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Michael Chiaradio

DemocraticFirst-time candidate

Farmer/Rancher

Michael Chiaradio is a farmer and businessman running for U.S. House in Mississippi for the first time. He emphasizes smart economic investment, agricultural support, and America's competitive advantages.

From the candidate’s published profile

Background

Michael Chiaradio was born in New Jersey. He graduated from Teaneck High School. He earned a bachelor's degree from Eastern Nazarene College in 2013 and a graduate degree from Felician University in 2021. His career experience includes working as a farmer/rancher.[1]

Graduate:
Felician University, 2021
Bachelor's:
Eastern Nazarene College, 2013
High school:
Teaneck High School

Campaign money

Raised
$155K
From individuals
$66K
From PACs & party
$0
Own money
—

FEC filings through June 30, 2026.

View on FEC.gov(opens in new tab)

In their own words

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Born and raised in Teaneck, New Jersey, Chiaradio pursued a college baseball career that took him to more than 40 states. He later played in the inaugural season of what became the Empire Professional Baseball League and worked in operations for the league after retiring from the field.

Following his baseball career, he launched several small business ventures. The most notable was a professional softball league called the American Softball Association (ASBA Softball) in Satsuma, Alabama. Over two summers, he brought together athletes from across the country and created a platform for women’s sports that did not otherwise exist.

Chiaradio went on to earn an MBA from Felician University, build a six-figure investment portfolio, and spend nearly four years in leadership at Maximus Inc., a global government contractor that supports Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.

Chiaradio now lives in Shubuta, Mississippi with his four loyal dogs, where he owns and operates a regenerative farm.

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?

Investing in Our People: Simply raising taxes or cutting spending does not solve our economic problems. We need BETTER spending that invests in our people.America's Competitive Advantages: Yes, we should protect manufacturing and other critical industries, but we should also focus on our natural strengths. Agriculture and Healthcare are examples of foundational competitive advantages that can, and should, lead the United States into the future.

We must make intelligent investments to ensure that American agriculture remains a cornerstone of our economy and a source of prosperity for generations to come. And we must also use America’s growing need for quality healthcare to build assets that strengthen our healthcare industry and make us more valuable to the entire world.North American Production: North America should not compete alone; we should grow together into a leading force in global markets.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

1. Achieving economic sustainability for America

2. Maintaining America's global competitive position

3. Investments in Agriculture and Rural Communities

4. Regenerative Farming and Soil Health

5. Healthcare Access & Affordability

6. Improving Trade and Foreign Policy Relationships with both Allies and Rivals

7. Grassroots Democracy and Voter Participation in Mississippi

8. Establishing a new, viable direction for the Democratic Party

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

Realism, a pursuit of objective truth, and as much honesty as possible.

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

Congressional leaders should utilize a policy framework that is general enough to work for various constituencies across America. They should then build coalitions in Washington DC around those policy frameworks to help get resources to the respective State and Local Officials who can strategically execute on a more granular level.

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

Bill Clinton's reelection in 1996, I was 6 years old.

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

The very short terms force representatives to be more responsive to the will and sentiment of the people, at least in theory.

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

Yes, experience can be a tremendous asset and I will develop relationships with fellow representatives and staff members to help accelerate my learning curve as a freshman lawmaker. However, experience can also expose weaknesses and become a liability. For example, if an incumbent has presided over the same problem for a long time, they may have experience dealing with the problem, but their approach is likely ineffective.

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

Competing constructively in a multipolar world while simultaneously addressing economic sustainability issues domestically

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

No, I believe we should study and learn from history, but I am focused on just being myself.

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

Yes, and I hope for more bipartisanship, but compromise is also necessary within a political party.

Campaign website

Chiaradio's campaign website stated the following:

Michael A. Chiaradio’s Platform

Investing in Our People

Simply raising taxes or cutting spending does not solve our problems. We need better spending that invests in our people.

The Agricultural Foundation

We can ensure that American agriculture remains a cornerstone of our economy and a source of prosperity for generations to come.

America’s Healthcare Advantage

America’s growing need for quality healthcare gives the United States a chance to build assets that strengthen our healthcare industry.

Investing in Our People

Expand American factories, farms, and infrastructure

Support industries that increase our global competitiveness

Help more Americans fully participate in the economy

Stabilize the national debt with sustainable production

Focus on American communities, not special interests

READ TIME: 1 MIN

America’s future depends on our federal government’s ability to invest in factories, farms, and infrastructure. We, as a nation, can and must produce more.

We also need to invest more in our consumer base by broadening the social safety net. An economy can only reach its maximum potential when its people have the financial security to participate fully and freely in the marketplace. For too long, public resources have been directed toward distant priorities and special interests while many Americans have been left behind.

Free markets will function best when we support them with timely public policy that helps strengthen our global competitive position.

By investing wisely in our consumers and in our productive capacities, we can put our economy back on sustainable footing over time and begin stabilizing our budget deficits and national debt in a way that will ensure economic stability for generations to come.

