Brandon Hawbaker

[{"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>Brandon Hawbaker completed <a href=\"/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\">Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection</a> survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Hawbaker'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-347527-2025-04-03\" id=\"heading-bio-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-bio-347527-2025-04-03\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-bio-347527-2025-04-03\" 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-347527-2025-04-03\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-bio-347527-2025-04-03\" 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\tI feel like God has been encouraging me to run for this position, so here I am. I have been trying to get our current representative to act on many things in the past and since I never hear back from him, I feel it's important to be there for people. I want to be a representative that you can rely on, trust in, and contact anytime you want. \r\n<p>At some point, I would like to meet and hear from each and every one of you in person and hear directly from you what your biggest concerns and hopes are. I want us to be able to live and breath again, to be able to live our lives without having to stress and worry about what the government is or is not doing. I want you to be able to rest at night knowing I'm battling for you with all my might, mind, and strength.\r\n</p><p>Also, while I'm not your traditional politician like a lawyer or large business owner, I do have some unique skills that may help. Because I'm a Senior Software Engineer, I have the ability to create our own applications, services, and websites to organize, gather, investigate, and brainstorm solutions for issues that matter most to our own district. I'm also really good at digging deep and getting to the root cause of problems and I'm excited to see what solutions we can come up with together.\r\n</p>\nI want to fix it all, line-by-line, bill-by-bill, issue-by-issue, until we're all celebrating together! I know it's going to be a lot of work since we have decades of bad legislation, but we'll get it done.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-347527-2025-04-03\" id=\"heading-key-message-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-key-message-347527-2025-04-03\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-347527-2025-04-03\" 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-347527-2025-04-03\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-key-message-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\"><ul><li>The first thing I want you to remember about me is that you are always welcome to talk to me. If I'm honored to earn your vote, it's my highest priority to have every challenge you face at home at the forefront of my mind in every bill I work on. I will never give up on you and will never stop fighting for you, your families, and your children.</li><li>We need good ideas and we need a lot of them. We will create our own process or system in our district to make sure no idea is lost and every idea is seriously considered in the priority our district determines. I will create forums, groups, committees, dashboards, voting options and anything else here at home to build and create the absolute best legislation we can come up with. We will have our own legislation \"factory\" here at home, where anyone is free to participate.</li><li>I was going to Walmart the other day and I wore my \"Let's Go Brandon\" hat I had bought from Trump Burger in Bellville and my youngest son asked if I could take it off. I asked him, \"Why?\" He said he was scared something might happen to me. It was then, that I realized my son was not living in the same country I lived in when I grew up and no matter how much I tried to share the beautiful joy I experienced as a child growing up, it just wasn't the same. I never want my kids or yours to ever be afraid of wearing something as simple as a hat ever again.</li></ul></span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-347527-2025-04-03\" id=\"heading1-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse1-347527-2025-04-03\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-347527-2025-04-03\" 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=\"heading1-347527-2025-04-03\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse1-347527-2025-04-03\" 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\tI'm very passionate about election integrity, because it is absolutely the most important thing to get right. WITH election integrity we can eventually fix everything. WITHOUT it, we're screwed. It's not one of those few things you can simply \"fix later\", because if you don't get it right now, you may never have a chance ever again.<br/><br/>\r\nWe have to keep our families safe. We need secure borders and we need to keep you armed in case something was missed. We also need to keep you safe from the government in case they ever turn on us again. This includes protecting your medical freedom, protecting the value of your paycheck, keeping your cost of living down, getting rid of taxes, and keeping us out of wars.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse2-347527-2025-04-03\" id=\"heading2-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse2-347527-2025-04-03\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse2-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWho do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading2-347527-2025-04-03\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse2-347527-2025-04-03\" 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\tGod and Jesus Christ. I hope to follow his example, because we're talking about eternal implications.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse3-347527-2025-04-03\" id=\"heading3-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse3-347527-2025-04-03\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse3-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tIs there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading3-347527-2025-04-03\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse3-347527-2025-04-03\" 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\tI don't think I can honestly point to just one book, essay, or film to explain my political philosophy if you want to call it mine. I can say I've read a lot of religious texts (i.e. Bible, Quran, Bhagavad Gita, Tao Te Ching, and Nag Hammadi codices). I love libertarian principles in books like Atlas Shrugged or End the Fed, and have always been open to exploring new ways of thinking including books like The Trap or the Kybalion. Some powerful movies I've enjoyed and probably left a mark on me are the Braveheart, Matrix, Truman Show, and Equilibrium. I always seek the truth no matter where I find it, but I prefer to go straight to the source as much as possible.