Phil Goss

Phil Goss was born in Oklahoma. Goss earned a bachelor's degree from the Wabash College and a graduate degree from the University of Strathclyde. His career experience includes working as a president and CEO. As of 2024, Goss was affiliated with the Farm Bureau of Indiana.[1]

U.S. House Indiana District 5

Phil Goss did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2026 Candidate Connection survey.

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Campaign websiteGoss' campaign website stated the following:Farm SupportFamily farms are disappearing because federal policy has prioritized size and profit over people and stewardship. I support expanding direct farm support for small and mid-sized producers, protecting crop insurance, strengthening disaster relief, and expanding access to low-interest credit.Conservation programs should pay farmers for responsible land management — not punish them. If we want to preserve rural America, we must design farm policy around farmers, not corporations. I support reforming USDA programs to ensure that subsidies and support reach working farmers rather than being captured by the largest operations.Farm support must also include mental health resources, succession planning assistance, and support for young and first-generation farmers. Strong farm policy keeps rural communities alive, protects our food supply, and ensures farmers can pass their land on to the next generation.Raising the Minimum WageWorking full time should mean earning enough to live with dignity. Today, the federal minimum wage is nowhere near a living wage, forcing millions of workers to work multiple jobs just to get by while corporate profits reach record highs.I support raising the federal minimum wage to at least $15 an hour and indexing it to inflation over time and relative cost of living index by location.  This way, workers will not fall behind every time costs rise. No one working full time should live in poverty or depend on government handouts. Raising the minimum wage is not just good for workers, it is good for the economy. When people earn more, they spend more in their local communities, supporting small businesses and strengthening local economies. I support gradually phasing in a higher minimum wage to give small businesses time to adjust, while providing targeted tax relief and support for truly small, locally owned businesses during the transition.A higher minimum wage reduces reliance on public assistance programs by ensuring employers, not taxpayers, compensate workers fairly. Raising wages is about fairness, respect, and opportunity. I will fight for a minimum wage that reflects the value of work and allows every worker a fair shot at a stable lifeTax PolicyThe tax code is rigged in favor of the wealthy and well-connected. Our current tax policy has left working families to pick up the tab. I support cutting taxes for working and middle-class families by expanding refundable credits, lowering payroll tax burdens, and ending loopholes that allow billionaires and corporations to avoid paying their fair share. Tax policy should reward work, reduce inequality, and invest in the common good.We must restore a tax system where wealth is taxed more fairly than wages. This includes taxing capital gains like ordinary income and ensuring large corporations pay a minimum effective tax rate. Tax relief should be targeted to ensure Americans are not taxed out of housing, healthcare, and education. A fair tax system allows us to invest in infrastructure, education, healthcare without shifting the burden onto working people.HealthcareHealthcare is a human right. No one in Indiana’s 5th District—or anywhere in America—should have to worry about losing their home or their savings because they get sick. I support Medicare for All: a universal, publicly funded healthcare system that guarantees comprehensive coverage for every American, including primary care, mental health, reproductive care, vision, dental, and prescription drugs. Medicare for All will reduce costs by eliminating private insurance middlemen and allowing the federal government to negotiate fair drug prices.Until Medicare for All is fully implemented, I will fight to expand coverage, protect reproductive freedom, and strengthen rural healthcare infrastructure. Our healthcare system should put patient outcome ahead of corporate profits. Medicare for All will also free workers to change jobs, start businesses, or retire without fear of losing healthcare. Employers will no longer be burdened by spiraling insurance costs, thus strengthening small businesses and local economies.I support fully funding community health centers, expanding telehealth, and increasing the rural healthcare workforce so that geography never determines health outcomes. Mental health and substance-use treatment must be fully integrated into primary care.I will oppose efforts to privatize Medicare, cut Medicaid, or restrict access to reproductive healthcare. Healthcare policy must be measured by outcomes—longer lives, lower costs, and healthier communities.The 2nd AmendmentI am a proud and responsible gun owner, and I strongly support the Second Amendment. The rights of law-abiding Americans to keep and bear arms is a fundamental Constitutional freedom rooted in self-defense and personal liberty. Protecting the Second Amendment and promoting public safety are not opposing goals. I support universal background checks, closing loopholes that allow gun sales without oversight, red flag laws with strong due process protections, and investments in community violence prevention and mental health care. Responsible gun ownership and sensible safety measures go hand in hand. Recent actions by federal immigration enforcement raise serious Constitutional concerns. If federal agents can use deadly force against individuals who are legally carrying firearms, then the Second Amendment is not being meaningfully respected. A Constitutional right that disappears during an encounter with the federal government is not a right at all. The Second Amendment cannot be separated from the rest of the Constitution. The Fourth Amendment protects people from unreasonable seizures, and the Fifth Amendment guarantees due process of law. Law abiding gun owners must never be treated as criminals or threats simply for exercising a legal right. I will defend the Second Amendment, hold federal agents accountable to the Constitution, and ensure that Constitutional rights are enforced consistently—without fear, discrimination, or abuse of power.EducationEducation is a public good and the foundation of a fair economy, yet schools are underfunded while students and teachers are asked to carry the burden.I support fully funding public education, universal pre-K, tuition-free community college, strong vocational pathways, and student debt relief. Teachers deserve professional pay and respect, and students deserve opportunity—not lifelong debt.Education policy must expand opportunity and prepare every student for the future they deserve. I support reducing class sizes, modernizing school facilities, and ensuring students have access to counselors, special education services, and mental health support.Higher education should be accessible without crushing debt. I support refinancing student loans at lower rates and targeted debt cancellation for borrowers who were misled or underserved.Education policy should respect educators, empower parents, and prepare students for a democratic society and a rapidly changing economy.CannabisCannabis prohibition has failed. It has not reduced use, it has fueled mass incarceration, and it has disproportionately harmed vulnerable communities while wasting public resources.I support the full legalization of cannabis at the federal and states level, including removing cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act. Legalization must be paired with strong, commonsense regulation to ensure product safety, restrict youth access, and prevent monopolization by large corporations.Legal cannabis should be taxed responsibly, with revenues reinvested in communitiesharmed by the War on Drugs. I support directing these funds toward public education,substance abuse treatment, mental health services, and local infrastructure.Legalization must also include justice. I support automatic expungement of prior non-violentcannabis convictions and resentencing for those still incarcerated for cannabis-relatedoffenses. No one should carry a lifelong criminal record for conduct that is now legal.Farmers and small businesses must have a fair shot in the legal cannabis market. I supportlicensing structures that prioritize small producers, prevent corporate consolidation, and allow family farmers to diversify their operations.Cannabis policy should be grounded in public health, economic opportunity, and personalfreedom, not outdated stigma. I will work to end prohibition, repair the harm it has caused, and build a legal cannabis framework that works for everyone.AgricultureAgriculture is the backbone of Indiana’s economy and culture.Washington has allowed corporate consolidation to hollow out rural America. I will fight for aggressive antitrust enforcement in agriculture, an end to monopolistic control by agribusiness giants, and trade policies that put family farmers, not multinational corporations, first. Farmland should belong to those who work it, not private equity firms treating it as a speculative asset. Federal agriculture policy must reward sustainability, fair pricing, and local ownership while protecting our soil, water, and rural communities. I support restoring policies for farmers to receive fair prices and real choices.Agricultural policy must promote climate-smart practices that protect soil health, reduce runoff, and ensure long-term productivity without imposing one-size-fits-all mandates. A strong agricultural system is essential to food security, environmental stewardship, and economic stability across Indiana’s 5th District, and the Heartland as a whole.— Phil Goss' campaign website (April 15, 2026)Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

