Ryan Mackenzie
Republican
https://www.mackenzieforcongress.com/
What is one life experience you have that voters should know about?
Throughout this campaign, I have been thinking a lot about my newborn son, Leo. I worry about what kind of country he is going to inherit, what kind of opportunities he will have, and whether our country is living up to its promise and potential. For the last several decades, we’ve watched divisions in our country grow, and we’ve seen the American people — especially our youngest — lose confidence in our institutions. When the day comes that I leave public life, I want to be able to say that I did everything I could in order to give my son and his generation a stronger, prouder, and more hopeful country.
What sets you apart from other candidates?
In my time as a state representative, I’ve built a strong, bipartisan track record of getting things done on the issues that voters care about — including prices, immigration, healthcare, and taxes. I’ve been able to do that, first, by looking for opportunities to deliver for people rather than look for excuses and, second, by being willing to put politics and partisanship aside to build consensus and reach solutions. That’s the spirit that I’ll bring to Congress, and I’m ready to work with anyone who shares in it.
How do you plan to work across ideological lines to achieve shared goals?
For the majority of my time as a state representative, Pennsylvania has had a divided government. While some politicians — especially in Washington — like to use that as an excuse for inaction, I’ve tried to look for bipartisan consensus and find opportunities to get things done. I’ve been able to achieve that on things like combating maternal mortality, closing corporate tax loopholes, expanding e-verify to protect PA jobs, and providing more resources for police, fire, and education. If I’m elected, I won’t make excuses for inaction, I’ll do what I’ve done for the last twelve years — work across party lines to find common sense solutions to problems that Americans are facing.
What would be your top three policy priorities in office?
Reducing prices: Whether it’s gas, food, housing, or healthcare, working families are getting stretched thinner and thinner by this economy. I’ll work to end the reckless spending and corporate handouts that caused the inflation in the first place, and I’ll fight for common sense policies to reduce prices, like embracing American energy, reducing costs on small businesses, and providing tax relief for families.
Border Security: Our wide-open southern border is impacting everything from the quality of our public services to drug addiction to the housing crisis. DC politicians have let this problem fester for years, and now it’s impacting every community in our country. That’s why, as a state rep, I worked to expand e-verify and abolish sanctuary cities — helping to protect American workers and keep our neighborhoods safe. I’ll do the same in DC while fighting for real border security and an end to this crisis.
Protecting what Americans have earned: decades of irresponsible policies are jeopardizing the futures of programs like Medicare and Social Security. These benefits are earned by Americans who have worked their entire lives, and protecting them needs to be a top priority.
The Committee of Seventy has partnered with the Carter Center to promote the Candidate Principles for Trusted Elections (www.principledcandidates.org) to improve the voting process, encourage honest leadership, and promote civic engagement. Do you support the Candidate Principles?
Yes.
