights that we’ve granted ourselves, and we find ourselves fighting for another ballot initiative to secure those same rights.</p><p>Our government is actively working against the will of Ohio voters and this is a perfect example. These people don’t care about us, and they haven’t in a long, long time.</p><p>Meanwhile, the Nanny State is trying to restrict and criminalize kratom and Kava. We need to relax the rules around the behavior of consenting adults, not strengthen them.·</p><h2><strong>Small Business, Big Regulations</strong></h2><p>We want to slash the red tape and crushing taxes that strangle small businesses and workers. As a small business owner, I know: you should keep more of your paycheck and spend less time filling out forms for the folks who didn’t risk a dime to build your dream.</p><p>Start that side hustle without jumping through hoops and getting a dozen licenses, from the government that should be helping, rather than hindering small businesses.</p><p>In my personal experience, government over-regulation was time and again the biggest obstacle to success – and I hear the same familiar story from small business owners across the state.</p><h2><strong>Real Education, For Every Student</strong></h2><p>Parents are in the driver’s seat when it comes to the education of their sons and daughters.</p><p>This view is shaped by my own experiences as a child whose mother was a public school teacher right here in Toledo.</p><p>My parents (deceased) were both posthumously awarded Lifetime Achievement Awards by the PTSA. They were co-PTSA presidents at every school I ever attended. I was raised that a parent should have a direct say in shaping their child’s education, and my parents did so, setting an example of direct parental involvement in education.</p><p>We believe in an education system that serves students, families, and educators—not a rigid bureaucracy that forces them to serve it. That means empowering families, especially those with children who have different abilities or learning styles, with the choices and resources to find the right path.</p><p>The system should bend to fit the child, not the other way around.</p><h2><strong>The Rigged Game: We’re All Tired of It</strong></h2><p>For decades, we’ve watched a two-party system that works for its own preservation first, its billionaire and corporate donors second, and the People only if it can be bothered.</p><p>The grand debate has devolved into a tired farce—two sides reciting their lines at each other, often flying in the face of the facts, logic, or reason.</p><p>It’s a rigged game designed to keep us divided and fighting amongst ourselves over culture-war scraps, while the entrenched powers in both aisles quietly split the real winnings: our liberty, our paychecks, and our future.</p><h2><strong>Immigration – Let’s Talk About It, But Let’s Be Real</strong></h2><p>Yes, we need to focus on immigration reform in this country, and yes illegal immigration comes at a cost.</p><p>HOWEVER – do I think that Illegal Immigration is among the top issues facing the Ohio 9th effecting you and your family on a daily basis? Probably not.</p><p>Let’s be real.</p><p>An inordinate amount of time and focus is spent on this issue which (while important) isn’t one of the most pressing for us right here in Northwest Ohio. It’s a wedge issue that is thrust into the national spotlight in a manner meant to keep us divided and fighting amongst ourselves.</p><p>Our immigration system is outdated ​and inefficient. It’s time to break ​the partisan gridlock and simplify ​the process so immigrants can ​come, work, and thrive as part of ​our communities. Immigrants built ​America, and they’re key to its ​future.</p><p>And importantly – ICE does not have the authority to trample on the Bill of Rights on American streets. Immigration reform shouldn’t come with a body count. We’ve lost our way.</p><h2><strong>Healthcare That Doesn’t Hurt</strong></h2><p>The American Healthcare Insurance System is not working for us.</p><p>When a billion dollar healthcare insurance corporation’s AI chooses to increase profits at the expense of American lives, we’ve lost our way.</p><p>Originally, employers offered Healthcare Insurance as an extra incentive to entice the best workers.</p><p>Our system has morphed and devolved to the point that we mandate that companies above a certain size offer Healthcare Insurance – and then we incentivise health benefits over paychecks by offering tax breaks to salaries paid as insurance premiums rather than wages directly to employees.</p><p>It’s time for some top-down change when it comes to Healthcare insurance in this country.