U.S. House Indiana District 3

Phil Goss did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2026 Candidate Connection survey.

State House

Phil Goss did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

U.S. House

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My name is Phil Goss. I was raised in Evansville, where I graduated from Central High School before receiving a bacherlor's degree from Wabash College. I then received a MBA from University of Strathclyde and did further studies at the Kelley School of Business at IU Bloomington.

My career has included work as a teacher, a radio show host, and a Fascell Fellowship with the State Department, where I worked on immigrant visas and worked to facilitate adoptions of Eastern European children into loving American families.

Following the Fellowship I returned to education, culminating in work at TVN Linguaa, where I did televised language instruction. I continue to be employed remotely by a Polish company, as well as managing my family farm in Fort Wayne, which has been in my family for four generations. I am the proud steward of 46 acres we grow food for local families, and where we annually raise more than 400 varieties of Irises.

I've been a teacher, a farmer, and a fixer. I've attended colleges in the United States and Poland, and worked with businesses on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Everything I've done has led to this moment, and I'm honored to have your support as we work to flip this District blue. I promise to represent the real needs of our people when I take my seat in the United States House of Representatives.

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?

We must protect the health care rights of Americans, and remember that healthcare is a human right, not a privilege reserved for the few. I support a universal public option for healthcare, allowing all Americans to enjoy healthcare not tied to employment. I support the rights of every American to choose their healthcare; to make the choices that are right for them in family planning, including protecting abortion access at the national level.We want to protect family farms. Right now, too many families pay too much in taxes when they inherit their generational farm. Our plan, gives them a tax break to keep families farming, and foreign governments from owning our most precious resource. Check out our Farms First Policy.We must protect and rebuild the middle class, starting by making it easier to buy your first home. Today, throughout America, home builders have stopped building starter homes because their is too much profit in building 2,000 square foot McMansions. We've introduced a policy that would provide tax breaks to small builders who want to build smaller homes, homes that we can use to help Americans realize the dream of homeownership again.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about housing policy, about healthcare policy, and about agriculture policy. We need more middle class housing. We need unverisal healthcare. We need to protect the family farm.