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse4-347527-2025-04-03\" id=\"heading4-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse4-347527-2025-04-03\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse4-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading4-347527-2025-04-03\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse4-347527-2025-04-03\" 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\tSome big ones would include:<br/><br/>\n<p>-Love<br/>\r\n-Faith<br/>\r\n-Honesty<br/>\r\n-Integrity<br/>\r\n-Hard work<br/>\r\n-Courage<br/>\r\n-Intelligence<br/><br/>\r\nSome others I think are very important as well are:<br/><br/>\r\n-Creativity<br/>\r\n-Open-mindedness<br/>\r\n-Thoroughness<br/>\r\n-Attention-to-detail<br/>\r\n-Determination<br/>\r\n-Perseverance<br/>\r\n-Vision<br/><br/>\n</p>\nTo be clear, I know God isn't asking me to do this because I'm perfect, but he does know I can be obedient in difficult situations.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse5-347527-2025-04-03\" id=\"heading5-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse5-347527-2025-04-03\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse5-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading5-347527-2025-04-03\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse5-347527-2025-04-03\" 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\tI'm a very logical person. If something doesn't make sense it's going to stick out like sore thumb. I also like to get into the details. I don't want some buried crap hidden in a thousand page bill to sneak through and hurt one of my constituents.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse6-347527-2025-04-03\" id=\"heading6-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse6-347527-2025-04-03\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse6-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading6-347527-2025-04-03\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse6-347527-2025-04-03\" 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 most important responsibility of a representative is to represent the individuals that put them there. This means they listen carefully and thoughtfully to those they serve, so that they truly understand what's at stake, what really matters to them, and how to best achieve the goals their constituents ask of them. To me, this also means I have to take as many notes as I'm permitted to take, so I don't miss something and that I can think about these things over and over again. This also allows me to measure, to explore, and to follow-up as needed.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse7-347527-2025-04-03\" id=\"heading7-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse7-347527-2025-04-03\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse7-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat legacy would you like to leave?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading7-347527-2025-04-03\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse7-347527-2025-04-03\" 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\tI would like to come home to my district as a hero and I would like to save my state and this country from destruction.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse8-347527-2025-04-03\" id=\"heading8-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse8-347527-2025-04-03\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse8-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading8-347527-2025-04-03\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse8-347527-2025-04-03\" 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\t9-11, about 18 years old\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse9-347527-2025-04-03\" id=\"heading9-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse9-347527-2025-04-03\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse9-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat was your very first job? How long did you have it?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading9-347527-2025-04-03\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse9-347527-2025-04-03\" 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\tI was a dishwasher for a Mexican restaurant and had that job until I was made a cook, which I left when I went to college.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse10-347527-2025-04-03\" id=\"heading10-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse10-347527-2025-04-03\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse10-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat is your favorite book? Why?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading10-347527-2025-04-03\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse10-347527-2025-04-03\" 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\tI'm not sure I have a single favorite book, but I do like books that have a more practical nature to them like the Kybalion or 7 Habits of Highly Effect People\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse11-347527-2025-04-03\" id=\"heading11-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse11-347527-2025-04-03\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse11-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tIf you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading11-347527-2025-04-03\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse11-347527-2025-04-03\" 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\tProbably someone like Zeus. I would love to be able to shoot lighting from my arms and rule the skies like a god.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse12-347527-2025-04-03\" id=\"heading12-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse12-347527-2025-04-03\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse12-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat was the last song that got stuck in your head?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading12-347527-2025-04-03\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse12-347527-2025-04-03\" 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\tI think the last song in my head was:<br/><br/>\n<p>Alice In Chains - Grind<br/><br/>\r\nBut the last one that was stuck in my head was:<br/><br/>\n</p>\nJethro Tull - Aqualung\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse13-347527-2025-04-03\" id=\"heading13-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse13-347527-2025-04-03\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse13-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat is something that has been a struggle in your life?