To the Editor:
Congress is not working for the Salinas and Pajaro valleys. Families are working hard and still falling behind. The cost of housing, healthcare and everyday life keeps rising. Rather than offer solutions, Republicans and Democrats in Washington are locked in fights and dividing our country.
That is why I am running for Congress in California’s 18th District as an independent (no party preference).
We need people who can get our economy and democratic machinery working again. I will focus on lowering the supply costs to businesses that drive inflation, making housing and quality healthcare affordable, and protecting the rights of all people.
I spent my early career as an officer with the U.S. Agency for International Development reforming democracies abroad, including helping countries balance budgets and protect human rights. And I spent my recent career advancing sustainability in large tech companies, reducing environmental impact and protecting worker rights while growing the bottom line.
I’m troubled by the state of our country, and our loss of ethics and morals. Many in our immigrant communities live in fear. Our national finances move toward insolvency. And we see officials using their public position for personal gain. We can and must do better.
Equally concerning are the economic conditions we are passing to young people. They must feel the careers and lives they want are achievable. I know what makes companies succeed and want to hire, and I can help.
We live among a rich natural landscape and have a wonderful farming heritage. Effective resources should be flowing back to our region, like supports and incentives for the productivity and wellbeing of the agriculture sector and its workers.
My campaign is about giving our region an independent voice focused on results. We must move away from candidates owned by special interests — and beyond two party political gridlock that provides little progress.
Chris Demers
Gilroy Resident and Independent Candidate for Congress
