Biography
I am running for United States Senate to represent and serve all Vermonters. I offer over 40 years of very relative experience and success – across business, government, military, and foreign policy – and I have delivered results. I will deliver results for Vermont and the US. I was born in Boston, oldest of 9, and graduated from West Point. I served 22 years on active duty around the world and I am a veteran. I worked across many US Government agencies for 5 years after the Army. I have an MBA from Temple University and a graduate certificate from Georgetown University. I have been a successful businessman, growing jobs, for the past 13 years. I am happily married to Stacey and we have 4 children; one just graduated college, two in college, 1 in HS. We live in an old Lodge near Ascutney and there is nowhere else on earth I would rather live. I do not like how divided our country is, the gridlock in Congress, how Vermont has become unaffordable and unsafe, a place to leave. I will deliver results to address the crime, drugs, costs, jobs, and exodus crises Vermont is in. I will promote Peace. Vermont is not getting results, we’re getting talk, status quo. I will represent every Vermonter so Vermont shines bright again.
Candidate occupation
Businessman
Why are you running for office?
I ran for US Senate in 2022. I did that because I love the United States and I love Vermont and I saw our State and Country on a bad path of division, more government, bad economic decisions, and foreign policy failures, with crime/drug crises literally being ignored by career politicians. I had to step up. I knew I had and have the experience to do a better job for all Vermonters, to actually serve and represent ALL Vermonters, and deliver results. It was a challenging experience but an absolutely great experience. I met Vermonters from every nook and cranny and all walks of life; reaffirming the goodness and spirit in Vermont every day. I wish things were different, were better 2 years later, but they are not. They are worse. Vermont and the United States are at a crossroads. There are now 2 wars that should have been avoided; $35T debt costing $2B+ EVERY DAY in interest alone that will swallow up Social Security; very real fentanyl and crime crises in cities/towns across Vermont and the US; folks leaving Vermont because it has become unsafe and unaffordable. How did we get here? The answer is simple: Career politicians driven by an Agenda and their own interests, not yours. I am stepping up again, to serve you.
Issues in depth
What is the single most important issue for Congress to address next term?
Congress has to deliver results for America: securing our borders to address the crime/drug crises; stop the massive unsustainable overspending; stop the ‘industrial policy’ meddling in, over-regulating and killing business/opportunity in our economy; foreign policy that delivers Peace and fair, open trade; laws that only Congress should enact. Unity for a better future.
What steps, if any, would you take to strengthen American democracy?
We are one nation under God indivisible, a Constitutional Republic and representative Democracy. I will serve and represent ALL Americans and ALL Vermonters – government for the People, not People for the government (Socialism). I will serve as an elected representative based on facts and collaboration and developing and implementing solutions, not on false promises, rhetoric, and fearmongering.
How would you seek to work with members of the opposite party, if at all?
I will work everyday with members of the opposite party to develop solutions. I have worked and produced results, in competitive environments and competing for resources, for 40 years. I listen and discuss and formulate workable plans and actions. I have developed and will utilize leadership skills to achieve common goals, with all stakeholders, for Vermonters and Vermont, Americans and America. I have extensive experience and success working through very challenging business, government, and military problems. I will work through the gridlock that is our Congress today to produce results, under the Constitution.
What changes to federal tax policy, if any, would you seek to make?
I will not support federal tax increases for middle and lower income Americans. I will support changes in federal tax policy, such as establishing an exempt level for lower income Americans and increasing the upper limit maximum for Social Security payroll tax to return it to solvency.
What, if anything, should Congress do to make it more affordable to live in the U.S.?
Let the open market work, without government meddling in business, over-regulation, unconstitutional “executive orders”, and industrial policy based on an agenda; foster competition. Operate under a balanced budget and do not print money to dump into the economy as this caused the 40-year high inflation we are still feeling and more than doubled mortgage rates. Per below, I will bring jobs to Vermont; a socialist without business experience will not bring well paying jobs to Vermont.
What steps, if any, should Congress take to address climate change?
Congress should appoint a bipartisan US Government study to present facts related to
climate change, and then Congress should make laws to address climate change based on the factual findings. Related to this, I will utilize my business/industry experience and relationships to grow a Semiconductor/Energy Tech Hub (SETH) in Vermont to develop semiconductor, energy, climate, and emissions technology and innovation solutions.
What steps, if any, should Congress take to reform the American health care system?
I will develop and support legislation to promote competition in America’s healthcare system, to include across state lines; to ensure transparency for consumers related to healthcare costs; to reduce costly unnecessary regulations within the Food and Drug Administration; and to change US Patent laws to enable generic drugs to come to market earlier. I will engage industry to learn about solutions to lower costs. I will not make false claims for decades about lowering costs, or even promising free, and I will not conduct myself in a manner such as publicly berating industry in and out of Congressional hearings without any substantive follow-up.
What role, if any, should the U.S. play in the war in Gaza?
The United States is the beacon of Democracy and should support its allies that are subject to terrorism or aggression. The US should support its ally Israel in the Middle East with military equipment in defeating the terrorist organization Hamas and ensuring the security of the Nation of Israel.
I have been part of foreign policy, boots on the ground, in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the Persian Gulf, that produced Peace. I have been in war and I pray for Peace every day. As your Unites States Senator I will impact foreign policy that delivers Peace. The current administration’s foreign policy of direct and indirect support of Iran has enabled the funding of Hamas, Hezbollah, and other known terrorist organizations that have conducted terrorism against Israel and have held Israeli and American citizens hostage for nearly 300 days.
What role, if any, should the U.S. play in the war in Ukraine?
The United States is the beacon of Democracy and should support its allies that are subject to terrorism or aggression. The US should support its ally Ukraine in Europe with military equipment in defeating the Russian aggression and ensuring the security of the sovereign Nation of Ukraine.
I have been part of foreign policy, boots on the ground, in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the Persian Gulf, that produced Peace. I have been in war and I pray for peace every day. As your United States Senator I will impact foreign policy that delivers Peace. The current administration’s direction of the debacle withdrawal from Afghanistan led directly to the unjust Russian attack of our ally Ukraine.
Disclaimer
We emailed a questionnaire to every candidate with a valid email address. The responses provided by candidates are in their own words. VTDigger has not edited or fact-checked information provided.
If this is your candidacy and you’d like to fill out the questionnaire or report an error, please contact us at voterguide@vtdigger.org.
