Ian Todd

Ian Todd (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Minnesota's 6th Congressional District. He did not appear on the ballot for the Democratic primary on August 11, 2020.

Todd was a 2018 Democratic candidate for the same seat.

Ian Todd did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

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What would be your top three priorities, if elected?

Get the money out of politics

Institute Medicare for All

Combat climate change through renewable investment

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I'm passionate about our healthcare system. We spend too much money in this country on our insurance and then must pay even more for using it. We need a better way to ensure everyone gets the care they need. I support Medicare for All because a single payer system is the only way to make sure no one falls through the cracks.

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

I look up to Paul Wellstone for his ability to stay true to his values. He was a progressive voice that did not waiver and did not vote just for what would get him reelected. He was not afraid to criticize the decision to enter war, and we absolutely need more rational voices like his to help get us out of our current situation.

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

Integrity is key for our elected officials. We need people with the courage to tell the truth even if that means admitting your political allies have lied. We are so mislead in the country because of constant lies from many of our senior public officials. We can disagree, and when we do, we can learn to compromise again. However, if we only lie to each other, we'll never come to rational decisions. I have that integrity. I will state the truth and not conflate opinion with fact.

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

I'm a veteran. I understand that public office is service, and that's exactly how I will treat that office. I have the courage to never turn my back on my constituents. I will keep having town halls as a representative, and I will keep engaging my community. Holding office is not about making money for our reelection campaigns, it's about serving your community.

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

The core responsibilities of a representative are constituent services and responsiveness, continuous education of policy, and careful consideration of legislation. Now more than ever, our representatives are forgoing town halls and public appearances for TV ads and private meetings with donors. Lobbyists write bills, and they pay our politicians in legal bribes for their votes. The core responsibilities are being eschewed, but I will not let money become such a central theme in the way I legislate, and I will not abandon any of my constituents whether they voted for me or not.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to leave Congress at the end of a term limit I helped institute. I want our legislators to be unable to collect money from corporations and instead speak to their constituents for donations and their votes personally. I want to bring not just civility back to our legislative branch, but the ability to make good positive decisions that the public agrees with without falling back into partisan games.

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

I was 11 on September 11th, 2001. I was in school when our teachers heard the news. They wheeled in a TV to play the news for us. Everything just stood still while we watched, every classroom silent. It took more than just that day for everything to sink in. We found out that some people in our school had lost a family member, like one of my teachers that lost a sister. We still feel the impact of that attack today. In many ways, it has defined much of my life. I joined the military and fought the same wars that stemmed from the attack, and I'm running for office now in part to end the those wars.

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

My first job was at Subway (eat fresh). I carefully constructed thousands of $5 footlongs and worked up from part time after school worker to management during the 4 years I had with the company before I joined the Air Force.

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

The biggest challenge ahead of us is correcting the damage done to our climate. We have to change the way we subsidies fossil fuel industries and start investing heavily into renewable alternatives. The next decade is key to mitigating some of the worst climate change may bring, so it's imminently important our government makes the policy changes that will help the industries in our country that our helping solve this problem.

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

Yes. The Representatives are supposed to by extremely conscious of their constituents needs and be as available as possible. Having only two years means their easily replaceable if they aren't responsive to the electorate. Money has distorted elections, however, so we don't necessarily see this working as intended, and it's easy for Representatives to more or less ignore their constituents.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

I agree with term limits for US Congress. As a possibility that is by no means set in stone: 5 terms for House of Representatives and 3 terms for Senate for a grand total of 28 possible years in Congress. That seems more than enough to me, yet we have plenty of Representatives and Senators that have served much longer than that.

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