Improving American Healthcare

Expand low-cost access to healthcare

Reduce out-of-pocket costs and premiums

Train more healthcare workers

Invest in modern medical facilities

Improve health outcomes and protect dignity in old age

READ TIME: 1 MIN

Every American should have access to high quality preventive and curative healthcare at a low cost. But today, out-of-pocket expenses are an enormous financial risk and premium costs strain household budgets, thereby weakening our economy.

We must embrace the fact that, as more Americans live longer, there will be a growing need for spending on quality healthcare.

The key is to cultivate a workforce of American medical professionals and to develop long-term assets such as modern medical facilities and hospitals in the process.

These investments position America to be a global leader in healthcare delivery and they create high-quality jobs in communities across the country. Healthcare cost assistance is also one of the most effective ways to strengthen the social safety net and invest in the American consumer.

However, our main focus should always be to steadily improve health outcomes for our people and to ensure that every American can age with dignity, security, and access to the care they deserve.

The New American Expansion

Expand homebuilding

Anchor rural growth with small businesses

Increase asset ownership for Americans

Invest in modern infrastructure

Stabilize America’s macroeconomic trajectory

READ TIME: 1 MIN

High housing costs have locked millions of Americans out of economic independence while many small towns have faded away. But addressing the forces behind these realities should not be treated as a social program, it should be seen as an opportunity for national growth and development.

If the United States is to compete in the decades ahead, we must make coordinated investments that expand our productive capacity and our communities at the same time.

By expanding USDA homebuilding programs, investing in modern infrastructure, and strengthening small producers across the agricultural value chain, we can build new towns, revitalize old ones, and create pathways to asset ownership for American families.

Together, these investments will create jobs, support businesses, and give our people the stable foundation they need to thrive. This is how we ensure the United States does not slowly decline like the great nations of the past but instead can stand in defiance against the crushing onslaught of time.

Free the Small Farmer

Improve national security and lower food inflation

Support a more diverse mix of crops and livestock

Lower capital barriers for small farmers

Increase market share for small farms

Refine production to better meet export demand

READ TIME: 1 MIN

One of the most important ways we can protect America’s competitive position is to strengthen domestic food production. Many decades of inattentive policy have caused high food prices and created a more vulnerable supply chain.

Our policy should encourage farmers to grow a more diverse range of crops and livestock and allow access to value-added markets, which will unlock significant revenue opportunities. We can also provide favorable loans, qualified debt forgiveness, and expanded rental programs to help farms more easily access the specialized machinery they need to adapt in changing markets.

As profitable small farms gradually increase production nationwide, our existing large producers will use their economies of scale to stabilize food prices domestically and increase our exports.

Modernize the Energy Grid

Strengthen the grid through federal investment

Upgrade aging infrastructure

Prevent future blackouts and price spikes

Protect against extreme weather and cyberattacks

Create high-skill jobs in every region

READ TIME: 1 MIN

A strong federal commitment to grid resilience is essential. America’s power grid is widely considered a national security risk due to its aging infrastructure, increasing electricity demands, and vulnerabilities to extreme weather.

Only the United States government has the scale, coordination, and resources to lead an effort of this magnitude. We must replace infrastructure that is decades past its designed lifespan and invest in modern transmission lines, storm-hardened equipment, and advanced cybersecurity systems that keep electricity flowing even in the face of disaster or attack.

By upgrading and securing our ability to reliably transmit energy from all sources, under any circumstances, we protect our people from outages and price shocks while also creating skilled jobs in construction, engineering, and technology.

A resilient energy grid is the foundation of economic stability and American strength.

International Trade

Reverse policies that have increased division

Protect critical industries from unfair competition

Reduce the cost of trade to stabilize prices

Cultivate America’s competitive advantages

Attain peace through collaboration, not just strength

READ TIME: 1 MIN

The strength of the United States lies in our ability to work together, both at home and with the world. Every country must protect its vital industries but maintaining cooperation between nations has never been more important.

For trade to work, the cost of exchanging must remain low. When barriers like tariffs are imposed, they disrupt this natural process by raising costs and reducing incentives to trade.

Tariffs also divert resources away from more productive uses, ultimately degrading our industrial and technological advantages. Highly effective trade policy should instead seek to achieve economic sustainability by focusing on our unique opportunities and strengths.

Real security ultimately doesn’t come from adversarial policies like tariffs and sanctions but instead from collaboration and mutual investment.

Immigration Reform

Improve foreign policy to reduce mass migration

Build a sustainable, orderly immigration system

Match new arrivals with existing infrastructure

Maintain robust border security to protect communities

Attract global talent

READ TIME: 1 MIN

The United States can grow stronger through well-managed immigration but only if we first invest in the infrastructure to support it. Past failures in domestic and foreign policy have left our economy less prepared to handle growth, with insufficient housing, schools, and healthcare to support new arrivals.

Limited legal immigration can fuel business development, consumer spending, and innovation. But these benefits require a strong domestic foundation, which includes robust border security to protect our communities.

By pairing growth with planning, investment, and security, we can create a sustainable, orderly immigration system that strengthens our economy and ensures America remains the destination for the world’s best businesses and talent.