I am also passionate about drug policy reform, we must federally legalize cannabis and I will fight to stop labeling people who use this vital medication with the word "criminal."

I also believe we need comprehensive immigration reform. I've worked in immigration, I know the system is broken, but I also know it was never designed to work. We must protect DACA receipients, who are Americans. We must make it easier to immgrate to this country, permanently or temporarily, with massive overhauls of our immigration system.

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

My father taught me to take responsibility for my own actions and the importance of living up to our own expectations before the expectations of others.

My mother taught me never to quit, and to remain optimistic despite challenges I may face.

Woodward and Bernstein taught me the value of the truth, and the value of journalists. We need more people devoted to keeping our public officials accountable.

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

Aristotle: The Rhetoric

Plato: The Republic

The Federalist Papers

Upton Sinclair: The Jungle

John Steinbeck: The Grapes of Wrath

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

I believe a representative must be accountable to the voters; seeking guidance from people to understand what matters to them, and spending as much time as possible in their district, not just in Washington, DC.

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

The analytical ability to find the problems, and the understanding that compromise is a neccessary part of the path to progress.

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

We must first be good stewards, good stewards of our land, good stewards of our people, and good stewards of our economy.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to leave the world a better place, and I would like people to look back at my time in Congress as something they can be proud of, that I worked for constituents at all times, and left the House when it was time for me to do so.

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

The first thing I remember was the bicentennial of the United States in 1976.

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

My very first job was mowing grass at church when I was 12 years old. I did that four years.

What is your favorite book? Why?

The most recent thing I read that really affected me was 'Gulag: A History', by Anne Applebaum. It's hard to think of individual books as favorites because I read so many in a month, but this one was eye-opening and deeply touching.

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

Attiticus Finch from 'To Kill a Mockingbird'. Attiticus demonstrates an unwavering commitment to justice that we should all admire, and is always determined to admire the good in people while working to understand the bad.

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

There is a different song stuck in my head every day, but today it was 'Red Sector A' by Rush.

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

My career path has not followed a traditional path, or what we think of as a traditional path in America. Despite the adversity of a non-traditional career path, I've been able to find success because of the people who have helped me along the way. Those people put their trust in me, repeatedly, and helped me along the way.

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

I do believe that my experience in the State Department helps me to understand some of the issues facing immigration in this country, but I don't believe that experience is a neccessity for effective work as a representative.

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

Our infrastructure allows our economy to function smoothly, yet our transportation and energy infrastructure is aging, and if we fail to maintain that infrastructure it threatens to throw the entire economy into jeopardy.

We must also work to maintain food security and economic stability, these things are vital parts of our national security.

Over the next ten years, many more members of the Baby Boomer generation will retire, creating worker shortages that could number as many as a million workers per year. We must expand vocational training to replace the experienced retirees with talented young people who are ready to work in the trades as their career.

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

I have concerns about the amount of time people spend in power, but I also have concerns about the two year cycle forcing people to always be in "campaign" mode. A longer term could give people more time to govern, and encourage them to spend less time fundraising. I would support a change to the length of the term that also came with term limits.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

I support limiting the US House to three terms, and the US Senate to two terms. I also believe that it may be time to investigate upper age limits for those standing for election.

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

Compromise is an absolute neccessity for effective government. You know you have a good compromise when no one leaves the table completely happy. We must work to

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?

Being a good steward to our economy means introducing bills that spend American tax-payer dollars in a way that benefits Americans. The House owes

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

Only to investigate actual real wrong-doing. The House currently uses its investigative powers solely to advance political agendas, and it must get back to the business of governing.

What committees interest you?

I would be most interested in Agriculture and Housing, so that I could work to make Farms First a reality, and work to make homeownership a real dream for Americans once more.

I would also be interested in serving on the Rules Committee, and the House Oversight Committee, in an effort to make the house more accountable to voters, and to help it function better.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

The government must be fully accountable to the governed, in all things. Good stewardship of our economy means being transparent and accountable to the people of the United States.

Campaign website

Goss' campaign website stated the following:

I believe that the American Dream has been stolen from us by a single political party that claims to believe in freedom, but then spends all of their time telling us the things we shall, and shall not, be allowed to do. That isn't freedom. True freedom is believing in the American Dream of every American.

Join us in reclaiming that American Dream.

Donate. Volunteer. Share our website with your friends.

Together, we're going to give you the representation you deserve in Congress.

Infrastructure

A rising tide does not lift those who don’t have a boat. We must build it for them.

A small business does not succeed without the internet. We must build it for them.

Rebuilding the Middle Class

The middle class does not exist with unfair tax policy. We must fix the policy.

The middle class does not exist without unions. We must support them.

Government Overreach

The exam room is too small for the government and the people. People should only be with their doctor.

You shouldn’t have to ask John Deere to fix your tractor. We should have Right to Repair laws.[2]

—Phil Goss’s campaign website (2024)[3]