Nicholas Zateslo

Nicholas Zateslo was born in Tallahassee, Florida. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of South Florida in 2009.

His career experience includes working as a technology executive.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I grew up in Tallahassee, graduated from Rickards, and earned my degree at USF. I spent my early career running tough campaigns across Florida and later led a statewide coalition that modernized voter access. In California, and back home in Tallahassee, I built software and data tools for campaigns and nonprofits: the unglamorous work that makes big operations actually work.

I’m an Eagle Scout; my project was the Torreya State Park trail map that’s still in use. My wife is a mental‑health therapist, and we’re raising two young boys here in North Florida.

I’m running for Congress for three main reasons. First, to restore checks and balances: honest oversight, clean single‑issue bills, and a House that legislates instead of governing by crisis.

Second, to prepare families and small businesses for the upheaval caused by AI and automation, I’ll promote pro‑people policies, innovative solutions, and safeguard privacy and cybersecurity, while leveraging technology to make government more straightforward, efficient, and affordable.

Closer to home, I’ll fight to lower property‑insurance costs, harden Gulf Coast infrastructure around places like Tyndall and Port Panama City, protect Apalachicola Bay and Wakulla Springs, and finish rural broadband. I’ll tell the truth, show up, and vote for good ideas no matter who proposes them.

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?

Country over party; checks and balances.

No one gets a blank check for power—ever. I’ll help the House do its job again: real oversight that follows facts, subpoenas that mean something, and clean, single-issue bills instead of 2,000-page hostage packages. Publish the text, allow genuine amendments, record the votes, and end the spectacle hearings. When we legislate in daylight, we can pass what we agree on and block executive power-grabs—no matter who sits in the White House.Lower costs & stronger communities.

Families are getting squeezed—insurance premiums, rent and mortgages, child care, and groceries keep climbing while carriers pull out and wages lag. I’ll lead a Gulf Coast plan that lowers costs and strengthens communities: expand a federal reinsurance backstop; turbo‑charge home‑hardening grants that actually cut insurance bills; invest in resilient bases, ports, roads, and rural broadband; boost housing supply and affordability; make child care more available and affordable; and block price‑gouging and unlawful tariff gimmicks that spike prices. Safer homes, lower bills, faster rebuilds.Smart and honest approach to AI and technology. I believe in harnessing technology and AI to boost productivity while ensuring working people benefit from these advances. I'll advocate for strong consumer protections including privacy rights, cybersecurity measures, and transparency requirements. My focus includes developing innovative approaches to portable benefits, income security, flexible work arrangements, and retirement planning. I'm also committed to streamlining federal services to make government more efficient, accessible, and cost-effective for everyone.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Making government work for people again. That means clean, single‑issue bills; honest oversight; and services that are simple, fast, and reliable. I’m focused on the cost‑of‑living squeeze, especially Florida’s property‑insurance crisis, plus housing, mental and medical health care, and resilient infrastructure. I’m committed to protecting our natural resources, such as Apalachicola Bay and Wakulla Springs, and expanding rural broadband. And I’ll lead on AI and cybersecurity, so innovation helps workers and small businesses instead of leaving people behind.

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

Tell the truth, show up, and put country over party. Voters deserve someone who says what they believe, answers hard questions, and votes for good ideas no matter who proposes them. Competence matters—read the bills, do the oversight, and focus on outcomes, not headlines. And finally, listen. I’ll meet people where they are, treat everyone with respect, and build coalitions that actually get things done.

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

Represent your district honestly; legislate with competence; conduct fair oversight; deliver responsive constituent services; and be present at town halls, base visits, small‑business roundtables, and in the communities you serve.

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

The 2000 Presidential election was the first significant event I paid attention to. I was living in Tallahassee, and watched up close as that all unfolded.

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

My first job was at Wallwood Boy Scout Camp in Quincy, FL. I began as the Scoutcraft Director, handling camping, cooking, fishing, and wilderness survival, and five years later, I finished my tenure as the Assistant Director, then called the Commissioner.

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

The House is closest to the people; it is our real direct power in the Federal government. Single‑member districts, two‑year terms, and the constitutional “power of the purse.” Its scale and rules can enable rapid, responsive legislating and robust oversight when we let committees work, allow real amendments, and keep bills clean. Done right, the House is the public’s daily voice in federal government—fast feedback, transparent debate, and rigorous investigation grounded in facts.

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

Helpful, yes—required, no. We need both institutional know‑how and real‑world problem solvers. My background blends both: years running campaigns and coalitions in Florida, plus hands‑on work building software and data systems that make complex operations function. I’ll hire experienced staff, listen to subject‑matter experts, and keep the humility and curiosity to learn. But I’ll never confuse “how it’s always been done” with “what’s best for people.”

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

Two big ones. First, defending the Constitution, our checks and balances, the rule of law, and congressional oversight, from authoritarian erosion. No president should have unaccountable power, and Congress needs to get back to doing its job with real oversight and clean, single‑issue bills.

Second, preparing for the whiplash of AI and automation. I'm excited about the upside, but clear‑eyed about the risks: job displacement, inequality, national security, and data privacy. We need smart guardrails and pro‑people policies: reskilling, stronger safety nets, and responsible deployment—while using technology to make government work better.

