|
Hello, my name is Henry Gaff and I am running for the US House of Representatives as a Green in Iowa's 1st Congressional District!
For too long, the two-party system has undermined American democracy. We, the people of the United States, are going to take our country back in a movement of the people, by the people, and for the people! Let's start a Progressive Revolution. I hope you will join me as we fight for our freedom and our democracy together. Sincerely, Henry Gaff Congressional Candidate in Iowa's First District (IA-01) |
|
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the details of the election? Can I vote for you?
I am running for the US House of Representatives in Iowa's 1st Congressional District, challenging Republican incumbent Rod Blum. The election is on Tuesday, November 6th, 2018.
The first district is made up of the northeastern region of Iowa, spanning from immediately east of Des Moines and north of Iowa City/Johnson County to the borders of the state. If you live in Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, or the Cedar Valley area, great news! You can vote for our progressive movement! Consult the map below to find out whether you live in the district. If you don't, consider volunteering or donating to our campaign!
The first district is made up of the northeastern region of Iowa, spanning from immediately east of Des Moines and north of Iowa City/Johnson County to the borders of the state. If you live in Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, or the Cedar Valley area, great news! You can vote for our progressive movement! Consult the map below to find out whether you live in the district. If you don't, consider volunteering or donating to our campaign!
|
Iowa's 1st Congressional District (image credit to Wikipedia) |
Are you on the ballot? I can't find you as a registered candidate.
Not yet, but with your help I can be!
In Iowa, a candidate for the US House requires 400 petition signatures. We are working very hard to collect these signatures, but you can help by volunteering on our campaign! Right now, we're collecting signatures and organizing events with motivated voters and activists across the district! Only with your help can we further the Progressive Revolution.
In Iowa, a candidate for the US House requires 400 petition signatures. We are working very hard to collect these signatures, but you can help by volunteering on our campaign! Right now, we're collecting signatures and organizing events with motivated voters and activists across the district! Only with your help can we further the Progressive Revolution.
Why Green?
You may have noticed that I make many references to Bernie Sanders, Independent Senator from Vermont and 2016 Presidential candidate in the Democratic primary. So why Green over Independent or Democratic?
A few reasons...
1) The Green Party is the best-equipped party that does not take corporate Super PAC money or uses corrupt "superdelegates" and insider scheming to place party regulars over those new to the party, such as myself (I joined in 2016!)
2) The Green Party already has wonderful progressive candidates nationwide, and I want to work with them and their campaigns to put forth a unified progressive front!
3) The Green Party internationally is gaining steam. In 2016, the people of Austria elected a Green to their presidency and the Greens became the 3rd largest party in the United Kingdom, beating out the UK Independence Party (UKIP). People everywhere are sick and tired of politics as usual, and the Green Party is the answer to the two-party problem!
A few reasons...
1) The Green Party is the best-equipped party that does not take corporate Super PAC money or uses corrupt "superdelegates" and insider scheming to place party regulars over those new to the party, such as myself (I joined in 2016!)
2) The Green Party already has wonderful progressive candidates nationwide, and I want to work with them and their campaigns to put forth a unified progressive front!
3) The Green Party internationally is gaining steam. In 2016, the people of Austria elected a Green to their presidency and the Greens became the 3rd largest party in the United Kingdom, beating out the UK Independence Party (UKIP). People everywhere are sick and tired of politics as usual, and the Green Party is the answer to the two-party problem!
Aren't you taking votes away from (insert two-party candidate here)?
!The Republican Rod Blum is an opponent of our progressive movement and no progressive would vote for him. But what about the Democrats? Isn't our movement taking votes from a progressive Democrat and letting the big banks and the Wall Street establishment win?
To that I say that the people of Iowa deserve a choice. The Democrats of Iowa have a history of unfair primaries and election tactics, most notably and recently the coin-flipping affair that occurred at caucus sites around the state in 2016 that gave Hillary Clinton the state over Bernie Sanders. Additionally, current candidates in the Democratic primary for 2018 have ties to the Dakota Access Pipeline, which runs directly through Iowa to undermine our progressive and profitable clean wind energy! If the Iowa Democrats select a big bank Wall Street puppet to run against Blum, we will continue the fight against the elites. Americans deserve a choice for us, the real people of our country, and not a fake choice between two sides of the same corporate coin.
While in office, I will fight to make sure that all voices are represented and have fair ballot access and instant-runoff voting so that the people of Iowa will always have a diverse selection of candidates to represent their views. Iowans and Americans will never again feel forced to vote for a "lesser of two evils"!
To that I say that the people of Iowa deserve a choice. The Democrats of Iowa have a history of unfair primaries and election tactics, most notably and recently the coin-flipping affair that occurred at caucus sites around the state in 2016 that gave Hillary Clinton the state over Bernie Sanders. Additionally, current candidates in the Democratic primary for 2018 have ties to the Dakota Access Pipeline, which runs directly through Iowa to undermine our progressive and profitable clean wind energy! If the Iowa Democrats select a big bank Wall Street puppet to run against Blum, we will continue the fight against the elites. Americans deserve a choice for us, the real people of our country, and not a fake choice between two sides of the same corporate coin.
While in office, I will fight to make sure that all voices are represented and have fair ballot access and instant-runoff voting so that the people of Iowa will always have a diverse selection of candidates to represent their views. Iowans and Americans will never again feel forced to vote for a "lesser of two evils"!
Aren't you too young to hold a Congressional office?
Nope! While the age restriction on the office is de jure 25 years of age, the government has not stopped the democratic will of the people from electing someone who represents them. No one has ever in the history of the United States been denied a seat in the House of Representatives because of their age. Only one senator in history was not allowed to serve due to age, in 1934, and this is inconsistent with how other underage senators were treated.
And this is not because underage people have never been elected! On the contrary, it has happened many times throughout America's history. A list of underaged Congresspeople is available at the end of this section for reference- remember, no representative was ever denied their seat for their age, and only one senator ever was.
Clearly, there is nothing wrong with giving the American people what they want. We can have confidence that democracy, the right of the people to elect their representatives, shall not be abridged.
List of underage Congresspeople who have served:
Representatives:
-David Dickinson (TN-08)
-William King (UT- at-large)
-Jesse Wharton (TN-03)
-William Claiborne (TN- at-large)
Senators:
-John Eaton (TN)
-John Crittenden (KY)
-Armistead Mason (VA)
-Henry Clay (KY)
And this is not because underage people have never been elected! On the contrary, it has happened many times throughout America's history. A list of underaged Congresspeople is available at the end of this section for reference- remember, no representative was ever denied their seat for their age, and only one senator ever was.
Clearly, there is nothing wrong with giving the American people what they want. We can have confidence that democracy, the right of the people to elect their representatives, shall not be abridged.
List of underage Congresspeople who have served:
Representatives:
-David Dickinson (TN-08)
-William King (UT- at-large)
-Jesse Wharton (TN-03)
-William Claiborne (TN- at-large)
Senators:
-John Eaton (TN)
-John Crittenden (KY)
-Armistead Mason (VA)
-Henry Clay (KY)
My questions are cleared up! How can I donate to/volunteer for the campaign?
Great! You can endorse the campaign and donate to our movement using CrowdPAC, found at https://www.crowdpac.com/campaigns/224890/henry-gaff-for-congress-2018, and you can sign up to volunteer right here on our site! Together, we can build a government of the people, by the people, and for the people!