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading13-347527-2025-04-03\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse13-347527-2025-04-03\" 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\tOne thing that has always been a challenge for me is just not knowing all the answers. It's not easy for me to let go and and have faith that everything is going to be okay.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse14-347527-2025-04-03\" id=\"heading14-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse14-347527-2025-04-03\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse14-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading14-347527-2025-04-03\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse14-347527-2025-04-03\" 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\tWith a shorter two-year term, representatives are naturally forced to constantly reconnect with their constituents. They don't get to just hang out in the Senate for 6 years. One thing I love about the House of Representatives is that they have the power of the purse and I would like our House of Representatives to be more surgical about its spending. I also like how the House can conduct its own investigations. Imagine if we started investigating election fraud!\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse15-347527-2025-04-03\" id=\"heading15-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse15-347527-2025-04-03\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse15-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tDo you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading15-347527-2025-04-03\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse15-347527-2025-04-03\" 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\tIt can definitely help for sure, but it can also be a bad thing, if individuals get to used to doing something one way that they become blind to seeing other options.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse16-347527-2025-04-03\" id=\"heading16-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse16-347527-2025-04-03\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse16-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat do you perceive to be the United States' greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading16-347527-2025-04-03\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse16-347527-2025-04-03\" 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\tOne of the biggest challenges we're facing is a currency crisis. Keeping the dollar as the preferred world reserve currency is going to be difficult if we don't come up with something better.<br/><br/>\r\nAnother very large challenge that is coming our way is the explosion of AI. AI is becoming capable of eliminating jobs that automation couldn't eliminate before. This suggests some serious level of adaptation for this kind of economic development. In addition to creating more jobs in these areas, I think we need to seriously find ways to reduce the cost-of-living overall so that Americans can afford to live without requiring extremely high-paying careers just to survive.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse17-347527-2025-04-03\" id=\"heading17-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse17-347527-2025-04-03\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse17-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tDo you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading17-347527-2025-04-03\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse17-347527-2025-04-03\" 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\tYes. Representatives should be naturally closer and more connected to the people they serve by design. Having regular elections encourages representatives to constantly seek the favor of their districts, which is a good thing.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse18-347527-2025-04-03\" id=\"heading18-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse18-347527-2025-04-03\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse18-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat are your thoughts on term limits?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading18-347527-2025-04-03\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse18-347527-2025-04-03\" 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\tI know some people like term limits, but in all honesty I have mixed feelings about it. I get how we have all these career politicians who only care about themselves, but why can't the voters just decide enough is enough and create a term limit for them anyways? Personally, I would rather keep the good representatives in for a bit who make all the waves and gradually eliminate the bad ones, because having the good ones is a lot more important than having new ones, especially if all the new politicians tend to be brought in from the same funding sources. I guess I would prefer the people to decide when \"enough is enough\".\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse19-347527-2025-04-03\" id=\"heading19-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse19-347527-2025-04-03\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse19-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tIs there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading19-347527-2025-04-03\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse19-347527-2025-04-03\" 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\tI'm not saying I would do everything exactly the same way he did, but I love Congressman Ron Paul, because he always stood for the truth no matter how unpopular it was at the time.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse20-347527-2025-04-03\" id=\"heading20-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse20-347527-2025-04-03\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse20-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tBoth sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading20-347527-2025-04-03\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse20-347527-2025-04-03\" 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\tI was speaking with an HVAC professional the other day and I was saddened by something he was alluding to, which was a relationship challenge, which I won't go into details about, but I remember him talk about how expensive groceries were getting. It made me sad, making me wonder if these economic pressures are destroying families in serious ways. It's a reminder to me about how serious this situation really is and how important it is to focus on the right issues.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse21-347527-2025-04-03\" id=\"heading21-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse21-347527-2025-04-03\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse21-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tTell us your favorite joke.