David Wilson Brown

David Wilson Brown was born in Lansdale, Pennsylvania and lives in North Carolina. He graduated from South Mecklenburg High School. He earned a bachelor's degree in political science and communication from Appalachian State University in 1996. Brown’s career experience includes working as an IT consultant, as a waiter, in retail, television, corporate events, and in web development. In 1995, he interned under Representative Sue Wilkins Myrick in Washington, D.C.[1][2][3]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I have been a resident of North Carolina for over 30 years, attending South Mecklenburg High School and earning a bachelor's degree in Political Science and Communications from Appalachian State University in 1996. While attending school at App State, I interned on Capitol Hill for Congresswoman Sue Myrick (R- NC9). I have maintained a passion for politics, but my career has been drawn into other areas related to communications, including a year at WBTV, working in corporate media production, and as a web developer. I am now a full-time IT consultant specializing in business productivity as well as a husband to his wife, Barbara, and father to our two kids. It is because of grave concern for the future for our kids that I feel the call of public service once again. My goal is to restore the lost promise of FDR's proposed Second Bill of Rights.

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?

Healthcare is a human right and the United States needs universal healthcare.I believe in the dignity of work and that every American deserves to be rewarded with a living wage, no matter the work that they do.The key to a better tomorrow is a strong, well-funded public education. We must better fund our schools.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Protecting voting rights, saving the environment, addressing income inequality.

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

FDR, JFK, MLK, John Lennon, Fred Rogers, Jim Henson.

I believe in dreamers who challenge the status quo and strive for a better tomorrow while recognizing their own imperfections.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

The Second Bill of Rights: FDR's Unfinished Revolution and Why We Need it More Than Ever by Cass Sunstein

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Honesty and integrity. I believe our faith in our government is at one of its lowest points due to the blatant lies and intentional disinformation of so many involved in government affairs. We need to be able to trust the words of our representatives and be able to get questions answered honestly.

We have to get to a place where we get the money out of politics and where our population is better educated about our civics system and therefore able to hold their representatives better accountable.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I am an excellent listener and I do a lot of research. I believe knowledge is critical to making the most informed decisions and continually checking assumptions is important.

I work hard to surround myself with voices that reflect a broad range of diversity- from different genders, races, religious backgrounds, sexual orientations, professional and educational experiences, socioeconomic, and national origins.

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

Accountability - able to demonstrate that their goals in office are what's best for the people that they represent and not reflective of outside forces.

Transparency - the ability to clearly articulate to laypersons how they are fulfilling their duties.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I want to use my experience and the opportunities I have earned to benefit the lives as many people possible.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I remember John Lennon's death. Even at 6 I was a Beatles fan - we had the albums of Sgt. Pepper's and Magical Mystery Tour and I adored them. I was devastated to learn that he was killed and that event (and Ronald Reagan's attempted assassination a few months later) shaped my view about the dangers of guns.

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

I worked as a paperboy in the outskirts of Trenton, NJ while I was 11-12.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Ethics for the New Millennium by the Dalai Lama.

It represents a modern universal moral system irrespective of religion that helps us to live a happier life by prioritizing kindness in how we serve others.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Josh Lyman from The West Wing

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Waterloo Sunset by the Kinks

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

Finding a way to serve using my skills and interests.

What process do you favor for redistricting?

I believe independent commissions using computer modelling that try to keep communities of interest intact or fairly split.

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

Equal representation, although extreme gerrymandering has hurt its ability to reflect the true will of the people.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

I do believe experience in government is a plus, but I also respect the experiences that a citizen representative can bring in dealing with the many issues that Congress must deal with. I hope my education in government and my limited experience as a Congressional intern married with my IT career will help me bring new solutions to Congress while fully understanding how it works from the get go.

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

Keeping enough jobs for everyone who can work despite the rise of automation and AI. Andrew Yang was right to champion a universal basic income (UBI), as that may be critical in the near future to keep our economy afloat.

Our crumbling infrastructure and our damaged environment. We must come together as a nation to address these issues and our federal government has an important role in leading these initiatives.

Income inequality is increasing the gap between the two Americas.

I believe these three issues come together well in my proposal for a modern WPA to address the need for jobs paying living wages that will work to solve the needs of individual communities, focusing especially on rebuilding our infrastructure while being more environmentally conscious in our solutions.

If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Education and the Workforce - I want to help guide the future of education and labor in our country to improve the lives of our working class.

Oversight and Government Reform - I believe we need people who are ready to challenge the administration, no matter which party is in control.

Science, Space, and Technology - I feel like my IT background and experiences would have impact on the technology issues that come before the House.

Transportation and Infrastructure - I would like to champion a modern WPA program that would help save our nation's crumbling infrastructure.

If you are a current representative, why did you join your current committees?

N/A

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

I like how responsive a two year term should make a member of the House, but the reality of a corporate backed campaign funding system helps prop individual members in Congress long after their shelf life of being in touch with the reality of the life of everyday Americans.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

I struggle with the balance of institutional knowledge benefiting by a longer serving member of Congress with the need to end career politicians. I believe public funding of elections should address this by not allowing an incumbent from building up a "campaign warchest" that largely prevents most challengers from making a significant enough impact in most races. If we cannot achieve true public funding of elections, then term limits may be necessary, but I do like the idea of a well-informed voting population being able to keep a well-performing Member of Congress if all things are equitable in the opportunity to reach those voters.

If you are not currently a member of your party’s leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives, would you be interested in joining the leadership? If so, in what role?

I would love to part of a team that works to better communicate the results and the hindrances in Congress to the voting population in laypeople's terms.

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Senator Elizabeth Warren is the primary lens through which I see myself serving. A focus on delivering basic fairness to our economic systems while retaining our capitalist system shouldn't be a conflict. I believe tackling corruption and supporting workers' rights can help restore balance to address income inequalities and she has been a fantastic leader in that area.

Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

The sheer number of stories from voters about how the costs and struggles of managing their healthcare underscore just how fragile our system is and how quickly someone's private insurance company can drop their coverage. The concept of a for-profit private insurance system is not logical and it is highly amoral. We have to fix our system and guarantee that we continue to deliver quality care to everyone.

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