</p><h2><strong>The Only Anti-War Party in America</strong></h2><p>For too long, our nation has been ​entangled in endless wars, leaving ​scars on our veterans and their ​families. It’s time to pivot to a ​foreign policy focused on peace. ​We need to end drone strikes and ​military interventions, and instead ​champion fair trade and ​international goodwill.</p><p>Let’s reclaim ​our role as the ‘leader of the free ​world’ by pursuing peace and ​serving as a beacon of hope.</p><p>Want to see our two parties suddenly unite? Watch, the next time the military-industrial complex decides it’s time to gear up for War.</p><p>Both parties pretend to argue for peace – but the bombs never stop and the streets run red.</p><h2><strong>Real Liberty – Everywhere, Always.</strong></h2><p>No government should regulate ​personal activities or impose harsh ​penalties.</p><p>We must end the death ​penalty, corporate bailouts, drug ​criminalization, abortion ​restrictions before viability, and ​excessive employment regulations. ​</p><p>The government shouldn’t draft ​citizens, tax individuals excessively, ​mandate medical treatments, or ​censor private communication.</p><h2><strong>Privacy- Remember When That Was a Thing?</strong></h2><p>The worst abuses to our constitution often come ​under the guise of safety.</p><p>With ​warrantless wiretaps, FISA court ​abuses, and the overreaching ​Patriot Act, our freedoms are ​under threat.</p><p>We will fight to disma​ntle these invasive programs, re​store your privacy rights, ​and pardon whistleblowers ​who reveal government miscon​duct. Your liberty is worth ​defending.</p><p>Our State has over-reached in terms of citizen surveillance – time to reign in the beast.</p><h2><strong>Criminal Justice Reform</strong></h2><p>Our criminal justice system is ​broken and needs a radical ​overhaul. From courts to prisons, ​we must focus on empowering ​individuals, not expanding government ​control.</p><p>America imprisons a ​quarter of the world’s inmates—an ​injustice in a nation that prides ​itself on freedom.</p><p>We must ​dismantle the prison-industrial ​complex, end the failed War on ​Drugs, and eliminate qualified ​immunity for police.</p><p>Abolishing the ​death penalty and ensuring police ​accountability are crucial steps ​towards a just and fair system. ​Let’s shift from punishment to ​rehabilitation and make our justice ​system a true beacon of freedom.</p><h2><strong>Green Energy – Not a Dirty Word, But Not Free Money</strong></h2><p>Listen – it wasn’t too long ago that we couldn’t touch or drink the water here in Toledo.</p><p>Our energy policy should be green – not our lakes and rivers.</p><p>We do need to regulate the giant corporate industrial farming that resulted in our Water Crisis – but do so in a surgical and appropriate manner that doesn’t burden small family farms or disincentivize farming in Ohio.</p><p>There’s a middle ground that protects the family farms that feed Ohio as well as the water supply that we all drink from.</p><p>After all – you can’t water the crops if you can’t touch the water.</p><p>We will transform environmental policy by slashing red tape where it needs to be slashed and em​bracing market-driven, science-ba​cked solutions that actually work – not greenwashing giant corporations with propagandic policies and tax incentives.</p><h2><strong>The 2nd Amendment – Not A Suggestion</strong></h2><p>You deserve the right to protect ​yourself from violence, and history ​shows that gun control has often ​been used to limit the ability of ​vulnerable groups to defend themselves.</p><p>If you’re concerned with the amount of government overreach now, can you imagined what they would pull on an unarmed populace?</p><p>We’re committed to ​protecting the second as a foundational American right.</p><p>On a personal note, this Drag Queen is a proud gun owner.</p><h2><strong>LGBT Rights</strong></h2><p>Libertarians have been historically the most friendly to LGBT Americans out of every Political Party in the history of our nation.</p><p>We were the first party in the U.S. to call for marriage equality in our platform—in 1972.</p><p>We believe consenting adults should love who they love, marry who they want, and live openly, without government permission slips. Your body, your identity, your choice.·</p><h2><strong>Term Limits – Absolue Power Corrupts Absolutely</strong></h2><p>We support term limits for al​l federal officials—elected o​r appointed—to keep governmen​t fresh and accountable.</p><p>Term limit​s ensure new perspectives an​d reduce wasteful spending, whil​e agency leaders must face regula​r reviews for reappointment​.​Entrenched governmental power isn’t good for anybody but the entrenched.