Ryan Norris

Ryan Norris was born in Manhattan, New York.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I'm a son, a business owner, an uncle, and a friend to the community that I live in.

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?

Ensuring that everyone in our district is represented, not just Democrats or Republicans.Helping fight for fair wages for all.Putting a major focus into clean, renewable energy.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I'm most passionate about affording housing (we're in a major housing crisis that's only been exacerbated by COVID), green energy, and job security.

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

In my personal life, I look up to both my parents. I'm eternally grateful for the compromises they had to make to get me where I am now, and that's what keeps me pushing every day to do better.

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

Integrity, honesty, and inclusive.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to be able to make effective changes to real-world issues, such as climate change, voting rights, fair wages, and other issues that affect the working class. Big corporations tend to usually benefit more than the working class Joe and I want to be able to change that. Any politician that can affect and improve the lives of the everyday citizen will never have to worry about public perception in the terms of longevity.

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

I've been around for more historical events than I would've liked, and I could talk about any of them but nothing has impacted us more in recent days than COVID. Seeing how it impacted the world so much, and the ripple effect that it will have on the future for years to come is honestly frightening.

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

My very first job was Walmart! I worked there for a combined three years!

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

I half-agree with this. I do believe that at least some form of experience whether it be through education or even interning/working in government/politics should be highly encouraged, but I do not feel that it should be required. People want the working class to be heard, as the working class makes up the majority of the country but has the least say in the things that affect them.

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

Unity. Throughout this past decade and going even further back, we've been a country divided by party lines. I would like to see that change, with more teamwork from both sides of the aisle.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

I do think term limits are a great idea. I feel that without term limits, challengers face an uphill battle trying to get recognized as a strong contender due to the fact that incumbents typically have more money for ad reach, as well as more volunteers for canvassing. We as a people also get used to the thing of, "my votes don't matter anyway" so most people either vote for the incumbent or even not vote at all.

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

Politicians may not want to compromise, but it is absolutely necessary for policymaking. If we let a single party govern our country for two to four years until another party takes office, it will just be a game of a dog chasing it's tail, and back tracking on policies.

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-1548351761485-0"); });