As some of you have surely read here and at
Swing State Project, I am the Democratic candidate running to represent the people of New Hampshire's 2nd District and help lead incumbent Charlie Bass to an early retirement.
I've laid out my positions on several issues in op-eds and on my website. If there is an issue about which you're concerned, I'll be happy to try to answer you questions below. But beyond the specific policy issues, there is political reason why Kossacks should care about a Congressional race in New Hampshire: it might influence who we choose as our next president.
My first political hero was John F. Kennedy who said "ask not what your country can do for you-ask what you can do for your country."
I came of age during a time of what was called an indefensible war. During my senior year in high school, we lost great American heroes. First Martin Luther King was murdered. And then, on the day I graduated, Bobby Kennedy was killed. I came to New Hampshire to attend Dartmouth during that time of national turmoil. And back then, I did not believe I had a voice that could constructively influence the course of our country. Today I have that voice, and I believe what I say will convince the voters of New Hampshire's 2nd district that I should be their voice in Congress.
One of the things I intend to do with my voice as a candidate and as a member of Congress is push for a smart and sustainable national energy policy. There is no reason why the United States should be trailing countries Brazil and Sweden in the use of biofuels. We should be leading the world in innovation in conservation, energy efficiency and the use of a wide range of alternative and renewable energy sources. We should shift subsidies from the big oil companies to industries that will create new markets and products that help us become the world's leader in conservation and sustainable energy.
Some may argue that a Democrat who believes that we should shift from an over-reliance on fossil fuel, that we should insure those without health insurance, and that we need an responsible exit strategy from Iraq cannot win in a competetive district. They are wrong. I can win New Hampshire's 2nd District, and in electing me to Congress, the voters of New Hampshire's 2nd district will show that they want a candidate with bold ideas about the future of our country.
By changing course in New Hampshire and choosing a candidate who is committed to making the United States number one in renewable and sustainable energy, New Hampshire voters will send a signal to the candidates in both party's primaries that it is time for new priorities, and that allegiance to the old ways of doing things will no longer be acceptable. As you know, New Hampshire holds the first in the nation Presidential primary. Thus, what voters do here has a tremendous influence on what our presidential candidates believe they must do to win their party's nomination. By showing that a candidate committed to my values and beliefs can win here, the voters of my state will be inspired to demand bold and innovative ideas from the Presidential candidates of both parties.
Everywhere I go in New Hampshire, I tell voters a spine is a terrible thing to waste; I can make only one promise to them: when I am elected and I go to Washington, I will stand up for them and I will take my backbone with me. I hope that winning in New Hampshire will make the primary voters of my district demand the same of the Presidential candidates, and I hope you can support my campaign.