John Thomas

John Thomas was born in Meyersdale, Pennsylvania. He earned a bachelor's degree from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2000. His career experience includes working as an educator.[1]

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a husband, father, grandfather, educator, Christian, and church elder.

I live in the small town of Kittanning in Armstrong County, PA. About 4,000 of my neighbors call Kittanning home. While our “Greatest City in the World,” is a small town, it's nearly twice as large as my hometown of Meyersdale, in Somerset County.

I'd like to bring my small-town values to the US Senate. We believe in hard work and personal responsibility. When someone falls on hard times, our communities voluntarily come together to support. Bake sales, spaghetti dinners, and silent auctions provide a safety net in our towns, without government red tape.

I have been an educator for 20 years. I have taught economics, history, geography, and government. Currently, I coordinate teacher professional development for Agora Cyber Charter School.

My passion as an educator drove me to run for U.S. Senate. I recognize that running as a Libertarian does not put me into a winning position. But I am not going to be one of those politicians who lies to voters about my prospects; I know they are low.

Running for U.S. Senate will allow me to educate Pennsylvanians about libertarianism and expand the window of allowable opinion. Too often, Democrats and Republicans restrict the range of opinion. They allow us to debate whether the top marginal income tax rate should be 37% or 42%. But they do not allow the discussion to be whether we ought to have an income tax. I intend to have forbidden discussions.

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?

Peace - Stop War SpendingProsperity - Stop InflationPennsylvania - Protect Civil Liberties

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Federal spending is out of control - especially spending on foreign wars. The federal government prints money to pay for this reckless spending. Those who have access to the money first, Bankers, Bureaucrats, and Barons - benefit. However, regular blue-collar workers suffer. By the time workers see their wages increase, they have often been paying higher prices for months.

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

Politically, my hero is Ron Paul. Ron Paul never compromised over something that might be unpopular. He l would go to a heavily militarized state like South Carolina, and say that the military is bloated. He would go to a heavily agricultural state and criticize farm subsidies. The man is courageous.

I also look up to my wife, Sara. She taught both of our daughters how to read, and set them up for success as a homeschool mom for many years. She always shows love and support to our entire family, including our church family. Every Sunday, she makes coffee for our congregation, one of those jobs that people rarely celebrate, but always appreciate. She is humble and kind. She has a smile that still makes my heart race, after 22 years of marriage. And she is committed to Christ. I couldn’t look up to anyone the way I look up to Sara.

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

My three book recommendations for those new to libertarianism are:

— “The Law” by Frederick Bastiat

— “Economics in One Lesson” by Henry Hazlitt

— “Anatomy of the State” by Murray Rothbard

Additionally, I have written a short, quick-read ebook explaining libertarian views on current issues: https://linktr.ee/johnthomaspa. It is a free download; please help yourself!

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

Elected officials must be of sound character and have a solid grounding in principled, limited government philosophy.

Oftentimes, elections are centered on the issues of the day. However, tomorrow's issues might look very different. Voters need assurance that their senators will respond appropriately to future issues, as well as to current ones. A person who is grounded in a solid philosophical rationale for his or her positions sends a message of trustworthiness to constituents.

Sound character is important, because even if one is grounded in philosophical truths, voters need to trust that their elected officials will stand on those truths, especially when personal incentives tempt them to stray.

You will not have to guess with me. I will stand on the side of small government, personal responsibility, and individual freedom every time. Not only is this the position that will lead to the most prosperity for America, but it's also the position that is most morally sound.

I believe that my message of political and economic freedom will resound with people who desire peace and prosperity in Pennsylvania. It will resonate with people who are tired of government overreach and being fed the same-old, same-old empty promises. Your vote for me will send a message to Washington that we are ready to roll back government!

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

I don’t plan on holding the office of U.S. Senator. I plan on using this campaign to educate people on libertarianism, and the benefits of limited government, individual liberty, and personal responsibility. I plan on sharing how peaceful policies will strengthen purchasing power, leading to a more prosperous Pennsylvania. I plan to give voice to those who know that liberty holds our culture together, but who are frustrated with the lack of liberty-defending politicians. I am the right guy for that role. I am an educator; it is my life’s work. But my passion is liberty. This campaign is about combining my life’s work with my passion. I’ve trained my whole life for it!

That raises the question, however, of why I want you to vote for me if I don't expect to win. The protest vote is the most powerful vote. When Republicans and Democrats see that over 5% of Americans refuse to vote for more of the same, and they also see that the margin of victory often comes down to less than 5%, they will change their actions to win back those voters. Rather than giving your vote to the Republicans and Democrats, and getting more of the same, by voting third-party, you are telling the establishment that they have to earn your vote. You will never give it away!

