Why I'm RunningI’m running for the Democratic nomination for the Federal House of Representatives in the 5th district of Indiana. I decided to run because, though there are many issues that demand our attention now, from the strength of our economy and job market, to education, energy, social security, and the use of depleted uranium, the single most important issue in America today has been, by and large, ignored. I decided that I wasn’t willing to just sit back and do nothing. We need to take the influence of money out of elections. I’m not running just to raise awareness about this issue. If it be the will of the voters of our district, I intend to go to Washington both to make it impossible for this issue to be ignored any longer and to work to bring about this essential change.
Though I am relatively young, I could not, in good conscience, sit idly by, allowing what passes as the status quo to continue unchallenged. I’m running because I want to take the influence of money out of our elections, and I think virtually everyone else does too. The will of the populace should drive our government, not the money to get re-elected. Until we take the money out of elections:
- Candidates will not have equal access to mainstream media because it takes a lot of money to have access to them, which generally means contributions from PACs (political action committees) funded by “special” interests and extremely wealthy individuals.
- As a result voters will not have easy and equal access to their choices for elected offices. That is not the mark of a healthy democracy. If anything should be free in the U.S.A., it should be the people’s access to information on all of the choices for any given elected position within the government. In a democracy elections are practically sacred and should be fair, effective, and efficient.
- Our representatives will continue to waste time raising money, when they should be doing their jobs: working on legislation, passing legislation, and keeping in touch with their constituents.
- Candidates will continue to be indebted to their contributors. But representatives shouldn’t have to choose between continued campaign contributions for re-election and what is good for their constituency.
- The concern is that our representatives and their votes will essentially be bought and sold like commodities on the open market.
For this election all I care about is that whoever gets elected has the best interest of the populace and the nation in mind. If that means my issues, my stances on issues, and I are the what is best for the Nation and the voters, and I think they are, then I hope I get elected. If someone else would better serve the interests of the nation, the voters, and their quickly changing world, then I hope that person is elected. Nothing would please me more than to serve the voters of Indiana, and represent their will.
Nothing would please me more than to ensure that their representative has their best interest in mind, rather than personal gain or money for re-election. I buy votes with knowledge, passion, good judgment, and integrity, not money.
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Paid For and Authorized by the Chester Kelsey Campaign Fund
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