\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading21-347527-2025-04-03\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse21-347527-2025-04-03\" 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\tI laughed when I saw this and my wife would too, I'm sure. This question! To perfectly honest I don't find most jokes to be very funny and those I do are probably not jokes at all. One expression from my son made it so I couldn't stop laughing one time..\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse22-347527-2025-04-03\" id=\"heading22-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse22-347527-2025-04-03\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse22-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tDo you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading22-347527-2025-04-03\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse22-347527-2025-04-03\" 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\tIt's possible, but such compromises should always be taking far more steps in the right direction than in the wrong direction. A thousand-page omnibus bill with 950 steps in the wrong direction should not justify 50 in the right direction. Most importantly, however, we should never assume there aren't better ideas that don't result in a compromise of ideals. That's why creativity is an important quality to me. We should be creative enough to find approaches that other people aren't even thinking of that make every person we represent happy and not just a portion.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse23-347527-2025-04-03\" id=\"heading23-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse23-347527-2025-04-03\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse23-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tThe Constitution says that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House. What role would this power play in your priorities if elected?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading23-347527-2025-04-03\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse23-347527-2025-04-03\" 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\tTo me this means we should be defining exactly what money goes for and exactly how it should be spent. It's crazy to me how Congress has neglected this important responsibility and thrown it over to the executive branch. Representatives shouldn't be lazy about this. We could care about how every dollar is spent like it was our own money, because it is.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse24-347527-2025-04-03\" id=\"heading24-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse24-347527-2025-04-03\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse24-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tHow should the U.S. House use its investigative powers?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading24-347527-2025-04-03\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse24-347527-2025-04-03\" 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\tWe first need to investigate all allegations of election fraud. States have done some of the work, but I don't think enough has been done to get to the bottom of it. <br/>\n<pre>There is simply nothing more important than this. <br/><br/>\r\n</pre>\n<p>Secondly, we need to investigate the border situation to make sure it is fully taken care of. Getting bad people out is one thing, but keeping them out is another. I don't want criminals messing with people in my district.<br/><br/>\r\nThird, I want to make sure nothing is getting in the way of individuals being able to arm themselves and protect themselves and their families. If there's anything preventing individuals from securing their own families, that's a serious problem.<br/><br/>\n</p>\nFourth, I think we need to do an investigation on all the causes of high prices, including food production issues. Some of this is pretty obvious, but I think there's a lot more to this that we need to get to the bottom of. For example, why were so many food production facilities destroyed in the last four years?\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse25-347527-2025-04-03\" id=\"heading25-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse25-347527-2025-04-03\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse25-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat committees interest you?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading25-347527-2025-04-03\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse25-347527-2025-04-03\" 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 ones my constituents care about. If I need to become an expert in a particular field to address a particular need of one my constituents, I will. That being said, there are some committees that I would naturally be able to offer some immediate help with such as:<br/><br/>\n<p>-Agriculture<br/>\r\n-Science, Space, and Technology<br/>\r\n-Energy and Commerce<br/><br/>\n</p>\nWe may end up needing to change or create new committees if needed.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse26-347527-2025-04-03\" id=\"heading26-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse26-347527-2025-04-03\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse26-347527-2025-04-03\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading26-347527-2025-04-03\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse26-347527-2025-04-03\" 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\tWe absolutely need extreme financial transparency and government accountability. The fact that it took someone like Edward Snowden to go into exile just to know the government was spying on us was extremely revealing in terms of how little transparency we've had. There are still so many government secrets, it's ridiculous. We need to know the truth about 9-11, about the JFK assassination, Jeffrey Epstein, about UFOs at some point. We need to get to the bottom of these things and then move on and heal from them. I mean does anyone still believe the official stories the government tells us anymore anyways?\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>", "answer_text": "See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection\n\nBrandon Hawbaker completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Hawbaker's responses.