Lucy Lauser

Lucy Lauser was born in Vancouver, Washington. Her professional experience includes being an independent artist and working as a computer programmer. Lauser founded the Mindwielders Artist Collective.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I'm a trans woman who was born in Vancouver, WA and grew up in rural Skamania County. In 2016 I was the North Bonneville PCO and a delegate to the county convention for Bernie Sanders. I consider myself a libertarian leftist, in the tradition of the French anarchists and anti-authoritarian socialists who originally created the term "libertarian". I support self-government, liberty, equality for all people, democratic power distribution (both political and economic), and using our resources to make sure nobody is left behind. As a former computer programmer and freelance editor, I have a lot of experience making systems work more efficiently. We need to invest in our people and infrastructure, and cut out a lot of the bureaucracy and authoritarian micromanagement that wastes resources and prevents local communities from adequately meeting their own needs.

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?

Liberty: All people have the right to freedom of religious practice, and freedom from religious law, including full bodily autonomy.Equality: All people have the right to equal representation and treatment under the law, regardless of their traits or self-expression.Equity: All people have the right to be empowered to fulfill their potential, and supported based on need, not left behind because they're different. All people have the right to a stable, safe home, and a sustainable economy that works for them.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am most passionate about providing representation and support to marginalized communities, removing obstacles for small businesses, and empowering more people to participate in our economy. We need to update our infrastructure, including building a decentralized clean energy grid, which will create a lot of jobs. We also need to rethink our relationship to work, as technology continues to increase productivity and there are no longer enough jobs to support everyone. To me, being a "leftist" is about putting the new wealth we create with our labor back into the local community and economy. We already do all the work that sustains us, and on top of it we also create enormous amounts of profit for people who are already rich. We need to do work for our own communities, instead of faceless corporations and ultra-wealthy shareholders.

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

Why Socialism? by Albert Einstein, Post-Scarcity Anarchism by Murray Bookchin, and They Thought They Were Free by Milton Mayer

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

An elected official should represent all people in their district, and allow input from constituents of all political views to shape their platform. They should be honest and open about themselves, and eager to learn from the perspectives of others. And most importantly, they should be driven by the desire to make people's lives better.

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

I get things done. As a writer I've finished sixteen novels in my life, as a composer I've written many hours of music. And I do it fast...I wrote twelve novels in two years. I learn deeply about everything I'm doing, and find the most efficient way to do it. I also have a wide knowledge base from obsessively consuming educational resources about science, math, art, history, social issues, and more.

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

Create and amend legislation to: promote the general welfare, protect the rights of all people equally, and provide for the defense of the nation.

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

I'm 29...the first major historical event that happened in my life was 9/11/2001. I was nine years old and I woke up to the radio. The following racist retaliation by my white evangelical community turned out to be a major reason I ended up distancing myself from that ideology as a young adult.

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

Being transgender and disabled means I'm living in poverty and homeless. I have always struggled to simply find a safe, stable home, and after a decade of going from rental to rental and paying half of my life earnings for the privilege of having shelter, I couldn't do it anymore.

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

I'm sure it can be beneficial in some cases, but in order for representatives to actually represent the population, some should be newcomers with fresh ideas.

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

The greatest challenge we will all face, as a species, is coping with a simultaneous climate crisis and the displacement of millions of people worldwide. This will mean a continued increase of the violent xenophobia we're already facing, less economic stability, and potential food and water shortages in some places. For the United States, I think the challenge will be finding a way to agree on a shared reality, so we can work together to fix our problems.

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