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

Article 1 Section 8 of the United States Constitution limits the responsibility of Congress in several ways. Senators cannot use taxes for anything other than what is expressly listed in that section. In 2025, a core responsibility of any senator ought to be cutting back spending to align with the Constitution.

In addition to taxation, the Constitution gives senators additional powers. One of those is the power of impeachment. Congress is obligated to hold federal officials accountable for their actions. When government officials abuse their power, the Senate should shine a light on their corruption. Any senator who is not actively seeking to investigate how the government handled COVID three years ago is neglecting his or her duties.

What legacy would you like to leave?

If I am remembered as someone who loved the Lord Jesus Christ to the end, that will be enough for me. But if I am also remembered as someone who relentlessly pursued peace and prosperity for Pennsylvania, that would be a bonus!

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

When I was 7-years-old, the Challenger space shuttle exploded. I was in second grade, and our teacher put the launch on TV, so we could view it live. It was a particularly exciting event for my teacher, because there was a teacher on the space shuttle. I remember how upset the adults were, although I was not quite old enough to process it.

The first historical event I really remember processing was the 1992 presidential election, when I was 13. I glued myself to the TV for speeches, conventions, and the horse race political polling. Ross Perot made a strong third-party run on a single issue, balancing the federal budget. At the time, nobody thought the federal budget could be balanced. In fact, few in Washington thought they could cut the rate of growth. Ross Perot said it should be balanced completely.

He got nineteen percent of the vote. He lost. But his issue did not lose; his issue came alive!

Both parties recognized that they could not win without Perot’s voters, so in 1994, Republicans added a balanced budget to their “Contract with America,” and in 1996, Bill Clinton signed it into law.

The impossible happened. Nineteen percent of voters changed history!

This is why I tell people I don't plan on winning the election, but I still hope to get their votes. We don't need to do something impossible to change the world. We need to do something within our grasp. We need to be bold and consistent and vote for that bold, consistent message.

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

My first unpaid job was helping at my parents' auto parts store. However, I would spend as much time playing with my friends in the store basement as I did working. They displayed great wisdom in not paying me.

My first paying job was at my grandparent's restaurant as a dishwasher. I got paid $4.25 per hour, and my mother told me before my first day of work, "You are being paid to work. If you go in and slack off, you are stealing. You are not giving your grandparents what they paid for. I didn't raise a thief.” I held that job throughout high school.

If Pennsylvania elects me to cut the size of government, I will work until the job is done. My mom didn't raise a thief.

What is your favorite book? Why?

It sounds like such a politician's answer, but my favorite book is the Bible. I read it from cover to cover every 10 months. I read it each morning as part of my morning routine. But it is so much more than part of my routine. It gives me inspiration, comfort, guidance, and hope.

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

I would like to be John Galt. I wish we all had the courage to stop the motor of the world.

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

Yesterday I watched a video project my daughter created using the Scooby-Doo theme song, and it’s now stuck in my head.

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

Progressive statists. I struggle to understand how people can still count on the government to solve social and economic issues, when all of history demonstrates otherwise.

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

The United States now pays over $600 Billion per year in interest on its national debt. Currently, we are preventing extreme inflation by keeping interest rates relatively high. However, there is only so much we can do with that, when we owe $35 Trillion. Either investors lose confidence in Treasuries, or people lose confidence in the dollar, or both. This would be disastrous for Americans. To minimize this harm, we need to cut federal spending today. Not only would this help to lessen the severity of the crash, it would also allow us to begin building the local resources to help our communities once the crash comes and the Federal government becomes powerless to address problems.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

Much of the power in Washington is not held by elected officials, but rather by government staffers. When a politician first comes to Washington, he relies heavily on the advice of those staffers. While term limits would help to solve the problem of senators becoming too corrupt, they would also serve to make the career staffers more powerful.

So, we would have a choice between corrupt senators, who will rob you live on C-SPAN, or corrupt Washington insiders, who will rob you behind your back, in the dark corners of the Capitol Building.

Wanting to limit congressional terms stems from recognizing the corruption that career politicians display. However, we must be careful that the cure is not worse than the disease.

When there is a strict separation between economy and state, most Congresspeople, unable to exploit their position to make themselves wealthy, will choose to limit their own time in office.

In the meantime, I suggest that the voters limit the time of their own Senators and Congress people, by refusing to vote for them.