</p></blockquote><div style=\"text-align: right; font-size: 0.9em; color: #555; margin-top: 0.5em;\"><p style=\"font-size:0.9em;color:#555\">— David Gedert's <a href=\"https://sugarforohio.com/on-the-issues/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">campaign website</a> (April 23, 2026)</p></div></div></div><div style=\"text-align: center; font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0.5em;\"><i>Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.</i></div></div>", "answer_text": "See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection\n\nDavid Gedert completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Gedert's responses.\nExpand all | Collapse all\nWho are you? Tell us about yourself. David Edward Gedert (also known as the drag queen Sugar Vermonte) is a small business owner, community volunteer, and minor celebrity from Toledo, OH. Known for his quick wit and honesty, David has never shied away from looking at a difficult truth straight in the face - and finding solutions. David's parents (Ed & Patty Gedert) were Toledo natives who instilled in him both unconditional love and the value of a hard work ethic. Co-PTSA presidents of every school he attended and community leaders and volunteers, his parents passed away during his high school years, leaving him an orphan. \"The extraordinary lives that they led and the examples that they set is how I survived their deaths,\" Gedert said. Before opening his food truck business, David worked with students with disabilities at the Autism Model School for seven years. Prior to that, his work experiences included Ohio real estate and corporate management. His charitable work reflects the values that he was raised with - a Visionary of the Year candidate in 2024 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, currently on the Leadership Committee for Blood Cancer United, ongoing fundraising for Alzin & the Alzheimer's Association, and countless animal shelter fundraisers are the causes near and dear to hid heart. David Edward Gedert is ready to shake things up in the Ohio 9th. Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office? Our elected leaders don't work for our best interests, and they haven't in a long time. Our 2-party system has devolved into a farce meant to keep us Poors fighting amongst ourselves over wedge issues and culture war scraps rather than uniting to fight for a system that actually represents us. Their messaging rarely proposes positive change for our communities- they just focus on how evil the \"other side\" is, while they cash the same checks from the mega-corporations and billionaires that call the shots behind the scenes. Enough is enough. Time to send them the message that we're done falling for their old tricks. Starting my small business in Ohio is the hardest thing I've ever done on purpose. \r\n\r\nThe hardest part? Navigating the rules of my own government. \r\n\r\nOur system of rules and regulations in Northwest Ohio have become bloated beyond reason. \r\n\r\nLet's focus our government on working for us - rather than actively working against us. Legalization - Ohio voters overwhelmingly passed marijuana legalization, and now the people that we elected to fight for our rights are trying to claw back those rights that we claimed for ourselves when we passed a citizen-led ballot initiative last year.\r\n\r\nEnough is enough. The politicians in control don't care about public health - they care about power and control. \r\n\r\nIf I can walk into a corner store and buy a gallon of tequila and a carton of cigarettes, why would the government criminalize a plant with legitimate health benefits, and less risk than the aforementioned tequila and cigarettes? \r\n\r\nPower, control, and the influence of the lobbyists who write the checks and steer public policy. What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? Ethical and mindful AI policies, Education reform, Healthcare reform, economic policy, reigning in government surveillance of US citizens, immigration policy reform, small business development, peace both domestically and abroad, reducing the cost of living and inflation, and being a servant to the people - rather than forcing them fo serve and support a broken system. What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign? The Liberty Network\nNote: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.