America's Tax System

Maintain globally competitive tax rates

Limit corporate loopholes

Incentivize more Americans to own stock

Use federal investment to grow production

Avoid rapid tax increases

READ TIME: 1 MIN

America needs a balanced tax plan that combines moderate ordinary income taxes with a corporate tax system that limits loopholes and remains competitive with other nations.

To help combat the excessive asset concentration that burdens our economy, our corporate tax plan should better incentivize companies to distribute cash to American citizens and, if tax rates increase, it should allow companies to avoid higher rates if they meet targets for broader stock ownership.

Material tax increases should be limited in the short term while the federal government commits significant investment to form industrial capital using debt. Our focus should be to increase real domestic production enough that it will more than offset the weakening purchasing power of our currency over time.

Importantly, our tax system is highly flexible, making it a valuable asset to the nation, but no tax system can outperform the society it serves. Our so-called merit-based system is really just a vast network of interdependence. We live better than any humans in recorded history, not solely due to individual merit but because we work together. No person transcends this fact.

Peace Through Collaboration with China

Foster communication with China

Compete aggressively yet cooperatively

Promote peaceful compromise in Taiwan

Avoid confrontational tactics

Promote shared prosperity

READ TIME: 1 MIN

Americans should not view the People’s Republic of China as an adversary. Instead, we must foster better communication, including military-to-military dialogues, and build a relationship rooted in mutual understanding and respect.

While fierce competition will likely define our relationship with China for decades, our approach should be to compete aggressively yet cooperatively. Rather than treating Taiwan as an asset of the United States, we should seek a workable compromise that protects the dignity of all parties involved.

Together, the United States and China can accomplish far more than we ever could apart, sustaining global leadership and shared prosperity for generations to come. We must advance not through confrontational tactics but by working in harmony with evolving economies around the world. Attempts to manipulate trade deals or isolate competitors will only harm us both in the long term.

When great nations unite with a shared mission of prosperity, we can ensure lasting peace and strengthen the bonds that connect us.

Rebuilding Trust in Government

Protect judicial independence

Keep the Fed free from politics

Limit special interest power

Strengthen congressional authority

Make emergency power more accountable

READ TIME: 1 MIN

Trust in our federal government has fallen to dangerously low levels, driven by partisanship and perceptions of corruption.

Restoring that trust is essential to a strong future for the United States.

Our courts must remain free from political pressure and dedicated to impartial justice. Judges should be appointed based on their commitment to judicial independence and public officials must reinforce this principle.

Just as our courts must be independent, an independent Federal Reserve allows the economy to be guided by economic realities rather than short-term political pressure.

Additionally, excessive lobbying has weakened the voice of ordinary Americans. We must impose meaningful limits on the influence of special interests.

That same principle applies to executive power. Emergency powers must be reviewed by Congress within a defined period, such as 90 days, and lawmaking must return to elected representatives rather than being shaped primarily by federal agencies.

By restoring trust in our government, we can put our people first and continue the work of forming a more perfect union.

Ending Homelessness in America

Expand housing assistance

Prioritize housing without preconditions

Address mental health and addiction

Make communities safer

Support local economies

READ TIME: 1 MIN

While most Americans picture a long-term unsheltered individual when they think of homelessness, the reality is that most people experience it temporarily due to a lost job or medical crisis.

For this reason, and for the overall health of our economy, the United States must expand rental and mortgage assistance nationwide. When families are no longer burdened by housing insecurity, more income will flow through local communities and create greater financial stability.

However, chronic homelessness also remains a persistent issue. For these individuals, stable housing must come first because the practical reality of their situation often traps them in addiction and makes it nearly impossible for them to hold a job.

The chronically homeless need a permanent residence that provides safety, for themselves and others, and the foundation needed to address mental health and addiction.

Homelessness is a solvable problem that can be addressed with coordinated investment. By making housing security a national priority, we can strengthen communities and build a more productive society.

Criminal Justice Reform

Build trust and respect for police

Limit unfairly stacked charges

Ensure fair plea negotiations

Expand mental health and addiction alternatives

Support record clearing for reformed individuals

READ TIME: 1 MIN

Although we have at times fallen short of our ideal as a nation of laws, where no one is above the law, we are committed to making improvements and creating a more effective justice system.

That begins with our police, who play a vital role in protecting communities. Building respect and trust between law enforcement and residents is essential. The federal government can support states with funding for accountability measures such as body-worn cameras and automated reporting systems to improve transparency and public confidence.

Justice must also be compassionate and proportional. Too often, low-income defendants are unfairly overcharged and pressured into unfavorable plea deals. Federal policy can combat these practices by setting enforceable limits on stacked charges and establishing oversight to ensure fair plea negotiations.

We must also expand mental health and addiction services as alternatives to incarceration for nonviolent offenders. Making it easier for reformed individuals to clear their records strengthens economic opportunity and community stability.

Together, these steps build a system that promotes liberty and justice for all.

[2]

—Michael Chiaradio’s campaign website (2026)[3]

On the 2026 ballot

Links

Compiled from the candidate’s published profile as of September 30, 2026 and FEC filings.

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