If I am elected, and if I do not carry through with my promises to cut government, I beg you to not reelect me. The power to limit terms of senators is already in your hands. Crooked politicians try to trick the people into thinking they don't already have this power. I want to remind you that you already have this power over your Senators!

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

The United States Senate lost some of its uniqueness with the passage of the 17th Amendment, which required that Senators be directly elected.. Prior to that, Senators were chosen by the state legislatures. The Constitution’s authors built Congress so that the House of Representatives answered to the people, and the Senate answered to the states.

But today, both houses answer directly to the people. Therefore, the Senate is a smaller version of the House of Representatives, with some unique powers to provide advice and consent on political appointments, and to try cases of impeachment.

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

That depends upon for whom it would be beneficial. It would likely be beneficial for the senators themselves to have previous experience, since politics corrupts. Experienced politicians have a leg up on other politicians, because they have already been corrupted, and therefore have fewer moral checks on their nefarious deeds.

However, previous experience is not beneficial for the people. I would rather the crooks in Washington be amateurs than professional thieves.

What do you think of the filibuster?

Anything that slows down the growth of the state is wonderful!

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

Rand Paul would be a good mentor.

Rand's father, Ron Paul, although never a senator, is far and away the best lawmaker of my lifetime.

Tell us your favorite joke.

Marriage is vitally important to society. Men tend to be dangerous, overzealous creatures. Women provide us with a purpose and direction, and calm some of our more extreme qualities.

Look at Boaz from the Bible. Before he was married, he was ruthless.

(It takes a bit of Biblical literacy to get the punchline.)

How would you evaluate a judicial nominee?

I would spend more time looking at his or her record than asking questions. When cameras are on, people can say anything. I would let their records speak for themselves. I would look for evidence that they believe in the Constitution as ratified. If their interpretation of the Constitution would be unrecognizable to the authors of the Constitution, relying more on progressive era politics than strictly following the historical evidence, I would reject them immediately. The Constitution and the Constitutional Ratification Debates should be the guide.

What kind of relationships would you build with other senators?

Other Senators would never have to guess where I stood on issues. I will always stand on the side of individual rights, less government, and personal responsibility. Therefore, we could likely have cordial relationships. However, they may grow tired of me constantly blocking their attempts at corruption, and shining lights into the darkness of their schemes. (On second thought, our relationship might not be that cordial.)

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

Not every hill is one worth dying on. However, if you don’t identify which hills are worth it, you will give up every hill. The hill I will die on is resisting government growth. I will compromise only on how much any particular bill or policy shrinks the government. For instance, I desire to get taxes as close to zero as possible. If someone wants to cut them by 5%, I will make that compromise, because it takes us in the right direction. I will not make the perfect the enemy of the good, but I will not support bad policies just for some future favors. Some hills are worth dying on.

How should the U.S. Senate use its investigative powers?

The Senate should investigate the COVID regime. The lockdowns of 2020 and 2021 and Biden’s vaccine mandates were low points in American history. But, as low as they were, it would even be worse if those responsible were to go unpunished. Justice is important to a healthy society. The Senate should investigate every aspect of how science was weaponized against the American people.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

The Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania

The Libertarian Medical Freedom Caucus

What criteria would you apply when deciding whether to confirm presidential appointees to their Cabinet?

For almost every cabinet-level position, I would ask the appointees how quickly they could get pink slips into the hands of every bureaucrat working for their department. I would also ask what real estate agency they would recommend for selling the building their agency occupies.

What committees interest you?

I would like to serve on the Banking Committee, so I could help to dismantle the Federal Reserve, and the Foreign Relations Committee, so I could work to eliminate the bribes that we send to corrupt dictators around the globe.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

There ought to be a strict separation between economy and state. When government policies profoundly impact industries, those industries see large fluctuations in their values. This allows corrupt government officials to make millions, or even billions of dollars. Meanwhile, regular Americans struggle to put food on the table and pay medical expenses.

Some well-intended politicians have tried to add layers upon layers of regulations to prevent this type of profiteering. However, this simply makes it more complicated for the people - who ought to be holding politicians accountable - to respond. In fact, these regulations have created a new group in the wealthy class: those who help politicians navigate the laws to still make their millions.

If we were to return to a place where Congress had only the powers listed for them by the Constitution, we would then be able to have that strict separation between economy and state. Their hands would be tied. Politicians couldn’t raise the value of one stock, or drop the value of another by changing regulations. Politicians couldn’t crush the competition of an established business, to protect their investments. They wouldn’t have these powers. They would only have the powers granted to them in the Constitution.