\nCampaign website Gedert's campaign website stated the following: Legalize, Not Criminalize We’ve championed the full legalization of marijuana for decades. Not just for medical use, but because adults have the right to make their own decisions. The drug war has ruined lives, not saved them. If Americans have the freedom to buy a gallon of tequila and a carton of cigarettes, why should our government falsely claim to be protecting your best interests over a plant? It doesn’t make sense, and that’s because the real reason is the same we see over and over again: power, control, and the corrupting presence of big money in politics. Ohio voted overwhelmingly in favor of legalizing recreational marijuana use, and we did it through a citizen-led ballot initiative. Now, the leaders we elected to represent us are trying to claw back the rights that we’ve granted ourselves, and we find ourselves fighting for another ballot initiative to secure those same rights. Our government is actively working against the will of Ohio voters and this is a perfect example. These people don’t care about us, and they haven’t in a long, long time. Meanwhile, the Nanny State is trying to restrict and criminalize kratom and Kava. We need to relax the rules around the behavior of consenting adults, not strengthen them.· Small Business, Big Regulations We want to slash the red tape and crushing taxes that strangle small businesses and workers. As a small business owner, I know: you should keep more of your paycheck and spend less time filling out forms for the folks who didn’t risk a dime to build your dream. Start that side hustle without jumping through hoops and getting a dozen licenses, from the government that should be helping, rather than hindering small businesses. In my personal experience, government over-regulation was time and again the biggest obstacle to success – and I hear the same familiar story from small business owners across the state. Real Education, For Every Student Parents are in the driver’s seat when it comes to the education of their sons and daughters. This view is shaped by my own experiences as a child whose mother was a public school teacher right here in Toledo. My parents (deceased) were both posthumously awarded Lifetime Achievement Awards by the PTSA. They were co-PTSA presidents at every school I ever attended. I was raised that a parent should have a direct say in shaping their child’s education, and my parents did so, setting an example of direct parental involvement in education. We believe in an education system that serves students, families, and educators—not a rigid bureaucracy that forces them to serve it. That means empowering families, especially those with children who have different abilities or learning styles, with the choices and resources to find the right path. The system should bend to fit the child, not the other way around. The Rigged Game: We’re All Tired of It For decades, we’ve watched a two-party system that works for its own preservation first, its billionaire and corporate donors second, and the People only if it can be bothered. The grand debate has devolved into a tired farce—two sides reciting their lines at each other, often flying in the face of the facts, logic, or reason. It’s a rigged game designed to keep us divided and fighting amongst ourselves over culture-war scraps, while the entrenched powers in both aisles quietly split the real winnings: our liberty, our paychecks, and our future. Immigration – Let’s Talk About It, But Let’s Be Real Yes, we need to focus on immigration reform in this country, and yes illegal immigration comes at a cost. HOWEVER – do I think that Illegal Immigration is among the top issues facing the Ohio 9th effecting you and your family on a daily basis? Probably not. Let’s be real. An inordinate amount of time and focus is spent on this issue which (while important) isn’t one of the most pressing for us right here in Northwest Ohio. It’s a wedge issue that is thrust into the national spotlight in a manner meant to keep us divided and fighting amongst ourselves. Our immigration system is outdated ​and inefficient. It’s time to break ​the partisan gridlock and simplify ​the process so immigrants can ​come, work, and thrive as part of ​our communities. Immigrants built ​America, and they’re key to its ​future. And importantly – ICE does not have the authority to trample on the Bill of Rights on American streets. Immigration reform shouldn’t come with a body count. We’ve lost our way. Healthcare That Doesn’t Hurt The American Healthcare Insurance System is not working for us. When a billion dollar healthcare insurance corporation’s AI chooses to increase profits at the expense of American lives, we’ve lost our way. Originally, employers offered Healthcare Insurance as an extra incentive to entice the best workers. Our system has morphed and devolved to the point that we mandate that companies above a certain size offer Healthcare Insurance – and then we incentivise health benefits over paychecks by offering tax breaks to salaries paid as insurance premiums rather than wages directly to employees. It’s time for some top-down change when it comes to Healthcare insurance in this country. The Only Anti-War Party in America For too long, our nation has been ​entangled in endless wars, leaving ​scars on our veterans and their ​families. It’s time to pivot to a ​foreign policy focused on peace. ​We need to end drone strikes and ​military interventions, and instead ​champion fair trade and ​international goodwill. Let’s reclaim ​our role as the ‘leader of the free ​world’ by pursuing peace and ​serving as a beacon of hope. Want to see our two parties suddenly unite? Watch, the next time the military-industrial complex decides it’s time to gear up for War. Both parties pretend to argue for peace – but the bombs never stop and the streets run red. Real Liberty – Everywhere, Always. No government should regulate ​personal activities or impose harsh ​penalties. We must end the death ​penalty, corporate bailouts, drug ​criminalization, abortion ​restrictions before viability, and ​excessive employment regulations. ​ The government shouldn’t draft ​citizens, tax individuals excessively, ​mandate medical treatments, or ​censor private communication. Privacy- Remember When That Was a Thing? The worst abuses to our constitution often come ​under the guise of safety. With ​warrantless wiretaps, FISA court ​abuses, and the overreaching ​Patriot Act, our freedoms are ​under threat. We will fight to disma​ntle these invasive programs, re​store your privacy rights, ​and pardon whistleblowers ​who reveal government miscon​duct. Your liberty is worth ​defending. Our State has over-reached in terms of citizen surveillance – time to reign in the beast. Criminal Justice Reform Our criminal justice system is ​broken and needs a radical ​overhaul. From courts to prisons, ​we must focus on empowering ​individuals, not expanding government ​control. America imprisons a ​quarter of the world’s inmates—an ​injustice in a nation that prides ​itself on freedom. We must ​dismantle the prison-industrial ​complex, end the failed War on ​Drugs, and eliminate qualified ​immunity for police. Abolishing the ​death penalty and ensuring police ​accountability are crucial steps ​towards a just and fair system. ​Let’s shift from punishment to ​rehabilitation and make our justice ​system a true beacon of freedom. Green Energy – Not a Dirty Word, But Not Free Money Listen – it wasn’t too long ago that we couldn’t touch or drink the water here in Toledo. Our energy policy should be green – not our lakes and rivers. We do need to regulate the giant corporate industrial farming that resulted in our Water Crisis – but do so in a surgical and appropriate manner that doesn’t burden small family farms or disincentivize farming in Ohio. There’s a middle ground that protects the family farms that feed Ohio as well as the water supply that we all drink from. After all – you can’t water the crops if you can’t touch the water. We will transform environmental policy by slashing red tape where it needs to be slashed and em​bracing market-driven, science-ba​cked solutions that actually work – not greenwashing giant corporations with propagandic policies and tax incentives. The 2nd Amendment – Not A Suggestion You deserve the right to protect ​yourself from violence, and history ​shows that gun control has often ​been used to limit the ability of ​vulnerable groups to defend themselves. If you’re concerned with the amount of government overreach now, can you imagined what they would pull on an unarmed populace? We’re committed to ​protecting the second as a foundational American right. On a personal note, this Drag Queen is a proud gun owner. LGBT Rights Libertarians have been historically the most friendly to LGBT Americans out of every Political Party in the history of our nation. We were the first party in the U.S. to call for marriage equality in our platform—in 1972. We believe consenting adults should love who they love, marry who they want, and live openly, without government permission slips. Your body, your identity, your choice.· Term Limits – Absolue Power Corrupts Absolutely We support term limits for al​l federal officials—elected o​r appointed—to keep governmen​t fresh and accountable. Term limit​s ensure new perspectives an​d reduce wasteful spending, whil​e agency leaders must face regula​r reviews for reappointment​.​Entrenched governmental power isn’t good for anybody but the entrenched. — David Gedert's campaign website (April 23, 2026) Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source."}]