\nExpand all | Collapse all\nWho are you? Tell us about yourself. I feel like God has been encouraging me to run for this position, so here I am. I have been trying to get our current representative to act on many things in the past and since I never hear back from him, I feel it's important to be there for people. I want to be a representative that you can rely on, trust in, and contact anytime you want. At some point, I would like to meet and hear from each and every one of you in person and hear directly from you what your biggest concerns and hopes are. I want us to be able to live and breath again, to be able to live our lives without having to stress and worry about what the government is or is not doing. I want you to be able to rest at night knowing I'm battling for you with all my might, mind, and strength. Also, while I'm not your traditional politician like a lawyer or large business owner, I do have some unique skills that may help. Because I'm a Senior Software Engineer, I have the ability to create our own applications, services, and websites to organize, gather, investigate, and brainstorm solutions for issues that matter most to our own district. I'm also really good at digging deep and getting to the root cause of problems and I'm excited to see what solutions we can come up with together. I want to fix it all, line-by-line, bill-by-bill, issue-by-issue, until we're all celebrating together! I know it's going to be a lot of work since we have decades of bad legislation, but we'll get it done. 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? The first thing I want you to remember about me is that you are always welcome to talk to me. If I'm honored to earn your vote, it's my highest priority to have every challenge you face at home at the forefront of my mind in every bill I work on. I will never give up on you and will never stop fighting for you, your families, and your children. We need good ideas and we need a lot of them. We will create our own process or system in our district to make sure no idea is lost and every idea is seriously considered in the priority our district determines. I will create forums, groups, committees, dashboards, voting options and anything else here at home to build and create the absolute best legislation we can come up with. We will have our own legislation \"factory\" here at home, where anyone is free to participate. I was going to Walmart the other day and I wore my \"Let's Go Brandon\" hat I had bought from Trump Burger in Bellville and my youngest son asked if I could take it off. I asked him, \"Why?\" He said he was scared something might happen to me. It was then, that I realized my son was not living in the same country I lived in when I grew up and no matter how much I tried to share the beautiful joy I experienced as a child growing up, it just wasn't the same. I never want my kids or yours to ever be afraid of wearing something as simple as a hat ever again. What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? I'm very passionate about election integrity, because it is absolutely the most important thing to get right. WITH election integrity we can eventually fix everything. WITHOUT it, we're screwed. It's not one of those few things you can simply \"fix later\", because if you don't get it right now, you may never have a chance ever again. We have to keep our families safe. We need secure borders and we need to keep you armed in case something was missed. We also need to keep you safe from the government in case they ever turn on us again. This includes protecting your medical freedom, protecting the value of your paycheck, keeping your cost of living down, getting rid of taxes, and keeping us out of wars. Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why? God and Jesus Christ. I hope to follow his example, because we're talking about eternal implications. Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy? I don't think I can honestly point to just one book, essay, or film to explain my political philosophy if you want to call it mine. I can say I've read a lot of religious texts (i.e. Bible, Quran, Bhagavad Gita, Tao Te Ching, and Nag Hammadi codices). I love libertarian principles in books like Atlas Shrugged or End the Fed, and have always been open to exploring new ways of thinking including books like The Trap or the Kybalion. Some powerful movies I've enjoyed and probably left a mark on me are the Braveheart, Matrix, Truman Show, and Equilibrium. I always seek the truth no matter where I find it, but I prefer to go straight to the source as much as possible. What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official? Some big ones would include: -Love -Faith -Honesty -Integrity -Hard work -Courage -Intelligence Some others I think are very important as well are: -Creativity -Open-mindedness -Thoroughness -Attention-to-detail -Determination -Perseverance -Vision To be clear, I know God isn't asking me to do this because I'm perfect, but he does know I can be obedient in difficult situations. What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder? I'm a very logical person. If something doesn't make sense it's going to stick out like sore thumb. I also like to get into the details. I don't want some buried crap hidden in a thousand page bill to sneak through and hurt one of my constituents. What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office? The most important responsibility of a representative is to represent the individuals that put them there. This means they listen carefully and thoughtfully to those they serve, so that they truly understand what's at stake, what really matters to them, and how to best achieve the goals their constituents ask of them. To me, this also means I have to take as many notes as I'm permitted to take, so I don't miss something and that I can think about these things over and over again. This also allows me to measure, to explore, and to follow-up as needed. What legacy would you like to leave? I would like to come home to my district as a hero and I would like to save my state and this country from destruction. What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time? 9-11, about 18 years old What was your very first job? How long did you have it? I was a dishwasher for a Mexican restaurant and had that job until I was made a cook, which I left when I went to college. What is your favorite book? Why? I'm not sure I have a single favorite book, but I do like books that have a more practical nature to them like the Kybalion or 7 Habits of Highly Effect People If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be? Probably someone like Zeus. I would love to be able to shoot lighting from my arms and rule the skies like a god. What was the last song that got stuck in your head? I think the last song in my head was: Alice In Chains - Grind But the last one that was stuck in my head was: Jethro Tull - Aqualung What is something that has been a struggle in your life? One thing that has always been a challenge for me is just not knowing all the answers. It's not easy for me to let go and and have faith that everything is going to be okay. What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution? With a shorter two-year term, representatives are naturally forced to constantly reconnect with their constituents. They don't get to just hang out in the Senate for 6 years. One thing I love about the House of Representatives is that they have the power of the purse and I would like our House of Representatives to be more surgical about its spending. I also like how the House can conduct its own investigations. Imagine if we started investigating election fraud! Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics? It can definitely help for sure, but it can also be a bad thing, if individuals get to used to doing something one way that they become blind to seeing other options. What do you perceive to be the United States' greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade? One of the biggest challenges we're facing is a currency crisis. Keeping the dollar as the preferred world reserve currency is going to be difficult if we don't come up with something better. Another very large challenge that is coming our way is the explosion of AI. AI is becoming capable of eliminating jobs that automation couldn't eliminate before. This suggests some serious level of adaptation for this kind of economic development. In addition to creating more jobs in these areas, I think we need to seriously find ways to reduce the cost-of-living overall so that Americans can afford to live without requiring extremely high-paying careers just to survive. Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives? Yes. Representatives should be naturally closer and more connected to the people they serve by design. Having regular elections encourages representatives to constantly seek the favor of their districts, which is a good thing. What are your thoughts on term limits? I know some people like term limits, but in all honesty I have mixed feelings about it. I get how we have all these career politicians who only care about themselves, but why can't the voters just decide enough is enough and create a term limit for them anyways? Personally, I would rather keep the good representatives in for a bit who make all the waves and gradually eliminate the bad ones, because having the good ones is a lot more important than having new ones, especially if all the new politicians tend to be brought in from the same funding sources. I guess I would prefer the people to decide when \"enough is enough\". Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after? I'm not saying I would do everything exactly the same way he did, but I love Congressman Ron Paul, because he always stood for the truth no matter how unpopular it was at the time. Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful? I was speaking with an HVAC professional the other day and I was saddened by something he was alluding to, which was a relationship challenge, which I won't go into details about, but I remember him talk about how expensive groceries were getting. It made me sad, making me wonder if these economic pressures are destroying families in serious ways. It's a reminder to me about how serious this situation really is and how important it is to focus on the right issues. Tell us your favorite joke. I laughed when I saw this and my wife would too, I'm sure. This question! To perfectly honest I don't find most jokes to be very funny and those I do are probably not jokes at all. One expression from my son made it so I couldn't stop laughing one time.. Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking? It's possible, but such compromises should always be taking far more steps in the right direction than in the wrong direction. A thousand-page omnibus bill with 950 steps in the wrong direction should not justify 50 in the right direction. Most importantly, however, we should never assume there aren't better ideas that don't result in a compromise of ideals. That's why creativity is an important quality to me. We should be creative enough to find approaches that other people aren't even thinking of that make every person we represent happy and not just a portion. The Constitution says that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House. What role would this power play in your priorities if elected? To me this means we should be defining exactly what money goes for and exactly how it should be spent. It's crazy to me how Congress has neglected this important responsibility and thrown it over to the executive branch. Representatives shouldn't be lazy about this. We could care about how every dollar is spent like it was our own money, because it is. How should the U.S. House use its investigative powers? We first need to investigate all allegations of election fraud. States have done some of the work, but I don't think enough has been done to get to the bottom of it. There is simply nothing more important than this. Secondly, we need to investigate the border situation to make sure it is fully taken care of. Getting bad people out is one thing, but keeping them out is another. I don't want criminals messing with people in my district. Third, I want to make sure nothing is getting in the way of individuals being able to arm themselves and protect themselves and their families. If there's anything preventing individuals from securing their own families, that's a serious problem. Fourth, I think we need to do an investigation on all the causes of high prices, including food production issues. Some of this is pretty obvious, but I think there's a lot more to this that we need to get to the bottom of. For example, why were so many food production facilities destroyed in the last four years? What committees interest you? The ones my constituents care about. If I need to become an expert in a particular field to address a particular need of one my constituents, I will. That being said, there are some committees that I would naturally be able to offer some immediate help with such as: -Agriculture -Science, Space, and Technology -Energy and Commerce We may end up needing to change or create new committees if needed. What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability? We absolutely need extreme financial transparency and government accountability. The fact that it took someone like Edward Snowden to go into exile just to know the government was spying on us was extremely revealing in terms of how little transparency we've had. There are still so many government secrets, it's ridiculous. We need to know the truth about 9-11, about the JFK assassination, Jeffrey Epstein, about UFOs at some point. We need to get to the bottom of these things and then move on and heal from them. I mean does anyone still believe the official stories the government tells us anymore anyways?\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."}]