Jacob Anders

Jacob Anders was born in Huntsville, Alabama. He graduated from Huntsville High School. He attended the University of Alabama in Huntsville and earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Hiwassee College in 2016. Anders’s career experience includes working as an author, historian, voice actor, and political activist.[1][2][3]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My name is Jacob Kristopher Anders. I studied psychology at the University of Alabama in Huntsville and earned my bachelor's from Hiwassee College in 2016. My fire for politics was lit volunteering for Ron Paul, Bernie Sanders, and Andrew Yang. Those campaigns reshaped me. I've survived a mass shooting, battled PTSD and depression, built a career as a historian, author, voice actor, and digital ethics researcher, become a husband and father, and watched the country lurch from one crisis to the next while Washington fiddled. My idealism didn't die, but it has been tempered in the fire. I'm running because I've learned change doesn't come from the comfortable. It comes from those who've taken the hits and are still standing.

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?

I am laser-focused on the AI and automation revolution that is already here. We must protect workers, wages, and communities instead of pretending it isn't happening.I will keep America out of unnecessary foreign wars that drain our blood, treasure, and moral standing.I will fight relentlessly for universal basic income and digital rights protections so every American including stay-at-home parents, retirees, veterans, and displaced workers have real economic security in the 21st century.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I'm passionate about finally delivering the American Dream to working families: universal healthcare that doesn't bankrupt anyone, quality education, economic security through UBI, environmental stewardship, and revitalizing rural and small-town America like Tennessee's 4th District. Lives are on the line in foreign wars. I've seen what bullets do up close. Above all, we need UBI and sane AI policy now, because the machines aren't waiting for Congress to catch up.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Forward Party of Coffee County

Green Party of Coffee County

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My name is Jacob Kristopher Anders. I majored in psychology at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, but I got an interest in politics during my youth when Ron Paul, Bernie Sanders and Andrew Yang were trying to change the country with policies they thought would help Americans. I volunteered for all three of these men, and the experiences and people I met along the way reshaped my view of the world. I want to make people's lives a bit better and a bit easier.

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?

I will keep America out of foreign wars.I am focused on the future which includes automation, wages and climate.I will pass legislation that will grant Americans a basic income.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I'm passionate about keeping America out of foreign wars and maintaining good relations with our allies because lives are on the line. I believe all Americans should be able to live the American dream which includes good healthcare, exceptional education and the freedom to earn a decent living. Above all else we need a universal basic income to support our stay at home parents, retirees, and those that cannot find jobs despite their qualifications.

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

I look up to Ron Paul, Bernie Sanders and Andrew Yang. If it wasn't for those guys and others like them I wouldn't be a nerd for politics and policy much less running for office. When the nation was eager for war it was guys like them that said wait a minute this is a bad idea. Doing the right thing even when it isn't popular is the example I intend to set and follow.

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

I would recommend The War on Normal People by Andrew Yang. The guy is a genius, but he uses simple math and arguments to outline WHY our country is hurting and HOW we can fix it with ideas backed by data.

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

In The Long Run was the song played at my wedding last year, so it has definitely been stuck in my head. I sang Rocket Man in the shower a few days ago.

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

I've struggled with PTSD and depression since surviving what was essentially a mass shooting in 2012. A young guy I had just recently became friends with was killed at gunpoint in front of all of us. Two other guys I had met just a few times survived their bullet wounds. I and another young guy got grazed by bullets, but he lost his brother that night for no reason and I can't even begin to imagine what his suffering is like. It has taken many years for me to be able to enjoy hunting, fireworks and sleeping with the door unlocked again.

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

It is usually beneficial for representatives to have experience in politics, but it must be good experience. Participation in corruption or taking bribes would obviously be bad experience. My experience in politics is in volunteering for political campaigns by organizing volunteers, knocking on doors, finding out what voters actually care about and of course making a lot of phone calls.

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

The United States must cease with foreign wars, prepare for the fourth industrial revolution, revitalize our small towns and cites, protect our environment and bring healthcare to the entire population.

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

I would love to either be on the foreign relations committee or science, space and technology committee. We could definitely use some younger folks like me on there.