Jon Karlen

Jon Karlen was born in Port Chester, New York. His career experience includes working as a software engineer. Karlen has been affiliated with the following organizations:[1]

United Hebrew Congregation of Chesterfield, Missouri

Indivisible

St. Charles County Democrats

Pro Choice Missouri

Sierra Club

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a husband, father and proud Missourian running for Congress out of deep concern for the extremist direction some in our state and federal government are seeking to take us in. I have been a software engineer for 27 years. I moved to Missouri because my wife is from here 16 years ago and Missouri is now so much more than a drivers license and an address for me - it is my life. I'm proud to have set down roots in this tremendous state and am eager to serve the people. I believe firmly that if you aren't as passionate about serving the person most strongly opposed to your candidacy as you are to serve your most ardent supporter you shouldn't run.

I’m seeking federal office, in particular, because I believe the gerrymandering of Missouri makes it difficult to fix these problems through the state legislature, and requires strong Democratic control of the federal government. I see so much great in Missouri and believe it deserves so much more than the dearth of leadership the modern day Republican Party gives it. Candidly, I believe I’ve arrived at a point where I must either leave Missouri or fight for it. I believe that this great state deserves someone who’ll stay and fight.

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?

Bringing affordable, reliable broadband to our most rural communities is essential for our state's future. Doing so increases economic opportunity, reduces brain drain and provides for healthcare and educational opportunities that require access.A woman's right to choose is an absolute right and must be enshrined into law. I will have as a top priority passing HR3755 The Women's Healthcare Protection Act of 2021. State Legislatures and an extremist Supreme Court have no business in bodily autonomy.I support the right of every eligible American citizen to vote. Free, fair, transparent elections are a cornerstone of trust in the process, and an attack on anyone’s right to vote is an attack on everyone’s right to vote. i will work to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

rural broadband, bodily autonomy/reproductive freedom, voting rights, education/truth in schools, healthcare, labor, agriculture, veterans affairs, environment, LGBTQ+ rights, criminal justice reform, economic fairness

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

Barack Obama for so many reasons. I of course agreed with him on a great deal of policy, though not everything, but it goes so far beyond that. The character it took to run with so much hostility, the ability to lead a nation where 40% of it thought he wasn't what he claimed to be. The ability to be a President while also being human in a way that no other President in my lifetime had. He brought something truly special to the Presidency and I both admire it and aspire to it in everything I do.

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

Compassion, intelligence, willingness to learn and accept new information that challenges previous beliefs, fairness, a passion for justice and equity

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

Compassion, eagerness to learn, broad knowledge of both domestic and foreign policy, open-mindedness

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

Listening with compassion and interest.

Advocating for your district.

Seeking to benefit those who opposed you as much as those who supported you.

What legacy would you like to leave?

The quote under my sixth grade yearbook picture was "I hope I can someday do something to end prejudice". Social justice sits behind everything I do as a candidate and want to see my name associated with when I'm gone.

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

Challenger. I was 7. I was in school. We weren't watching but I remember knowing something was wrong when another teacher came into our classroom and got my teacher's attention.

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

I worked as a telephone support representative for a local dial-up internet provider in the mid-1990s. I worked there during my senior year of high school (1995-1996) and a few summers/breaks during college.

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

A traditional Jewish melody used at the end of the Holy Day of Yom Kippur

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

I have struggled with morbid obesity since childhood. It has been the struggle of my lifetime.

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

The House has long been an institution of collegiality and compromise. With extremist caucuses starting to take prominence a lot of that has worn thin however the original notion of putting people from all over a geographically and demographically diverse populace forced to debate and compromise is a noble idea.

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

As a first-time candidate I clearly don't think it's essential but I do see benefits to it. Government is complex and a working knowledge of it is clearly a good thing.

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

You can't even begin to have a longterm policy discussion without addressing the realities facing the state of our democracy. All the big issues we face can be resolved by people of good will working towards solutions but only if we weather the current challenges to our entire system being brought by disinformation and a craving for autocracy. While some like to push it under the rug the reality is that a faction of this country, lead by the then-President, tried to usurp democracy through violence and other criminal activity. We have a major media outlet spreading lies and hate to a willing audience on a nightly basis to foster this. Clearly there are huge challenges facing us in terms of the environment, the economy, global stability threatened by bad actors in Russia, North Korea, China and others and so much more. But we have no chance to successfully meet those challenges if we don't rise to the moment facing as as a democracy.

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

Judiciary, Agriculture, Education and Labor, Science, Space and Technology

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

No I do not. Obviously it's dictated in the Constitution so changing it would be very difficult but I believe the two year term creates a cycle of permanent campaigning and makes getting things done very difficult because both sides are always in campaign mode.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

Deeply conflicted. As a candidate challenging a deeply entrenched incumbent I recognize the unevenness this creates in the playing field. However, I also recognize that doing big things takes time and relationships (not cronyism but actual legitimate relationships) that take time to build and it's not a bad thing to have deeply knowledgeable people at the controls.

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

Jamie Raskin, Adam Schiff, Diane DeGette

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?

During a trip to Maries County, MO I heard a story from one gentleman who was unable to spend time with his son over a two year span during the Covid pandemic because the son was, like myself, a software engineer but because Maries is so far behind on broadband he couldn't do his work from there and had to stay closer to a big city to work from home. This was one of the driving forces to me looking deeper into the issue and to seriously study the impact that we can deliver to big parts of the state by investing in infrastructure to bring this essential service to all Missourians.

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

Generally, yes. However when it comes to human rights there shouldn't and can't be compromise. There is no successful middle ground when it comes to the right of a woman to own her own body. There is no successful middle ground when it comes to rights for the LGBTQ+ community. There is no successful middle ground when it comes to the right of all Americans to vote. When it comes to deeply complicated policy matters such as healthcare no one person or party has a monopoly on good ideas and I'm happy to work with anyone who wants to make things better.

The Constitution says that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House. What role would this power play in your priorities if elected?

It would enable me to focus on isolating out the rural broadband component of Build Back Better and sponsor it as standalone legislation.