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

Yes. The two‑year term keeps the House directly accountable to voters. The real fix is cleaning up money in politics, ending partisan gerrymandering, and restoring regular order so members spend more time legislating and less time dialing for dollars.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

I'm generally not in favor of short, strict term limits—voters already have the power to hire and fire us every election. Florida's experience shows term limits don't remove entrenched power; they shift it to lobbyists and unelected staff. That said, I'm open to longer limits (15–20 years) if they come as part of a broader reform package that gets big money out of politics and ends partisan gerrymandering. Those two problems are the real drivers of unaccountable incumbency.

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

Yes—when it delivers good, fair policy that improves people's lives. I'll vote for a good idea no matter who proposes it. I won't support compromise for its own sake if it stuffs harmful provisions into giant omnibus bills. My preference is single‑issue or "clean" bills so we can agree where we actually agree without the poison‑pill tradeoffs.

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?

’d use the power of the purse to put families first and simplify the code. That means resilience tax credits that actually cut insurance bills, closing loopholes that reward offshoring and monopolies, and pay‑fors that are honest and transparent. And it means insisting that Ways and Means markups and bill text are public and “clean,” not vehicles for unrelated poison pills.

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

Seriously and sparingly—focused on facts, not theatrics. Priorities: safeguarding constitutional rules, rooting out waste/fraud/abuse, protecting elections from foreign/corporate interference, and ensuring agencies implement laws as written. Work with Inspectors General and GAO, publish evidence, respect due process, and issue recommendations that translate into fix‑it legislation.

What role should the United States government have in the development or use of artificial intelligence?

Set the rules of the road, invest in people, and use the tech to serve—not replace—the public. I’ll push for a framework that:

Protects privacy and security. Pass a real federal data‑privacy law with data‑minimization and breach‑notification requirements; mandate safety testing/red‑teaming and incident reporting for high‑risk systems; harden critical infrastructure; and set export controls where national security is at stake.

Demands transparency where it matters. Clear labeling/watermarking of synthetic media; algorithmic impact assessments and auditable logs for high‑risk uses; and the right to an explanation and appeal when decisions affect benefits, health, credit, employment, or liberty. No secret black boxes deciding people’s lives.

Puts workers first. A “GI Bill for automation” with rapid retraining, apprenticeships, and community‑college partnerships; portable benefits and wage‑insurance pilots; and incentives for deployments that augment workers. Companies planning large AI‑driven layoffs should provide notice, transition support, and funding for local training hubs.

Keeps markets competitive and the nation safe. Prevent compute/data monopolies with competition policy and cloud transparency; support open standards and trusted open research; protect supply chains; and target deepfake and cyber threats to elections and critical services.

Delivers better government. Align federal procurement with NIST‑style risk frameworks; pilot AI to cut backlogs and fraud at VA/SSA/USCIS while keeping humans in the loop for benefits, health, and justice decisions; require accessibility from the start; measure outcomes and publish results.

Here in North Florida, that means partnering with FSU/FAMU and our military and industry partners to stand up an AI apprenticeship and cybersecurity hub that creates good jobs while protecting people’s rights.

What legislation would you enact related to election administration in the United States?

Make elections fair, auditable, and mapped by voters—not politicians. I’d back a clean bill with three pillars:

1) Redistricting reform. Ban partisan gerrymandering nationwide and require independent citizen commissions for congressional maps. Set clear, uniform criteria: equal population; contiguity and compactness; respect for communities of interest and city/county boundaries; and a flat prohibition on advantaging a party or incumbent. Make the whole process transparent—open meetings, public data, side‑by‑side draft maps, written justifications, and real time for public comment and citizen‑submitted maps. Restore and modernize Voting Rights Act protections so communities of color can elect candidates of choice, and create fast‑track federal review so illegal maps are fixed before an election—not after.

2) Secure, auditable voting with basic access. Keep the floor simple and funded for the long haul: paper ballots (or voter‑verifiable paper backups) with routine risk‑limiting audits; stable grants for equipment, cybersecurity, training, accessibility, and nonpartisan poll‑worker recruitment; protection for election workers from threats and doxxing; and streamlined access—automatic/online registration, a minimum early‑voting window (including a weekend), and vote‑by‑mail with tracking and a clear cure process.

3) Clean campaigns & money‑in‑politics transparency. Real‑time, itemized disclosure of political spending and donors above sensible thresholds—including shell companies and pass‑throughs—with beneficial‑ownership reporting so foreign or anonymous money can’t hide. Apply “paid for by” disclaimers and public ad libraries to digital ads; strengthen anti‑coordination rules; tighten the ban on foreign influence (including foreign‑influenced corporations); and fix FEC enforcement so violations are investigated and resolved on deadlines that mean something. Give candidates a voluntary small‑donor matching option so people—not big checkbooks—drive campaigns.

States would still run their elections. The federal role is to set fair maps and a common‑sense floor so every eligible voter can cast a ballot, every valid ballot is counted, and the lines and campaigns reflect real communities—not partisan engineering or dark money.