Jack Fallon-Underwood

Jack Fallon-Underwood was born in Albany, New York. He earned a bachelor's degree from Northeastern University in 2018. His career experience includes working as a music teacher.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a musician and teacher residing in Colonie, NY. I was born and raised near Albany. I do not want to be a politician but am willing to take on the responsibility in order to heal the divisions in this country.

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?

A corrupt legislature cannot reform itself, so we must have a constitutional convention.There is an abundance of issues that both Democratic and Republicans voter agree on but there is an elite few do not want passed.I do not want to be a politician, I just want to see the country that I love changed for the better

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Corruption, ethics and campaign finance reform

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

1) Freedom from corrupting financial interests

2) Genuine accountability to their electorate, that is the willingness to listen to and act upon the will of the people they represent

What legacy would you like to leave?

I don't want to be remembered. I just want the changes that I am fighting for to signal a new era of American politics.

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

I remember seeing the attacks on 9/11. I was five years old.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut. I love its theme: that no matter who or what is controlling our lives, the common purpose that we all embrace is to love and be loved.

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

No. Power corrupts and time spent on Capital Hill is time spent away from everyday people.

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

Our greatest challenge as a nation will be taking back control of media and technology from the loudest voices who encourage extreme views for the sake of their own revenue.

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

Yes but only if these representatives do not start campaigning until the year of their election. Many career politicians are in a constant campaign cycle.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

I believe that term limits are a band-aid to a larger corruption problem. If a corporation has a term-limited candidate in their pockets/payroll who is up for retirement, they’ll just find a new strawman to control next election cycle.

I believe that the people of a congressional district should be able to elect whomever they want and term limits may deprive them of their best choice. However, voters should be wary of incumbents and the motivations of career politicians.

I do not want to spend the next decade of my life in politics.

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?

It seems that everyone I talk to is fed up with the elite, powerful and established politicians ignoring the will of the people. What is most memorable to me is the ubiquity of the sentiment: not one party has the solution and voters want more than two choices.

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

True compromise, the kind that comes from finding the common ground that exist between all Americans, is the purpose of our system of government. False compromise, the kind that comes from special interests that buy consensus in Washington, is not desirable.

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