About Me

Why I’m Running
You probably want to know why I am running for Congress. It’s because we no longer trust our elected leaders. It used to be the case that Democrat or Republican, we believed that good people could put aside differences and work together to hammer out solutions for our country. But the political parties and special interests have killed common sense in Washington. We need new, independent thinkers who aren’t under the thumb of big money or extremist groups. Somebody has to do something. And this is America, and standing up to do the right thing —- even when it’s hard—-is what Americans do.

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These things are a bit silly in my opinion. Websites for politicians often have an "about" section where there are staged-but-not-staged photos of the candidate with a perfect family, with their sleeves rolled up on a job site, or talking to voters with a friendly, yet impressive posture. And then there's a brief bio with lots of patriotic phrases sprinkled in.

I don't think we buy all that. In this photo, which was taken by a volunteer, I am wearing a suit. I do try and wear a suit and tie pretty much everywhere I go, because I enjoy it. To me it shows respect for the position I am seeking and the people I am meeting. So in that sense, it looks like me.

As to my background, I was born in Texas but I have been in Indiana for nearly twenty years. I often joke that I came here to take a job for six months, but ended up meeting a woman and buying a condo and got stuck. But in truth, I like being a Hoosier. I like the people, the community, and most of the time even the weather. I like our sense of practicality and our Midwestern hospitality: willing to help, but also excited to see what you can do on your own.

Before I decided to run for U.S. Congress full-time, I owned and operated a small business. We provided professional speakers, facilitators, and consultants to clients all over the United States and Canada. At one point the company was representing fifteen different experts and had several part-time staff. All that came to a screeching halt in March 2020, when the pandemic virtually destroyed the live events industry.

I also have worked (begrudgingly) in the IT field, and also (happily) as an adjunct faculty member at IUPUI. I've delivered pizzas and waited tables, mowed lawns and made cold-calls. I've served on loads of committees and boards and done lots of volunteering too. If you think you know me but can't quite place me, it's probably because you saw me give a speech somewhere or volunteered with me in some organization.

I have a younger brother, retired parents, and a large extended family. I met a wonderful human being named Kathy in 2006 and we were married in 2009. We hoped to add to our family with children shortly after, but were not fortunate in that regard. (Family is anything but predictable: a new baby came into our lives at the start of 2023!) Today we have a terrific relationship, and I continue to be amazed by Kathy's business acumen, commitment to ethical practices in therapy and mental health, and their work with diverse communities throughout Indiana and across the world.

I think I've done good. But there are certainly some people who don't like me, from a few ex-girlfriends to associates in business deals that just didn't work out. I would love to mend those fences, but that time may never come. So it goes.

There's more, of course. Hobbies, interests, favorite books and movies and artists. The year I spent backpacking through Europe and my undergraduate days in the Mathematics department at the University of Texas. I'm an Eagle Scout and was in the 98% percentile on my SATs. I like to cook but I'm admittedly not particularly great at it. I suppose if there's more you want to know, you can ask me.

But I don't think any of that matters all that much. What really matters (and the reason you're probably here) is trust. Can you trust me to represent you in Congress? I've told the truth in my "about me" section. I do believe that's more than we've come to expect from candidate websites. And I'll keep telling the truth every chance I get.

So from here on, it's not really about me. It is, as it has always been, about you.

Thanks for reading.