Sean Dougherty

As of 2024, Sean Dougherty lived in Santa Cruz, California. Dougherty earned a high school diploma from Plainfield High School. His career experience includes working as a software engineer.[1][2]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I’ve been a software engineer for over 25 years and have lived in Santa Cruz with my wife since 2016. Our son was born here in 2022. We feel rooted by the natural beauty and community. I want to protect this place for all the current and future residents of all walks of life.

With 11 years of experience at Apple and 7 years at IBM, combined with extensive academic research in AI, I am deeply concerned about the impact of AI on our environment and job security.

In 2023, I entered the congressional race because I felt our representative was serving the empire instead of our community needs. Since Trump’s election, the incumbent representative has utterly failed to be the opposition voice our moment demands.

My run this term has a greater sense of urgency. People are deeply alarmed by the incumbent's failure to stand up to this administration, which terrorizes our communities with a paramilitary force, violates our constitutional rights, dismantles our election system, and blatantly disregards international law. Our current representative is unable to effectively challenge Trump due to loyalty to the shared interests of the donor class, including organizations like AIPAC. I am committed to representing our community over foreign governments, corporations, and billionaires.

Unlike the incumbent, I am rejecting money from corporate PACs. I am dedicated to removing money from politics. I believe that public service should prioritize the needs of everyday citizens.

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?

I demand Medicare for All, housing for all, education for all, and childcare for all, which are critical programs to address the cost of living crisis facing individuals and families across our country. I also support canceling medical and student debt.

Everyone deserves a safe home, and our housing policies must prioritize people over profit. I am committed to supporting free, high-quality education. The inaccessibility of these basic needs impacts not just individuals but the well-being of our entire society. Further, I support universal childcare that empowers parents without compromising their children's well-being.Our government is engaged in illegal acts of aggression in Iran, Palestine, Cuba, and Venezuela, to name a few. Our tax dollars are being used to commit war crimes, like bombing fishing boats and elementary schools. These monies are being stolen directly from programs for our children and most vulnerable.

Our government is criminalizing dissent, murdering protesters, separating and locking up families, deporting legal residents, and expanding the death penalty.The influence of money in politics continues to reduce the power of ordinary citizens. I am committed to stopping and preventing foreign and corporate influence in our government.

Dedicated to systemic change, I will actively work to overturn Citizens United, ban corporate lobbyists, lower campaign contribution limits, close loopholes that permit foreign spending, and ultimately implement public campaign financing.

I believe that a truly representative government must be free from the corrupting influence of corporate money and special interests. That’s why I firmly reject contributions from corporate PACs and foreign lobbyists, including AIPAC.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Tax the Billionaires, build worker and union power, end pesticide abuse, safe & just renewable energy

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

Honesty, integrity, curiosity, and humility.

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

Listen to their constituents. Remain connected to their community.

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

The 1986 shuttle explosion, which my class watched live on TV.

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

I was a paperboy when I was in grade school. I delivered a free weekly paper to every door, including during the winter (in Chicago).

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

The U.S. House has short two-year terms, which means it's always election season. This can be both good and bad.

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

It can be. They can learn how to compromise, strategize, and legislate. But, they're also groomed into accepting a paradigm of subservience and corruption.

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

Yes, if we reform how elections work.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

I'm not opposed to term limits, but I don't think they address the fundamental problem. We need fairer and more competitive elections, which can be achieved through reforms like public campaign finance.

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

Bernie Sanders and Ron Paul.

Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

I've heard stories from my supporters about losing their jobs due to advocating for Palestine, including a physician.

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

It can be good, but we don't want to cut a baby in half.

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?

I would shrink the military budget and increase spending for social programs, like healthcare and education.

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

To uncover and combat government corruption, corporate corruption, and war crimes.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Santa Cruz for Bernie, Track AIPAC, Sunrise UCSC, DSA Central Coast, Pacific Grove Progressives, Black American Negro Freedmen Network, Media Watch, Integrity PAC

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

Heavily regulate it, with a focus on environment and jobs. I have a professional background in software engineering and AI and am therefore uniquely equipped to understand the full ramifications of AI on our economy and our personal lives.

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

Require debates in all congressional districts, with equal time for all candidates on the ballot. National standards for drawing congressional district boundaries.

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

Preserving democracy, restoring a basic standard of living, and eliminating corruption in our political system.

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I’ve worked as an engineer for the past 20+ years and lived in Santa Cruz for nearly a decade. It’s never been my ambition to run for office. I’m running because I have a toddler, and I don’t believe our current government will do what is necessary to provide him with a habitable planet and a just society when he’s older.

I became politically active during the Iraq War and participated in the Occupy movement. After the 2016 election, I became involved with political campaigns, including joining the advisory group of Santa Cruz for Bernie and providing free tech and data services to a variety of local campaigns, including city council, Democratic Central Committee (DCC), and district supervisor races. I am now a co-chair of the Membership and Outreach Committee of the California Green Party.

I’m not running with a major party. I was a Democrat until a few years ago, but I have come to the conclusion that real change, particularly at the Federal level, isn’t possible within the two major parties. These parties are owned by the very corporations and billionaires that are making money from the destruction of ecosystems, perpetuation of wars, and exploitation of people.

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?

The current campaign financing model allows corporations and wealthy individuals to buy our representatives. Our two major parties are owned by the very corporations and billionaires that are making money from the destruction of ecosystems, perpetuation of wars, and exploitation of people. If elected I will push for publicly financed elections.The science is clear. To limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, we must keep all remaining fossil fuels in the ground. As a start, the federal government must stop granting new drilling permits, we must end the influence of high emissions industries in DC, and we must spend aggressively to transition our society away from fossil fuels. A Green New Deal would see us creating good, high-wage jobs and rapidly reducing emissions through investing in public transit, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, and ecosystem restoration.If cut in half, our military budget would still be the largest in the world. We could use the money saved to end poverty in the US. Just 5% of the savings could give every American worker paid family leave. Closing our hundreds of military bases abroad would save enough money to give every American without housing a home and make every public university tuition-free. Currently, weapons manufacturers make billions in profits each year and continually lobby our representatives to expand the military budget and support new wars. If elected, I would advocate to eliminate profit in war by nationalizing our military industry.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

MEDICARE FOR ALL

Every person should have access to high-quality, comprehensive healthcare and healthcare decisions should be driven by patient needs not profit. A Medicare for All system would cut out the added costs of the insurance industry, lowering the cost of care and preventing medical debt.

EXPAND CIVIL RIGHTS

Equality for all and a functioning democracy require ending surveillance, censorship, and mass incarceration; protecting LGBTQIA+ rights; ensuring voting rights; and fighting for reproductive justice.

FIGHT CRIME'S CAUSES

Police and prisons don’t prevent crime or make our communities safer. We should focus attention and funds on strengthening our communities by investing in affordable housing, education, parks, community gardens, libraries, and other civic infrastructure.

WELCOME IMMIGRANTS, REDUCE DISPLACEMENT

Rather than deterring immigration through inhumane border policies, we must address the reasons people flee their home countries. By respecting the sovereignty of other nations, ending the war on drugs, and addressing climate change, we can reduce the number of people needing to find refuge here.

DEMOCRATIC ECONOMY

True democracy requires that ordinary people, not a handful of elites, control the economy. We must democratize our economy with increased union membership, co-ops, and worker-appointed corporate boards. Congress must support unions unequivocally.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Green Party of California. Peace and Freedom Party of California. Santa Cruz for Bernie