David Sedlik

David Sedlik earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Southern California in 2019. Sedlik's career experience includes working as an aerospace engineer.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a 29 year old resident of Hawthorne CA, graduate of USC, and Aerospace Sales Engineer. I have worked hard all my life and I have seen how the system of government we have today has failed many honest, hard working people. I believe that together we can build a better future for our community & our country.

I am running because people across our district, across our country are struggling. They are struggling to pay bills. They are struggling to afford groceries and gas. They are struggling to afford college, and to find a job after.

The system right now is working for the very wealthiest Americans, the 1% of the one percent, for whom $1 billion is not enough. These billionaires want to reshape our society into a system that works only for them.

This is not a future I want for myself, or one I want to raise a family in. In the wealthiest country in the world, in the most prosperous society that has ever existed, we have the power and resources to create a future where everyone can put a roof over their heads, food on the table, and spend time with family and friends.

We need to focus our precious government resources on the policies that will give our next generation a fighting chance to succeed – Affordable housing, quality healthcare, career opportunities, improved roads, clean and cheap electricity. These may not be the flashiest issues, but they are the most important things we can do to make government work FOR the people once again.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Number #1 - A single payer healthcare system which cuts out the insurance middleman and wall street investors and provides more affordable healthcare and better working conditions for the men and women who work hard to save lives everyday.

Number #2 - Investment in our roads and transit infrastructure. Providing grants to fix potholes, add streetlights, and build a convenient metro train systems in LA county and across the country.

Number #3 - Ban private equity companies from owning residential housing. Provide nationwide incentives for zoning and permitting law reform to allow the building of mixed use commercial/residential properties & streamling the permitting process for developers to build new housing.Number #4 - Reform our utility system. Here in California, we pay the 2nd highest rates for residential electricity in the country. In my opinion, our for-profit utility system has failed to provide more affordable service for ratepayers and has been responsible for the deadliest & most destructive wildfires in California history like the Camp fire and the Eaton Fire. We need to end the state-sponsored monopoly status for PG&E and SCE and create more community owned utilities like LADWP, to provide service at a cheaper price. Our utilities need to be accountable to their ratepayers, not their shareholders.

5 - Introduce Federal royalty taxes on companies that extract natural resources in our public lands from mining and logging.Number #5 - Invest in educational opportunities for students to learn practical life skills and provide experiences for many different career paths. We need to bring back classes such as home economics to teach kids basic financial skills, and re-invest in shop, art, engineering, and trades. STEM is a good start, but not everyone learns best in front of a lecture.

Number #6 - Statewide, childcare costs have increased dramatically over the last decade, costing on average over $1700 per month. We need national public childcare services to support working families.

Number #7 - Remove the income cap on social security taxes so multi-millionaries and billionaires pay the same taxes as the rest of us.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about refocusing the attention of public policy onto the basic issues that impact everyone's lives. We need to put our attention towards building the fundamental infrastructure that can give everyone the opportunity to succeed in our country based on their personal initiative.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Bernie Sanders & Barack Obama. I think that these are people that have stood true to their morals and have tried their hardest to bring about a better future. While they may not have succeeded in every regard, and I may not agree personally with every stance they have taken, these are people that I admire because they have held true to their principles through thick and thin.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The core responsibility of someone who is elected to the US House of Representatives is to introduce and pass legislation that will improve the lives of the people who live in your district and in every district across the country. Your responsibility lies with everyone in your community, regardless of whether they voted for you or not.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to leave behind a country that is better run than the one we have today. One with robust public infrastructure where ordinary Americans have real opportunities to succeed. Many of our elected leaders today, on both sides of the aisle, see fit to loot the public treasury and personally enrich themselves at the behest of regular Americans. If we are to build a system that can last for generations, we need good, honest, leaders at every level of government.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

When I was in high school, I worked at the GAP, making $9.42/hour. The day I received my first paycheck, I realized that I would have to work for the next 20 years to even afford a house, assuming I spent no money. This is when I realized our economy was broken. I worked there for less than a year.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

I have been very fortunate to be successful in my career. But despite this, the cost of housing and the cost of the everyday necessities needed to raise kids here in Hawthorne is a formidable barrier to raising a family. And I know that I am not the only one in our community facing a similar challenge.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

Under Article I of the Constitution, all bills designated to raise revenue—such as taxation—must originate in the House. This gives the House of Representatives unique power to reign in government spending and balance our national budget. The fact that House members must also face re-election every two years should provide strict budget accountability to taxpayers.

What do you perceive to be the United States' greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

The greatest challenge for the United States over the next 10 years will be the national debt. Just 10 years ago in 2016, we spent 6.2% of the federal budget paying interest on the national debt. As we sit here today in 2026, this number has now reached 14% of the federal budget -- Exceeding even the entire military budget.

The problem with debt interest payments -- is that this money is essentially wasted. It does absolutely nothing to improve our country, provide services for Americans, or really do much of anything. It is simply the interest coming due on our loans from spending that was done in the past.

As the debt increases, we enter a vicious feedback loop:

1. We have less money to spend on government programs such as medicare, social security, roads, bridges and schools.

2. We now need to borrow more money, to keep up with the current spending.

3. Because we are borrowing more money, the interest rate on the debt increases, as does the percentage of the total budget that is spent on servicing the debt (paying interest).

By 2029, if we continue on the current trajectory, debt interest payments will become the second largest "government program," behind only Social Security. It is estimated that by mid-century, roughly 37 cents of every dollar collected in federal taxes is projected to go toward interest payments alone. This is according to the Congressional Budget Office.

We will face immense cutbacks on every government program -- science funding, education, housing, highways and infrastructure, as well as to our healthcare (medicare & medicade), and to our retirements (social security). Our ability to respond to natural disasters and recessions will be crippled, and our military will be un-equipped to handle conflict in a world with increasing turmoil. If we act now to bring the federal budget back into balance -- all of this can be avoided.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

It is not possible to have effective policy making without the buy-in of law makers across the country. Partisanship is at the root of the deadlock facing our current congress. We need to elect lawmakers across the country who will act in the best interests of all citizens, not just the loudest or best funded voices in the room.