Why I'm a Libertarian

I didn't become a Libertarian because it was politically convenient.

I became a Libertarian because I reached a point where I could no longer ignore what I was seeing.

For twenty years, I served this country in the United States Navy. I swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States—not a political party, not a president, and not a government bureaucracy.

That oath didn't expire when I retired.

Like millions of Americans, I've watched Washington spend money it doesn't have, pass laws it was never meant to pass, and grow further away from the people it is supposed to serve. Election after election, we're told that this time will be different.

Yet the debt grows.

Government grows.

Our freedoms continue to shrink.

That question changed everything.

The Constitution was written to limit the power of government, not the freedom of the people. Somewhere along the way, we've allowed that relationship to be turned upside down. Today, too many politicians act as though our rights come from Washington, when in reality they exist long before any government does.

I don't believe freedom belongs to Republicans.

I don't believe freedom belongs to Democrats.

Freedom belongs to every American.

That's why I'm a Libertarian.

To me, being Libertarian isn't about winning arguments or fitting into a political label. It's about believing that free people are better at running their own lives than politicians are.

I trust parents to raise their children.

I trust workers to earn their own success.

I trust entrepreneurs to build opportunity.

And I trust the American people far more than I trust Washington.

That doesn't mean government has no role.

Government has an important responsibility: to defend our nation, protect our constitutional rights, uphold the rule of law, and perform the limited duties assigned to it by the Constitution.

But when government reaches beyond those limits, liberty always pays the price.

That's why I believe Congress should balance the budget instead of passing debt to our children.

That's why I believe inflation is a hidden tax created by reckless spending.

That's why I believe every bill should first answer one simple question:

Is it constitutional?

If the answer is no, it shouldn't become law.

My campaign isn't about expanding government in a different direction.

It's about returning government to its proper size, its proper role, and its proper limits.

Some people will disagree with me.

That's okay.

One of the greatest strengths of America is that we're free to disagree.

But I hope we can all agree on one thing:

Government exists because of the people.

It answers to the people.

And it should always serve the people.

I didn't choose the Libertarian Party because I was looking for a team.

I chose it because its principles most closely match the oath I took years ago and the country I still believe in today.